Whitney is in full-day kindergarten this year, which means I’m not only packing lunch for Lexi, but Whitney as well. Along with those two lunches, I’m also making not one, but TWO snacks for Whitney. Whitney’s kindergarten class has one snack break in the morning and another in the afternoon. I mean two snacks, plus lunch, for five year olds? What are they, kindergartners or baby birds?
Another thing about all this eating...one of the kids in Whitney’s class has a peanut allergy so Whitney isn’t allowed to have any peanuts in her lunch or snacks. Also, SHE CAN’T HAVE ANY PEANUTS IN HER LUNCH OR SNACKS! No peanut butter sandwiches, no trail mix, no peanut butter pretzels or crackers. I mean, why not just tie my hands behind my back so I can pack her lunch with my toes?
It's not that I’m trying to be insensitive about this kid’s special accommodations, only that his lethal nut allergy is really inconveniencing me. I know, I shouldn’t whine, but...I just can’t help but complain every morning while I spin the lazy suzan looking for anything that won’t kill her classmate.
So the other day, when Ben was here in the morning, I asked him to make the lunches, and snacks, and reminded him he couldn’t pack any peanut food for Whitney. He made the lunches, and snacks, and assured me he did so without the deadly peanuts.
Later in the day, after Whitney got home from school, I asked her if she wanted a snack. I told her I’d make whatever kind of snack she wanted as long as it included peanut butter. She told me no, that she'd just eat the left over snack in her back pack.
“Why didn’t you eat your snack?”
“Because my teacher said we’re supposed to bring healthy snacks to school and that marshmallows aren’t a healthy snack.”
Apparently, without the peanut butter option, Ben had panicked and packed her a baggy full of marshmallows. Thus ensuring I’m never asked to be room-mother. Phew.
“Whitney, your teacher is right, marshmallows are not a healthy snack.”
But, then again, marshmallows won’t send anyone into epileptic shock either so who’s to say?
Comments
And this is why I'm glad our lunch time was changed from 12:45 to 12:05. No more snacks in my class!
gah. The whole thing is out of control. My son too has a peanut allergy in his class. I get it. It's a serious thing. BUT because of all the allergies? No snacks. Ever. No food can be brought in for class parties or handouts. Nothing. I can't be room mom ever again. I'd just want to shower the kids with marshmallows. The big ones.
Because we are so privileged to have our children attend public school in Atlanta, they ARE offered a "hot" lunch. Unfortunately, it's a hot, disgusting lunch. My husband, Tim, has been packing the girl's lunches lately but last night he dropped the ball, I mean, didn't have time, so Elise, my seven year old, had to buy her lunch. She said she had nachos. YUMMY AND NUTRITIOUS at the same time!
Normally, we pack deli turkey, chicken or roast beef with cheese roll ups or PB&J (which you can't do), Quakes or Chex Mix, applesauce or yogurt, broccoli (with ranch to dip it in or course - dipping is a trait taken directly from me!) or strawberries or grapes and for "dessert" - strawberry fig newtons or sugar free pudding. Elise has to have a snack so it's usually Quakes, Chex Mix, or, as we call it, a "Fart Bar", which is a Fiber Plus bar. And trust me, it owns up to it's made up name.
As I re-read this, that sounds like a pretty damn healthy lunch, right? Yes, right. Meanwhile, for my lunch, I'm pulling into the Taco Bell drive thru ordering a Nacho Bell Grande with a medium Dr. Pepper. And can I get extra cheese on that?
bwahahaha!I'm an insensitive prick because I HATE peanut allergy classes. It's especially fabuloso when your kid goes to a Catholic school who DOES NOT have hot lunch and no refrigeration.WTF am I supposed to pack? I got it...organic jam sandwiches on organic bread, with water ( because hot milk is deadly). My poor kid was in catholic school prison with a solid diet of bread and water. Sure I'd add some fruit and veggies but mostly my poor kid hated her lunch. THis year we have hot lunch and refrigeration!FTW! And no peanut allergies.
But in a crunch...marshmallows are absolutely acceptable, throw some dried berries and bananas in there and call it trail mix:)LOL
1. Agree with everything you said about inconvenience.
2. Gummy worms are manufactured on equipment also used to make food rife with peanuts. RIFE. (And there went Aura's favorite idea for a birthday snack.)
3. How many snacks do kindergarteners need anyway? It's a miracle they're not all waddling home. Michelle Obama needs to jump on this wagon, stat.
RIFE. RIFE! You totally have to bring that word back. Or up. Or just so people know what it means. You make me laugh.
My son just started preschool & the school provides lunch & snack. However, I did think it was a bit ludicrous to tell me when I celebrate my sons birthday I can't bring cupcakes. I have to bring like hummus or celery sticks. For a BIRTHDAY. I'm planning on bringing individual sheet cakes for each cake for my sons birthday.
Make them with carob. That should shut them up.
Not the kids. I meant the school. The carob will just make the kids gag.
Our preschool has a RIDICULOUS requirement that I write the kids' names and the date on their lunch bags everyday. This is a further menace as Josephine and Desmond's teacher wants the snack packed separately because it's stored in a different place than their lunch (which they now stay at school to eat).
So, every morning I pack for all four.
The oldest is straightforward: Fill the goddam lunch bag with food and put it on the counter.
Josephine and Desmond: Fill the lunch bag. Write name and date on painting tape. Slap it to bag. Fill Ziploc with snack. Write name and date directly on it.
Tobias: Fill lunch bag with snack. Write name and date on painting tape. Slap it to bag.
I'm going away for two days next week. Between two different drop-off times, three different pick-up schedules and the goddam snack bags, I feel like I need to leave Kent a flow chart.
What's with the date? How serious can a baggy of pretzels get? Like what, stale?!?!?
[Also, I love how you wrote "goddam" two times!]
Good luck, Kent!
I am quite sure that anything that I wrote and "slapped on the bag" woud not be appropriate for kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school. Or the entire general population.
After kindergarten my mom gave us a choice...pack your own lunch or force down the cafeteria food. She also deemed us old enough to do our own laundry at age 12. She created very independent little devils by the time we were teens.
I could have them get hot lunch but it's really just crap food. "Hamburger on a bun" [as if there's another kind] and "French Toast Dippers." Hey, if my kids are going to eat junk food, I want to be the one to give it to them. Let the paid, school staff make them it their veggies!
Yeah, isn't ironic that the from home food has to be healthy or Whit can't eat it, but the school lunches are ridiculously worse? I'd wager that a ziploc bag of marshmallows is healthier than whatever they served today for school lunch. I'd bet actual money on that.
And I had to try really, really hard not to get upset over this, because between the food requirements bullshit and the homework bullshit, I can't help but wonder why these seem to now be their focus and point my finger as this must be why all the test scores are so low ;)