Ice Cream in Pre-School. REALLY?!
Hi! Today I am going to go on a rant, so please, understand that I am just really upset and don’t take anything I say personally. But I really just don’t understand this whole thing…
Let me start with the fact that I have no problem with ice cream. I like ice cream, and probably eat more of it than I should. And my daughter has had some of mine and my husband’s ice cream before.
My 2-year old goes to pre-school for a few hours a day. I got a message from the school yesterday. For the entire summer, they’re going to have an ice-cream truck come to the school every Wednesday. You can bring $3 every week for your child to be able to choose something from the truck, or they’ll give your child a fruit pop so that no child feels left out.
I know the type of fruit pop they’re talking about. The ice things that you put in the freezer for a few hours to get cold…nothing healthy, but that’s not my point.
My point is this. It’s a pre-school. The kids are under the age of 5.
Do these kids need ice cream every week? Of course not! It’s summer. I’m sure most of them will get ice cream and other desserts with their parents.
I know my daughter will get ice cream a few times this summer, when she sees us eating it and wants a few bites. That’s fine. I’m not saying kids shouldn’t get to eat desserts and other junk foods, I’m really not.
But now at school? Seriously? Look…I’m nowhere near perfect. My kid eats more junk food than I’d like. But at least at school she isn’t subject to desserts…well, until now.
So you’ll say, don’t bring in the money, and your child won’t get ice cream. Simple. No problem.
Well that’s what’s going to happen…but it’s not as simple as you think.
She’ll get an ice pop, while some of those around her will be eating ice cream. I’m not sure how she’ll react. She’ll either cry because she wants ice cream, or she’ll try to take other kids ice cream. (I know my daughter…she’d been known to try to take other kids snacks. And while we’re working on it…she’s TWO.)
I’m sure she’s not the only one that will react that way. If I was really young and saw other kids eating ice cream, I’d want ice cream too. I don’t blame them!
It’s one thing that a summer program for teenagers wants to have ice cream. Fine. But these are BABIES!
They’re not even old enough to go to elementary school yet! Why on earth give them ice cream?! We’re supposed to be setting them up for success. Not failure. Let’s show them that fruit tastes wonderful and we should all eat that! But ice cream?
If they even said that this was a one time thing, a special way to start or end the summer…ok. But every single week? Why on earth do this? Don’t we want to get our children at this age to love fruits and vegetables? If you said for $3 a week they’d bring in different fruits for kids to try and eat…that I’d understand. But ice cream? I just don’t understand…
So what’s my next step? Well, no one was at the front desk that I could talk to yesterday when I picked my daughter up, so today I’m hoping I can talk to someone. I’m going to nicely say, “You don’t think anyone in this class will get ice cream for their kids, do you?” and hope to start a conversation that way. I really don’t like confrontation…but this is ridiculous!
Enjoy,
