Banning Bake Sales?! ( A rant)

When I was in high school in the Midwest, they started something like that but with soda. I don't think schools have the right to dictate a child's diet. I mean childhood obesity is a problem, but with restricting a diet, telling someone don't do this, well human nature makes us want to do it that much more. When they took the soda of the school vending machines we brought it from home, when they began to tell us we couldn't we found more creative ways to do so, and as an end result I think me and my friends actually ended up drinking more than we would have otherwise. And as for banning bake sales, I think it's ridiculous. I mean I remember having bake sales and such to help fund field trips when I was a little kid. The government whether be it state or federal always seems to be on one power trip or another.

Ya, they have already been doing that here in NH. I'm just so glad that my girls are grown and I don't have to deal with it. The parents have to send in what is considered a "healthy snack" with their child or else it is confiscated and a note sent to the parents. It's all about control. People are letting the government take over their jobs as parents. It's been slowly reaching this point for years. I will say that many of the teachers don't agree with this and do let some slide. I know one teacher that every Thursday night, she comes into the store that I work and buys a small candy for each of her students. I really think the parents should all stand up on this but you know how that goes. They grumble and groan but they don't really do anything to change these things. They really should because not only does it take away from their rights as parents but it will do nothing in the way of eliminating obesity. When you deny a kid these types of snacks entirely, guess what they are going to crave? Rules may have changed but kids haven't. Most kids are going to sneak and do any and everything to get the very thing you are telling them they can't have. I remember as a kid that my brothers and I were forbidden to go anywhere near "The River". It was a daily mission of ours to see how much time we could spend at "THE RIVER" without getting caught.

That's stupid. How about ban all sweet from snack machines or the lunch cafeteria. That's fine and fair. But for bake sales? To make money that would benefit the school? They can't celebrate a win with a sweet or two? When I was a kid my parents would bring my entire class cupcakes on my birthday for everyone. Massachusetts would not let me now? That's too much.

Its a shame that all of this is happening....like banning soda etc. I can see where there is a concern but this is going a bit too far. I know here they have changed some of the laws due to people getting sick from homemade things....but not banning them. They can up with a better alternative.

arkansas schools have already done that. not only are they not having bake sales, you can't bring in any special treats for your child's birthday or for holiday treats. they only have 2 parties for the year and only certain foods are allowed. it's one more step that government is trying to tell us how to raise our kids. i'm sorry....but I'M the one that carried that baby for nine months! I'M the one that had surgery to deliver that baby! I'M the one that had to get up in the middle of the night to feed that baby! I'M the one that had to take that baby to every dr appt! I'M the one that's there when they fall down, their hearts get broken and they don't understand when someone don't like them! I'M the one that has to provide a roof over their head, food on the table, and clothes on their back! the government wants to tell ME that I'M a bad parent! reimburse me for the cost of raising that child and you can take over the job! nope!!! can't pay me all the money in the world! i LOVE it when their eyes light up when they finally master a new skill. i LOVE it when they have a smile in their eyes when they made a good decision in their life. the government can't take that away from me!!

That is awful, they shouldn't be punishing everyone just because theirs a few kids overweight. Honestly if the parents aren't worried about there weight or the doctors arent worried about maybe the schools should mind there own business theirs no way the banning this stuff is going to change their weight they will just go home and eat more of the junk because, they didn't get it at school. That's what i might anyway.

That's ridiculous. Banning bake sales is going to keep kids from getting too fat? What about the junk food they feed them in the cafeteria? Genetically modified, raised on artificial fertilizer, zapped with pesticides and herbicides and insecticides... good stuff, huh? I wonder if this has less to do with their concern for children's health and more to do with controlling a tiny bit of the free market. Next thing you know they'll be requiring all bake sales to be registered (with the cost of a license) with the state.

When I saw only the title I thought maybe because of the FDA regulations they were banning bake sales because of selling food that hasent been tested by the FDA. That I could almost see but not allowing bake sales just because of obesity rates is ridiculous. My kids and I all eat sweets and not a single one of us is over weight.

That is so stupid. What else can kids do to earn a little bit of money to help the school! Sell ammo?!?! Good grief, society is getting so stupid these days. And yeah, I have already heard horror stories about kids being sent to the principals office cause of something in their lunch the lunch monitor deemed "unhealthy". And the thing is.. I have looked at the school lunches where my grand daughter goes to elementary school...no wonder she wont buy! Those lunches are gross! What little there is of them. For $1.50 for breakfast they got a toaster waffle (you know by the time it got to the table and ready to eat, the thing was cold and rock hard!) a half a banana, and celery/carrots with some ranch dressing! Lunch..I am sure those chicken nuggets they have are not real chicken meat.. and high in all the bad stuff. and those hamburgers...so small, even a normal weight kid wouldn't be filled up enough to not be hungry in 2 hours after eating it. I even heard one school..forget where it was, had a thing where they were trying to ban brown bag lunches...no kid could bring lunch from home.. they all had to buy the school lunch! What a money maker that would have been and all in the name of "eating healthy". I packed my kids healthy lunches every day and this was before the blue ice thing where they could take something and keep it cold and it was before juice bags/boxes. Yet, let's give the schools more money!!!!

hi sarahruthbeth I think the state has no business telling people what to eat or drink. sure educate people on eating right but do not presume to take over whats a parent's job. the few treats in schools like bake sales does not really hurt anyone.Parents can learn healthier ways of eating but do it on their own, states have no right to mess with how people cook and eat.The state needs to butt out as its doing more harm then good. If people cannot have what they love they will get it anyway and this makes things much worse.

When I was thin, I ate like a pig but never got fat because I was physically active. Since I've become less active, I've gained weight even though I eat less. I agree with you, schools need to bring back recess and gym classes.

i think there are many ways to prevent obesity.. not bake sales, i like bake sales, it let the child learn baking, marketing, business... maybe they could modify recipes that have less sugar!

That is horrible. As an education major it is important that children have a balaced schedule between academics and play. Children need play in order to get the necessary energy in order to learn. The schools do not have enough money as it is and to cut out fundraisers such as a bakesale is rediculous. What are they going to cut next, school buses and make the children who live far from home walk home. I hate when thing go bad that the schools have to cut out programs that are necessary such as music, art and gym.

That's a ridiculous notion... Back in my day (here we go) - parents raised kids, parents knew how to feed kids and parents knew how to run around with them, there wasn't so much childhood obesity around then! Parents were parents then! These days parents are TVs, Game Consoles and the local fast food take away cooks are the household chefs. Parents are getting lazy and are forgetting the fundamental elements of a healthy diet and upbringing in general. It's come to a point where someone has to step in and do something, but I don't think that banning bake sales is the answer! Some one needs to slap the parents up-side the head. In our primary school - no sweets, cakes, crisps or fizzy drinks etc. for your school lunch/snack, but that was the end of the rule. The rest was focused on educating children about healthy eating. There's only so much a school can or should do.