Do you believe that the teachers at a school should have any say in ...

Canada
June 2, 2007 8:08pm CST
What your child eats ? In our schools the teachers decide weather or not your child is allowed to eat what you send them to school with . I can remember when my daughter was in grade four , her teacher took away her drink because she didn't think it was appropriate for a child to be drinking . I had bought both my son and my daughter a Gatorade because they had both wanted one and I had promised them that if they behaved all week that I would buy them each one . Anyway my daughter had nothing to drink for the day because her teacher didn't agree with me sending this with my child , even though we had never been told this was not allowed and I wouldn't have known anything about it unless my daughter had told me since there was no note sent home and it was not returned to her at the end of the day . The teacher had put the drink in her desk and told my daughter that she should have known better yet my son who was in grade one was allowed to have his . Do you agree that anyone should be allowed to make a decision for your child without first telling you ?
5 people like this
12 responses
@magica (3707)
• Bulgaria
3 Jun 07
Is it typical for ALL the teachers in this schools or just for this teacher? Of course, they have not right to control your child`s food. Except when the child eats during the lessons. You must talk to this teacher frankly or even go to the principal of the school.
1 person likes this
• Canada
3 Jun 07
I never did speak to the teacher because I knew it would get me no where as the teachers feel that they can make all the decisions and we just have to abide by them . I have even tried to talk to the school board on different occasions and have never felt that I was getting anywhere and as much as I hate to admit it , but have given up on ever getting anywhere when it comes to the only school in our area . Thank you for your response .
@venshida (4836)
• United States
3 Jun 07
The teacher has no authority to tell you what you should feed your kids. I work in the school system off and on, and the only rule they have is no eating during class. At lunch and snack the kids can eat anything their parents pack. If the teacher did not return the drink, you should of inquire about it. The teacher's only responsibility is to teach and nothing else, next time talk with the teacher.
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
3 Jun 07
I think it is okay for teachers to give their opinions about what a child is eating for lunch as long as they do not force the child to not eat what they want. The parents should decide what their child eats and if the parents want their child to be obese or have health problems later than they are to blame. They should have health classes in the schools to advise children about the risks of eating certain foods.
@rusty2rusty (6763)
• Defiance, Ohio
3 Jun 07
No, I don't agree with anyone telling you what your kids can drink or eat at school. Unless there is a written policy that is given out at the beginning of the year stating what is and isn't allow. I know a school my oldest use to go to said no pop was allow to be taken to school. I had no problem with that as that was there rule. But what the teacher did for your daughter was wrong. the first thing i would of done was march right to the principle and ask if there was some rule against it. If there wasn't. i would inform the principle that I wanted the gatorade return to my daughter with an apology immediately or there would be a law suit involved. Sounds bad I know but it would of got the principles attention that you mean business and qon't put up with crap lik ethat. Or your child being singled out by the teacher.
1 person likes this
@cdparazo (5765)
• Philippines
3 Jun 07
What the teacher did was wrong. However, the parents and teachers could agree what is allowed and not allowed or the teachers could have given some guidelines before the start of the classes what is allowed for the children. I may agree that the teachers should a have say in such matters but on the condition that the parents are informed. That was what happened in my daughter's classes. We were given guidelines of what food that are not allowed and even some suggestions of what the children should eat at school. Since we agreed on it and still give the child, say, junk food, the teacher would still not allow the child to eat that junk food and would inform the parents that it should not be the case. Reasons were given by the teachers and even the school administration why such food is not allowed.
1 person likes this
• Canada
3 Jun 07
No I do not agree with this I think that it should be the parents choice what they allow and what they dont allow for their childern to eat, It shouldnt be what the teacher think is good or not good.
1 person likes this
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
7 Jul 07
This may have not been something the teacher set in place. A lot of schools don't allow outside food from fast food restaurants, etc in the school cafeteria because of the recent lean toward healthier foods in school. At a lot of places, students are only allowed to have water or milk with lunch because schools don't want the students drinking sugary drinks at lunch. This rule could have been set in place by the school and the teacher was simply following it since Gatorade is en energy drink. I would definitely check with the school and make sure these things are allowed first. Also, I would suggest sending a note with your child telling the teacher that you are allowing her to drink the Gatorade.
• Canada
3 Jun 07
This is not right . NObody should tell you what you can give to your kid to eat . It is up to you what you want to give your kid and they should not do that . I would be mad if they tell me that my kid can't eat what they want and I say yes to them . If I buy it they shoudl eat it and no one should tell them no .
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Jun 07
no i dont unless its something totaly unaceptable wich Gator aid most definatly is not
@pickles12 (308)
• Canada
3 Jun 07
yeah i totally wouldnt have put up with that. i would have went to that school and told them where to stick it. what you choose to send to school with your child is your decision not the school's. it's your child or children and you make the choice of what they drink in school not them.
@golfproo (1839)
• Canada
3 Jun 07
I guess it depends. If it was a classroom rule that certain things not come into the class, and it was made clear from the outset of the year, I think it would be ok. However in this instance, that does not seem to be the case. Thus I do not think the teacher made a wise move here. cheers,
@athnam (20)
• United States
10 Jul 07
In Arizona, the state has mandated by law what foods and drinks are allowed in school. Considering the huge increase of obese children, lately, I'm not sure how I feel about this. However, at the beginning of the year, parents are sent a letter outlining what is acceptable and what is not. Too bad I find many of these letters in students' desks when we're cleaning!lol