How to punish a child…the School Edition.

  

Now parents, non-parents, and grandparents alike, do you think it seems fair to punish a child this way?   I remember a time that if Johnny was allergic to something, a parent was allowed to bring in special food (without the allergen in it), and the kid can still participate.  By the time that kid went to Kindergarten, they knew what they can and cannot eat, it was put on their school record from day one, and no one made a fuss about it.  Same with religious restrictions.  But folks, we as a nation have become a nation of, “If I cannot do it, neither can you.”  I understand where they are coming from.

The school/school system does not want teachers to put out any extra work to decide what child gets what food item, so all special parties for a birthday, not even healthy snacks, because they are so afraid of what happens if they get sued for the following:

• Ignoring their special food needs child
• Ignoring their religious rights
• Ignoring their cultural rights

So school boards across the nation are issuing out new rules and guidelines for birthdays, holidays, and other events.  I want to take the time to address each of the other problems that also exist in this country regarding school and food…

Punish the child to fit the parent's crime....

A town in Utah a few months ago, the school board decided that they were fed up with delinquent payments from parents with the school lunch program, so instead of confronting the parents one at a time, they took the children’s lunches, throw them in the trash, and the children were given fruit and water.  After several people complained, the school board reneged and the children were given back their lunches, and the school system is working out a payment plan for all the parents.

In a Canadian providence, a mother made her children’s lunch.  That afternoon, she received a notice from the school stating that she forgot a grain item in their lunch, so she was fined $10, because they added that item in the children’s lunch.

In a non-food example, but related, a school decides that because Halloween is a pagan holiday, there will be no parades around the school with costumes, no homemade goodies for the children.  Christmas is the same way, except Christmas is NOT a pagan holiday.  

One of the problems has been that the country has allowed too many people in and claiming that they have the right to live the way they want to, but at the same time, these same people want to denying everyone else that same right.  I am not against immigration, because we immigrate to other countries as well, but if I want my child to have the same privilege that I had as a child at school, I have that right.   I want my child to enjoy parties, and sending their teacher a gift for being for him/her, in addition to the academic part.  The other parents do not have to participate, but some school systems has a “non-exclusion” policy.

As for the school lunch punishments being constantly issued throughout the land, schools need to take a hint from Utah, work out a payment with the parent, not the child.  Children should be allowed to be children, and not be involved with “grown folk’s” dealings.   If a parent wants to send a child an unhealthy lunch, which in the case of the Canadian woman who was fined $10 for not having a grain item in her children’s lunches, was very healthy, let them.  They know what their child likes and dislikes.   Please allow a parent to be a parents, because there are too many parents who could care less about their child.

So is there a solution...

It seems that there is no viable solution in the school system, but there is.  The trouble is there are too many people needing too many rights.  I have only scratched the surface.  Who knows when the next newscast will pop up a story about a child (or a group of children) being deny something in school?  My next question is what is the school system’s stand on bullying?   Think about it and be blessed.