Wednesday, April 15, 2009

How do I get the real world to listen

Here's my issue:

I know about children's nutrition after working on my paper for a semester now. But I think that ANY parent can understand that fruit loops and donuts are considered to be of poor nutritional value. It should not be a surprise.

Well apparently it is. My children have started a new daycare (we were very sad to leave our old one...) and overall it is really good. But... what are they feeding my children. We have been there for 3 weeks and these are some of the things we have seen. Jay has gotten fruit loops, donuts, canned (HFCS syrup) fruit, and some acceptable cereals. Sophie has also has fruit loops and donuts at least once. For snack Sophie gets crackers in the morning and afternoon. All kinds of crackers (graham, cheese, saltines, etc.) They have beef at least three times a week for lunch.

So I try to talk to the director about it yesterday. I play alittle dumb and say, "We are new, so we are just wondering if their diet is what is typical here" and things like "Are fruit loops an item that we can normally expect to see?" The director says that they have been in business for 20 years and had thousands of parents in and out and no one has ever complained before. (If that is true shame on those other parents....) Also they follow the strict DCFS guidelines (the same guidelines that claim that ketchup and salsa are vegetables). She ACTUALLY defended giving the kids sugar cereal and donuts for breakfast, saying that they get board of the other stuff. Well I can tell you that I haven't yet seen them make a piece of toast, or a bowl of oatmeal. I beleive that there are a number of other options available that are extremely more healthly. Her solution is that I bring in food to subistute the meals I don't agree with.

My problem with this is ten fold:
1. I pay for them to feed my children, I don't want to pay extra to feed them again.
2. If Jay has the choice between a donut and yogurt, it is a toss up on what he will pick. And that is because he is generally a fan of yogurt. But why does he get "punished" for their poor choices?
3. What about the other children that are getting sub-par nutrtition? We wonder why our kids are becoming obsese, well look at what we are feeding them.
4. How are these things allowed by children's services? This problem is systemic...

I am not asking them to go organic, nor am I asking them to dramatically change their ways. But I simply cannot understand DEFENDING FRUIT LOOPS! They are so clearly a terrible choice. I even suggested that they mix the sugar cereals with heart healthy ones and she scoffed at that.

I mentioned a few studies that I had found that says food dyes and sugars in children's diets have been directly linked to hyperactivity. And she said that she has a son with severe ADHD and that her family easts junk food all the time, so they cut it out and it didn't help so they went right back to eating junk food. I get so frustrated with the ignorant arguement "Well we eat junk and I am healthy" Are they actually so short sighted to not see the generations of damage that can build up from a poor diet? Cancer rates are rising, Obsesity, heart diease, ADHD, mental health have all been linked to a lifetime of processed foods. And all I want is for them not to half-ass their way around feeding the children at the center. But to her, "they won't eat the other stuff" OF COURSE THEY WON'T WHEN THE OTHER OPTION IS SUGAR!!!!

In the end she did (begrudgingly) offer to have me come and do an educational session to the teachers, as they are required by law, on childhood nutrition.

To make matters worse after our discussion last evening (and after she mocked me to the other teachers when I went to pick up my children down the hall), they had donuts for breakfast...

HELP, suggestions?

2 comments:

  1. My mom runs a home daycare and has food guidelines set by the state. I'm fairly certain that she's limited in the cereals she provides them (Cheerios, Kix) due to sugar content. I'll see what CT state requires. I know they allow pizza, chicken nuggets, canned veggies and canned fruits though.

    Your daycare doesn't have great incentive to change--healthier options will likely be more expensive. I would try to change the laws for your state-run food programs instead. I know rules for schools have changed in many states or school districts. I wonder how that carries over or how that can carry over to daycare food rules.

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  2. I have thought about contacting our DCFS, but their website doesn't give any number. My mom also looked up the guidelines for Illinois, and apparently they are one of the most lax states.

    Depressing.

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