Soft Drinks banned in Elemetary School  | |  I jsut read an article stating that some schools have banned soft drinks at Elementary Schools. They say that its not having a large affect though. I remember it being available all the time when i was in school, in the vending machines. I had never given thought to it being unavailable at my sons school or not, and now after readign this article I am going to check into it just out of curiousity. I know he isnt drinking it there, but as he gets older if its available i may not want him having it, as that is one thing i monitor closely with him...is caffeine and sugar intake.
So does your childs school allow it or is it banned.?
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| | | | | | | | 1.  DoriLentrich (168) | 3 months ago |  It'll be interesting to see if this has the effects that are predicted. I've heard of a lot of schools doing this. But I have serious doubts that it will actually lead to kids being healthier. Kids aren't stupid. Just because you make it more difficult to get doesn't mean they won't go after it. In fact, in some people's minds the "forbidden fruit" is ten times more attractive then the stuff right in front of them.
Education is the key if people really want to change childrens behavior. You are monitoring your child, so your child learning by example. But, if we just give kids a list of things and say "This is bad," what do they really learn? They need to know why it's important. Besides, the entire time I was in school, soda was readily available, had they taken it away, there would have been riots.:)
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 faln_angel1205 (1019) | 3 months ago | Im must say I am quite surprised in the response this discussion has received. It is refreshing though to know that so many parents out there, find this importnat. My spouse and I are both overweight, and wtih my son having the double whammy of two parents with family history of obesity, we have been very careful as to what we allow him to have. I know the day will come where we weont be able to control what goes in his mouth, but the good habits now will surely help him to make better decisions later.
When my son started school this year, we were told to send a mid morning snack for them, and that it could NOT be cookies, chips, or candy. I was a bit bothered that they could tell us what to feed our kids when we were providing the food. I knew they meant well, but i still thought it was up to us since we are paying for it, and as long as we dont send those things every single day, maybe once a week i saw no harm.
however, as the weeks have gone by, I am sooo glad that they have these restrictions as I have definitely realized that its the best thing to do anyway. I mean dont get me wrong i wasnt gonna send 1 lb pkg of cookies for his snack, but i wasnt sure i would find many healthy snacks that he would actually like..but i was pleasantly surprised. Over the summer, we ate alot of fruiit for snacks, but its moer dificult to take a orange or a plum for snack to school as the softer fruits get smooshed in the backpack..he is 5, kids that age dont pay attn to that stuff..lol. We have been sending, pudding, applesauce, string cheese, a fruit snack on occasion, crackers, things like that and hes been quite happy.
Thanks again for all the responses and keep em comin! | |
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| DoriLentrich (168) | 3 months ago | It's a touchy issue. However, I would have shared your resistance to being told what to feed your children. It should be up to the parent to make those descisions rather than the school system. But, it has worked out for you family and in the end that is what really matters.
Congratulations on your stimulating discussion. | |
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 Foxxee (2344) | 3 months ago |  It's not so much about teaching healthy habits believe it or not... LOL!
Lots of studies show that children who drink a soft drink before school seem to have a harder day in many different situations throughout the day.
Sugar && Cafeene can change a childs personality from night && day. I have seen this myself back when I use to work with children, plus I see the change in my daughter at times. She use to sneek daddy's pop all the time up until I banned it from home && she is more focused.
They basically want the childs full attention during school && lots of kids just can't handle soft drinks. You would be surprised...
&& I'm sure teaching healthy habits is also on their mind, but I have heard teachers say the main reason they don't like soft drinks in schools is because the ups && downs the child goes through.
But the truth of the matter is, kids that go to school softdrink free && can stay softdrink free the whole day seem to have a much better day then they would of if they had a softdrink.
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| DoriLentrich (168) | 3 months ago | My only concern with that kind of mentality is what happens when the kids grow up and drink soda on their own. Soda is never going to become a controlled substance(I hope), so chances are high they will eventually give into the temptation. How are they going to deal with it? Part of being a child is learning how to deal with the realities of life without the pressures of adulthood.
If it helps the kids study, that's great. Education is incredibly important, but I wonder if shielding childrend from dealing with the realities of their adult life in the name of improving their childhood is diminishing their abilities in the future. If this were coming from a health angle where the kids were taught about the dangers of soda etc., it would make more sense to me. But this seems a little more controlling then I think most people would feel comfortable.
This is just my opinion. I mean no judgment on anyone. If a parent chooses to keep soda out of their child's life, that is their choice and one I respect. But parents have the ability to explain their decisions better than the school system. There is a personal component in a parent-child relationship that does not exist in school. | |
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| | 2.  Lindalinda (2393) | 3 months ago |  I think soft drinks should be banned at all Elementary Schools. I just attended a seminar on healthy eating and we were told that one regular soft drink contained 13 teaspoons of sugar and consumeing one of those a day could add 30 pounds to you in a year. I know diet drinks don't taste the same and maybe they are unhealthy too. I think the problem is that our society is affluent and can afford to buy these drinks. When my kids were young they used to get a soft drink as a treat on special occasions. They never got into the habit of consuming large quantities of them because we gave them good information about healthy eating. The sad reality is that North Americns are becoming increasingly overweight and obese and young adults as young as 15 years old are starting to suffer from type 2 diabetis which is not reversible and can have devastating consequences. By allowing soft drinks at home and in schools are we making our kids sick?
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| | | 3. Sean_Jean (265) | 3 months ago |  Thats not bad i guess. It does effect the little kids, with caffeine and high sugar. Theres this elementry school nearby where i live and i went there the other day and i spoke with the principal and he said that they did ban soft drinks and they did it for the kids.
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| | | 4. hellcowboy (3916) | 3 months ago |  That is a very interesting article and I have never stopped and thought about whether soft drinks would be allowed at elementary schools,I think I remember being able to buy soft drinks all through my years in school,and I think that soft drinks may be a bad idea because of all the sugar and caffeine in them,and I think that if they have not banned them in elementary schools then they should for the health of todays children.
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| | | | | 5. Irishfrndly65 (3478) | 3 months ago |  I think it's a great idea. High Fructose Corn Syrup, found in soda, is one of the worst sweeteners you can put in your body. The artificial stuff is next.{{shudder}} Should have done it long ago.
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| | | | | 6. kayeshayne21 (3983) | 3 months ago |  i think some of the schools here in our country also bannned soft drinks. well then thats a good idea because its not good for children's health.
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| | | | 7. coffeebreak (3128)  | 3 months ago |  QUite frankly, I don't see why vending machines should be allowed in elementary schools, no matter what they have in them. They are expensive and only "usable" to the kids with "well to do" parents to give them the money. And those that couldn't afford the luxury would have to do without and would feel bad or left out or even made fun of cause they couldn't afford vending machine items. IF kids need a little snack before or after lunch, let them be able to bring something from home. Schools just don't get that, while they are all well paid, alot of kids parents are not, so the "niceities" the school offers are not always a good thing for kids. I mean, the kids can buy a coke in the vending machine but they can't bring one from home? And even if they could, by lunch time it'd be warm and shook up to much to open. My GD is in 3rd grade, she can't eat anything from her lunch box or bring anything extra, but she can bring money to buy something extra at the vending machine. Just makes money for the school and that is so wrong. HEre they go on about healthy lunches and increase the price to buy a "healthy" lunch, but sell junk food to anyone that has the money to buy it.
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| Foxxee (2344) | 3 months ago | That is also a very good point... I agree with you about how it's only usable to some kids && others would feel left out because some parents honestly can't afford a dollar. Most parents these days have a tight budget. Heck my daughter has to bring 75 cent every Friday if she wants popcorn && I usually always send extra with a note to let the teacher know to use the extra money for someone that wasn't able to bring money. There has been days I had to send her to school without money for Fridays myself. 75 cents isn't much, but the day before payday sometimes can be hard && I know families that scrape by each day && that 75 cents probably could buy them bread for their family. Long story short... you made a good point. Wish the schools could see it that way. | |
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| | | | 8.  redwarrior82 (357) | 3 months ago | It's banned in my child's school, as many of the school pupils are overweight due to too much sugar intake. I would advise my child not to take it, or else I would not give him extra pocket money for drinks. | |
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| | | | | 9. gracie04 (1111) | 3 months ago |  wayback in college, softdrinks were banned too... i guess, our school is just concerned about the health of their students and that's a good advocacy for other schools to follow...=)
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| | | | | 10. mimico (2555) | 3 months ago |  I think banning soft drinks in elementary schools is an excellent idea. Nowadays, children choose to eat pizza, hot dog, french fries, and fried chicken over whole wheat sandwiches, soup, etc. Serving healthier food in the school cafeteria will not only re-introduce a healthier diet to kids, it can also help to strengthen children's minds. When kids are older they can always buy pizza for lunch if they want. They can also have junk food at home. Anyway, I don't have a kid yet so I don't know what's being served in school haha.
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| pepsi or coke?
WHICH one do you prefer Pepsi or Coke!?
I SAY PEPSI=^-^=both kinda taste the same except... | |
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