Shared food issue
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=36338
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Topic: Shared food issue
Posted By: millymollymandy
Subject: Shared food issue
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 9:05am
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Hi,
I come from a background that's pretty strict about eating good, healthy, home cooked, non processed food. Consequently I don't like a lot of stuff like lollies, chessels etc and I don't plan on making these sorts of things a regular part of my toddler's diet. We go to playcentre twice a week and some of the morning teas are shared mornings teas. They are supposed to be heathly, but more cakes etc are creeping in. Plus some kids get chessels and chippes every day - these things get left on the table and yep and just know Miss will eat them. I have no probs with a piece of cake or something as a treat, but not every other day. Any advice on how to teach her that these are treats only? And secondly, I don't want to sound like a stick in the mud to other Mums but I'd rather some of the poorer choices either weren't brought or stayed out of general reach. How do I stay this in a way that doesn't alienate people? I can understand that in some cases that these kids will probably only eat that crappy stuff, but I just don't want our daughter to be one of them. |
Replies:
Posted By: happymum21
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 9:58am
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Hiya MMM
I was the same with my girl when she was a lot younger. I think for some families it's just easier to grab a bag of this or a bag of that. Those kinds of foods will always be around whether you like it or not so perhaps as it's only twice a week that you attend then allow your child to make two or three choices of the food that you find acceptable. Also allow her to have a little bit of those foods you don't particularly agree to (say two cheezels AFTER she's had a healthy choice) so that she learns that yes she can still have those types of foods but only after she has had a better (and more filling) choice. If you don't allow her to even have a little bit of the not so good foods, later when she sees them she may end up scoffing them as soon as she sees them. ------------- Becs |
Posted By: My3Sons
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 10:15am
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ahhh thats a hard one!! I know at our playcentre we have some sessions shared and some bring lunchboxes, mostly the food is healthy, the treat stuff tends to be things like biscuits and popcorn which I dont have a problem with. How old is your daughter, does she help herself or do you get the food for her and put it on her plate? I think if you arent comfortable bringing it up it is up to you to monitor what she eats from the shared morning tea table, you cant control what the other people bring but you can control whether or not your girl eats the stuff or not ------------- Mum to Mr 10, Mr 6 and Mr 4 
 
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Posted By: millymollymandy
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 11:47am
| Great advice. Its such a delicate balance some of those things, I do agree that you don't want to put these things so far out of reach that they soff them. |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 1:55pm
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you could talk to the people who run the playgroup and suggest they bring their shared luncheon policy more inline with local kindys and school who all have healthy food policies now... at the boys kindy they all took part in the no chippie challenge for example. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: MissCandice
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 2:02pm
I have seen this in a 7 year old girl and it is not nice. ------------- ~ Mummy to a beautiful girl ~ |
mum2alana wrote:Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 2:04pm
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I agree with Bizzy about talking to the people who run the playgroup. You could also give your daughter something to eat before going to playgroup. If she's full already she'll be far more interested in the toys than the food table. -------------  
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 3:31pm
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The other way to ensure she has something you approve of is to make it and take it yourself then you know there will always be something healthy for her.
From my own experience where treat foods were only allowed at birthdays or at Nana's and never at home I to this day know the difference between healthy food options and non-healthy foods. Mum never allowed us chippies or chocolate and these are still very much a treat food for me. She did always have homemade baking and this is more of a treat as now I have to bake myself. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 3:51pm
yes but there is a big difference to never allowing "junk" and allowing it on special occasions, which is what the OP was referring to. My kids arent allowed fizzy drink except on special occasions and i find they dont really enjoy it that much anyway and prefer juice. this was one of the reasons i didnt like the mainly music we used to attend as chips were always a part of the morning tea. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: jaycee
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 4:33pm
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I am surprised that playcentre is ok with that kind of food for a shared morning tea. I would agree that letting you little one have a bit of the treat food and more of your regular food on her plate is the best option.
Are you involved much in the organizing side of PC? If you are I would raise the issue of the food. It is not as if it is the end of year party where you would expect that kind of special food. Personally I would be a bit pissed. I would expect (and take along) things like crackers, popcorn, fruit and maybe marshmallows as a treat. I am a bit mean though 
Good on you for worrying about this and wanting your daughter to make good choices and know about health food  -------------   
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 5:48pm
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I dont know what the age of your girl is as that will depend on things that you can do.
For me I sit with my girl that has issues with artificial colors and flavours. Then Andrew that has a severe allergy to egg, then dairy and kiwi fruit and cant handle artificial colors or flavours either. So when cake or shared morning tea things happen they usually will only be able to have the fruit or one or two other things (If I was notified beforehand then I bring in a cupcake or something) I do a whole moderation thing. I dont stop them from eating sweets at parties (from the ones they are allowed otherwise they swop with things I sent in with.) but something that my kids always done is they will drop a sweet for a fruit. (so I am kind of lucky). I have a rule that at shared morning teas they have to first eat 3 healthy things before eating anything sweet. And I must say I never ever have to check as it is just a routine. Andrew on the other hand just eat anything that is nearby. I will ask everyone to make sure everything is cleared up after eating (good practise anyway for those with allergies and small kids as a choking hazard) and then bring it up in evaluation or your session meeting. Just say that you dont mind sweet stuff and all that but that perhaps we can do a few more healthy stuff as well and get that out first and then after they had a good few things in them then we get the sweet things out. (as we all know that most kids will go for sweet before hand first) ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: MrsMc
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 9:06pm
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i like the idea of eating 3 healthy things before the sweet stuff.
I also think you should talk to the organisers and try to work out a solution. Every second day is too much |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 21 October 2010 at 11:10pm
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I think the min of ed has a "healthy lunchbox challenge" thing - our playcentre was going to join - anyway, you make a pledge to only have healthy food and I "think" you can even get a grant if you met these requirements. if you made it a suggestion to do this, then hopefully it would help.
We too are a family who tries to limit the junk food. going to some school events I've been shocked with the kids turning up with chips - everyday. i don't J and T have had chips in their lunchbox EVER - they've certainly had chips - pretty often in fact, but they know chips are for movie night, not for everyday lunch. |
Posted By: millymollymandy
Date Posted: 22 October 2010 at 7:45am
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Update - ran into our president yesterday after OP. She agreed with me (we have quite similiar parenting views) and said that they are supposed to choose from, fruit, crackers, sandwiches, unless its a birthday. She'll raise it at the next meeting, which unfortuntately I can't attend.
My girl is 15 months, so old enough to say what she wants to but too young to explain what she can and can't gave. She's a big eater and if left to her own devices would stand at the table and eat the whole session. I put her in the highchair still so I can have some control. Plan to work on the choose 3 healthy things when old enough is a good idea. |
Posted By: jaycee
Date Posted: 22 October 2010 at 12:00pm
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It is often the way that it is supposed to be healthy and then over time things creep in and suddenly it is party food all the time.
It is like that with some of the kids lunch boxes at kindy. The teachers send a reminder every few months or so but I have to admit that I cringe when I see what is in some of the lunch boxes  -------------
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 22 October 2010 at 3:59pm
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Was just thinking with the shared morning tea thing do people say before hand what they will bring in? Like say it is next week Tuesday and then the previous session they will state i will bring in this and you bring in that?
Perhaps get a list of things that is allergy free for the current kids on session and that everyone agrees to for morning tea and get that list printed and laminated and everyone can just put their name to an item for shared morning tea. This way there is no double up of anything. Andrew is 15 months as well and I just stay with him while he eats as he will also just eat and eat and with allergies it is just even worse. So I just make all his things even for shared morning tea. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 23 October 2010 at 8:55pm
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When DD was at Playcentre we actually had a meeting about it. One of the parents felt strongly about processed and sweet foods and thought they were inappropriate for young children and difficult when some children had them and others weren't allowed them. We agreed to only provide water, sandwhiches (ideally savoury spreads but no nut products) and fruit for morning tea. I had to fight a bit for fruit to be included as the parent concerned felt we should be banning all sweet and processed foods but it was agreed that fruit was a natural food so was allowed. I think we also made a committment to bake scones pretty regularly as this was an activity plus an accepted food. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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