They were talking on the radio this morning about how Coke and Pepsi have apparently agreed not to sell sugared sodas in about 87% of the country's public and private schools. But they will still sell diet sodas and "juices" (that are usually sugar water) and bottled waters.
One of the personalities said, "well, they have to drink something."
Excuse me?
Hel-LO! Water fountain! That's all I had growing up, and all I needed. Except the MILK they sold at lunch.
One of them said, "shouldn't it be up to the kids?"
Obviously, he's the one who doesn't have any kids.
My children rarely drink soda, and when they do, it's non-caffeinated. My oldest starts middle school next year, where they do have vending machines, and do I believe for a minute that she won't choose to drink Coke if it's available? Not even for a second.
She'll make the same choices I did when I was her age. I hated the school lunches, so I bought Fritos on credit on the way home instead. My mother used to talk about how I'd have a bowl of broccoli for my afternoon snack--that's because I felt so guilty about eating junk all day. The only reason I wasn't as fat then as I am now is because I walked two miles to and from school every single day.
We do all we can, as good parents, to teach our kids which choices are the good ones. They won't always make them, especially when the consequences are so far down the line, they haven't even lived that long yet. So please. Keep the vending machines away.
2 comments:
Texas passed a law a couple of years ago outlawing sodas and candy machines in the schools, and also regulating what they can eat in the classroom. For example, there are two "free" days, and the school can use them either for carnivals or holiday parties. At my old school, if the parents bought cupcakes for birthdays, the principal made them scrape off the sprinkles. Cupcakes were allowed but not candy, and that's what sprinkles are. Cause you know how fat sprinkles can make you. At this school, one of my students, who already sweats when he's sitting in the classroom, brings a monster bag of Cheetos every day.
If all parents were as wise as you, we wouldn't have to deal with it in schools.
Now, that's just ridiculous. Scraping off the sprinkles instead of just asking them to bring something different.
Someone was telling me today about a family member (cousin, maybe?) who feeds her kids nothing but junk, because that's all she eats and she's healthy. People are just stupid. It boggles my mind.
God love every one of you teachers. I don't have to worry about those other kids because I don't see them and don't have a right or responsbility to interfere. You don't have the right or responsibility, or at least are restricted in how much you can do, but you have to watch it happen and feel helpless. I couldn't stand it.
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