School Treats Policy...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
April 29, 2008 9:08am CST
I remember when I was a kid everytime one of my classmates had a birthday there was usually homemade cupcakes brought to class or maybe a cake along with juice or soda. We would wait till the end of the day and then all sing Happy Birthday and have treats before we went home.
Since my Niece and Nephew started school my oldest Brother has done this too for them. A year or so they changed the policy. The only treats that can be brought to the school has to be store bought and sealed in their original container. If it’s cake or cupcakes from the deli it has to be taped shut and the container has to be intact when you bring it to the school. If it’s juice or soda it has to still be factory sealed. Candy has to be individually wrapped pieces still in the original bag just as you bought it.
The reason for this change is b/c there are ppl not above poisoning kids. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to unless they’re just sick in the head. I think the new policy is a good thing…I’d rather see a parent go to a little extra expense and trouble and know that my Niece and Nephew are safe from ppl who would do sick things like poisoning treats.
So, do you think the policy is good or bad? Does your local schools have the same policy or one like it? Do you take treats to the school for your kid’s birthday? Why do you think anyone would try to poison an innocent kid?
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
11 people like this
37 responses
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
30 Apr 08
It's always been the policy since my daughter has been in school and she is in 6th grade now. I always take in treats for her birthday (this year was the first I didn't)- she moved to the next school--- One of my great friends is a certified baker- so she makes everything for us-- boxes them up and I send them in :)
I think it's a great rule- I mean sure cupcakes from home are ok--- but this way they are safe-- I can't imagine anyone poisoning kids either- I know some parents won't go to bakeries and get them-- so they send in hostess or whatever- that is fine too.
@vsraovsr (734)
• India
30 Apr 08
It looks safe from both sides of the giver and receiver.It's always true that prevention is better than cure and may be the new school policy means this but it's much painful to think in a negative view for the treats given in this kind of an occassion.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
30 Apr 08
I think it is a very safe policy but how can you do an old fashioned bake sale like that. The whole fun was that people actually baked stuff.
2 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 May 08
Yes, there are sick people and these drastic measures are necessary, but I would go further and just prohibit the treats altogether. That is because as a teacher I saw the effect activities such as bake sales and in-class "parties" had on the student behavior and concentration. Sugary fatty foods make kids hyper and most of them are hyper enough already. Why not celebrate another way? A healthy way?
1 person likes this
@player618 (79)
• China
30 Apr 08
I don't like the policy.it may be a bad thing.when a child had a birthday in my school he or she would like have a dinner with friends .
2 people like this
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
29 Apr 08
Oh I am seeing so many stupid and ridiculous things coming out in my kids schools that I am beyond belief. We have something similar in my kids school, although not because of poisoning but because of all the allergies that some kids have.But also it is frowned upon because of all the hype about unhealthy snacks so I just gave up in the end, I do not send nothing in for them now on their birthdays as it is just too much hassle, and a lot of the time non of the other parents do anymore either.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Apr 08
Due to allergies, I send in the recipe with the food. But if I make something and one or two kids can't have it, I don't know. So you wonder if you need to make different versions of everything. There are also Vegans, too. So try to make something with no eggs, milk, etc. I can see why people stopped doing it.
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
29 Apr 08
I think that is going to far but I do understand why. I don't see any harm in having homemade treats from the birthday girl or boys family brought in to share. You know who made them and surely they wouldn't poison their kid too. Anyway nowadays we hear on the news about food being contaminated at the factories and in the fields when the stuff gets picked. We cannot live our lives paronoid about everything, thats not living.
1 person likes this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
29 Apr 08
Well there are other reasons too. Most parents wouldnt be stupid enough to poison the treats as they would get caught plus you can still poison store bought too. It is to prevent sickness by not cooking the food right. I mean with all these illnesses due to not washing hands why risk it with our children for a snack. I for one like the policy as you just dont know all the parents and what there hygenic practices are like.
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
30 Apr 08
it is neither good nor bad really, it is just sad in my opinion. when my daughter was in kindergarten (not all that long ago) they still allowed stuff like cupcakes etc, but even in that short time, things have changed...its sad because people have changed so much and the school has to guard against weirdos!!
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
1 May 08
At least your kids get sweets. Here at Cincy Public you will have one day a month that you are required to send a snack for the entire class. And the snack mustn't be sweet or salty. It must be something natural. I am outraged at this, because even if its the child's birthday, all he can bring in is bran muffins.
I would be fine if they had a policy like yours, not only because of the sick individuals that would poison something like that, but because I want to make sure you haven't touched it, breathed on it, licked it, or anything like that. Not everybody is as clean as they should be nowadays.
So at least they are allowed sweets at your niece and nephew's school. Be glad that they aren't trying to control your child's diet as well, and they care enough to have precautions they do.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Apr 08
I thought the reasoning would be for kids who are allergic to things like nuts..In my sons class, there is a kid who is allergic to peanuts, so the product being store bought, has the ingredients on the label and that way they can assured the child wouldn't have a reaction to the treats..
Has there been problems with tainted homemade treats at the school? Because the only people who would be sending them in would be the parent of the child, not a stranger..Then again, some parents are crazy and would take that chance of hurting their child just to be mean..
I think it depends on the school system..I am in a rural area and thought things like that can also happen here, people are more trusting..
@Sillychick (3275)
• United States
29 Apr 08
A lot of schools have this policy also for kids with allergies. All foods have to be in their original containers with the package sealed And the ingredients listed. This is because some allergies, like those to nuts, are very serious, even life threatening.
When I was teaching preschool some of the parents complained about this policy, but I had children in my class who had serious allergies, and I was very strict about the rule. Some other teachers would allow exceptions, but I was not willing to take chances with the lives of the children in my care.
1 person likes this
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
29 Apr 08
My kids school does not have a policy like that. I guess it could be a good policy. My kids usually take something from the store anyways because I don't have time to make cupcakes from scracth anymore.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (158350)
• United States
3 May 08
When I was at Head Start we did not allow any birthday treats at all. That was because many people were income challenged who had their kids in the school. Anyway, that was the stated reason, but also there was always a question about how cleanly prepared homemade treats would be. I am not surprised at what you are saying here.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
4 May 08
I am really glad to hear of at least one school that prohibited the sweet treats for whatever reason. Whether home made food is prepared under sanitary conditions is a really valid concern. That is shy I dislike pot luck events in the workplace. Once I worked at a bank where one woman brought a really lovely dessert that everyone. But as delicious as this food was, I often noticed that this woman, as nice as she seemed to be, never washed her hands after using t5he bathroom. Apparently nobody else noticed this, or they didn't care, because everyone else scarfed the food down. I found it embarrassing to keep declining, but no way was I going to eat her food.
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
4 May 08
hmm my niece has just celebrated her birthday at school with packed spghetti and chicken meals and the school allowed her to celebrate in school.. almost every kid does celebrate in school.. right?
i think that is a lame policy.. as you said, who would want to poison a kid.. unless of course that person has something to do with the celebrants parents, etc and would want them charged for something they did not do like poisoning the kids.. that would take a lot of planning, of course.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
4 May 08
It is a good policy but it is so sad that you can't bring in anything that is homemade.I remember my mom's cupcakes and other goodies from my classmates.It is so sad that the kids these days won't get to have all the goodies I had.
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
21 May 08
All right, I'll be the devil's advocate.
If your child has allergies, OK - let them be protected from the outside world. But are they not still a minority? Why can't the rest of the children enjoy home baked goods, without the trans fats and the high fructose corn syrup (and god only knows what else in the guise of "artificial" and even "natural" flavorings) the major companies are using?
THESE ARE NOT STRANGERS baking and creating these items - they are the parents of the students in the class! My GOD, has the world gone totally BONKERS!? Are you worried a sleeper AlQaeda cell will plant a bomb in a cupcake?!
I'm glad I'm not a parent - I will obviously make a very bad one. I use plastic and silverware that was dropped on the floor. I even eat little bites of food that had dropped on the floor from my plate (as long as no hair or dirt clogs attached themselves to it when I picked it up) -
And I am still alive - imagine that ... (I wonder how much fiber hair has ...)
I wonder how many people are glad I'm not a parent 
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
18 May 08
Our world thrives on paranoia. Sadly, this means that even the most simple pleasures in life have a certain way of being done now.
Funny though, I'd be more suspicious of the store brought products given that manufacturing companies are targeted on a regular basis by disgruntled people wanting to be heard.
One way around the policy is to wait until everyone is off the school grounds, like out the front, and then have the cakes etc. School can't do anything about that now can they? lol.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
4 May 08
i agree with the new policy because it's better to be safe than sorry at all. but i'm not aware if some of the schools here have that kind of policy. i'm not married yet and i don't have any nieces or nephews that were already studying lol
