what do you think, did i overreact?

[rosylizzie]

i'm on a working party at my primary trying to improve school lunches. I was chatting to the school secretary about this b4 hometime yesterday when my 5 year old came out clutching a bag of crisps given to her by a teaching assistant who regularly rewards the children with food. I was hopping and immeadiately complined to the TA and the school, I do not think schools should hand out junk food to kids without parental permission or at all. Also why reward children with food? what do you think

just remember you and your son need to have close contact with her until the end of the school year - i wouldnt want to make an enemy of ds TA.

I agree that food should never be used as a reward - it's a bad association to set up and should not be condoned in a school setting. I think you were right to complain and I think it's really sad that the headteacher saw fit to chastise you for complaining about it!

I would be very unhappy if my children came home from school with junk food as a "treat" for doing well.

As usual we all get our come uppance if we are too purist about our kids!! Im handing out some biscuits after school today to my two ds who are about to go to running club and need a snack.Of course dd who got the crisps and then the baby want one too then the baby wants one for both hands then dd thinks thats a good idea i'll have the same. Then who walks up but the TA and dd grabs the biscuits and runs up and offers her one!!

If they are going to hand out food rewards what is wrong with a piece of fruit.

My ds loves fruit more than cakes, crisps or biscuits anyway!!

They give out sweets as rewards on a regular basis at my boys' school. Ds2 has just started in reception and I'd say he gets sweets 2 or 3 times a week. The first 10 children changed after P.E. get a small sweet, they get a small bag of haribo sweets when they reach a certain point on their charts etc etc. They do get stickers, though not as many as sweets, stamps on their hands and certificates too, but sweets are used a lot.

It does bother me a bit because I'm someone who has real problems with comfort eating, and I tend to reward myself with treats when I'm down, hence my weight problem. (I'm borderline obese.) I strongly suspect this has roots in my childhood.

It also surprises me as when I was teaching (before kids) giving sweets as rewards was a really frowned on.