Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Angry at the Doughnuts - A Little Rant

When I dropped Max off at camp this morning I noticed the teacher giving one of the assistants a few boxes that highly resembled something you would get at a bakery. "Do those boxes contain cookies, doughnuts or something else I need to be concerned with." I asked.

"Oh yes, doughnuts, for a birthday celebration. I don't suppose Max can have those?"

Hmmm, let's think about that one.

I replied no and headed home to round up a cupcake to bring back to school for someone's birthday celebration.

Why, oh, why, must people bring "treats" for their children's birthday, I say again. I simmered all day and glared at the offending Mom with the doughnut box at pick-up.

9 comments:

Kate Oliver said...

I feel your pain! My mother took Maya to a trial class at Gymboree today. It was a 90 minute class, so it never occured to me they would be handing out snacks. Halfway through, the teacher passed out cups of goldfish crackers to all the kids. I'm lucky my mother decided to stay and observe the class, because Maya's still too little to know what she can and can't have. Boy, that made me angry!

Angie McCullagh said...

Oh. Ergh. Just reading this makes me angry for you.

Amy said...

Oooh! I so echo your feelings here.
My biggest rant is the LAST MINUTE birthday treats. I heard AFTER THE FACT one day at preschool, that a child had ICE CREAM BDAY TREATS & that my daughter was put in another room to eat her snack.
So, basically, punished for the parent of the bday child, bringing something in LAST MINUTE.
Typically, I too, will bring a subsitute (I usually try to do something similar to the treat, so she feels less alienated).
But I can't very well do that when I don't know until the day is done.
Okay, /ranting. ;)

In Everything said...

What is the deal with all the food..... I mean, parents feed their kids and the kids have lunch and stuff, right??? I just think there are soo many more FUN activities to do with kids BESIDES eating....

I just returned from Canada... in Ontario the school system is completely peanut-free....

Amanda H said...

We have the some problem. Especially at church. My son is about to start soccer and I'm sure that will be a constant battle. Doughnuts, ice cream, pizza...People just have no idea!

Speedbump Kitchen said...

Why not stickers or crafts or something besides food for birthdays...our schoolkids are chubby enough without a snack every 45 minutes! Kinder starts in 12 days, and I keep getting nauseated thinking about it....

The Invisible Dad said...

Why, oh, why, must people bring "treats" for their children's birthday, I say again. I simmered all day and glared at the offending Mom with the doughnut box at pick-up.

I have a kid with food allergies (eggs, nuts) and one with none. Also, a couple of my friends have kids with health issues so severe that they would welcome having only to deal with food allergies, so maybe I see both sides a little more easily.

What would you have another parent do on his/her child's birthday that would better accommodate your child (at a place where both children supposedly enjoy equal status)? And, instead of simmering and glaring, why don't you communicate with people and express your concerns to them? Usually, when people find out that my son has 2 common food allergies, they are only too happy to help me keep him safely away from those foods--even though it is not their responsibility--while at the same time not punishing everyone else who can safely enjoy those "treats."

If you expect everyone else to avoid foods just because your family and a minority of other families have to, you are expecting too much, and will only make the chip on your shoulder bigger when people inevitably don't read your mind and/or accommodate you.

The Invisible Dad said...

In response to your comment (thanks for posting, btw), I'm glad to hear that you aren't always as extreme as you sound in your blog. Also, my last paragraph above read a lot more combative than I meant it. I was only trying to say that it's your responsibility to communicate with others, and that how (or even if) you approach people will greatly effect how they react--but you probably already know this. Finally, there are chips and there are CHIPS. Thanks for pointing mine out. I don't want it to be an underlying them of my blog, unless it's done purposely and humorously (as I hope it was).

Good luck to you and your son as the school year begins. Remember, honey catches more flies than vinegar.

Friskies said...

Hello!!! I found your blog online, My kids all have Allergies and Asthma, My daugter is allergic to peanuts, eggs, Pistachio, Cashew, Milk, rhye, black walnut, and ALL tree nuts and recently grew out of a wheat allergy (Thankgod!) this is probably my number one pet peeve of parents, WHY? I don't think it is nessasary to have a stupid treat at school birthdays can be celebrated at home? and to "the invisible Dad" how about you be invisible... just sayin.. because I find his post completely offensive. Mainly because there are other ways of celebrating events such as birthdays at school I am so tired of my sweet sobbing child who doesn't want her substitue she wants what everyone else has ( and isnt old enough to understand)school should be a place where no child feels left out there are enough things in school to cause that feeling food should not be one of them! plain and simple... If schools simply didnt allow it what would be the big deal? Its so nice to read a blog of someone with similair issues Thanks for your words!!