Parents, is society making it harder to NOT spoil kids?

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   kirstenblogposted 15 years ago

   I am not a parent (yet) but I work at a local school supervising the kids while they have their lunch and play time. I have noticed that the kids with pack lunches (even those who get school lunches but less so as there is no alternative for them, they have to eat what they are given to some extent) are having a harder and harder time getting anything healthy in their tummies. When I first started on the job the school took the stance of, eat your lunch its healthy, little sympathy for kids who don't want to eat something that their parents took the time to make. These days the schools stance is changing and parents are being told to give the kids stuff that will be easy to get them to eat. I personally think its almost like abuse when I see kids being given donuts in place of a sandwich and other junk foods. I really want to take a strict stance with the kids and give them the options, eat your lunch or go hungry and get in trouble only the school is starting to give into the kids! Parents do you feel pressurized to give in to your kids by schools and society in general?

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      prettydarkhorseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Hi kirstenblog, societal pressures in raising children,children look up to the school autorities and they follow what they say. And also media plays a whole lot of role in the choice of what the children do nowadays. And also peer pressure. It is just difficult for a parent to teach children the right thing and yet when they go out, they learned a lot from others too. In my case, I prepare and check if they eat the lunch i prepared for them,if they dont eat, I will curtail privileges. Sometimes it work.

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   Helen Caterposted 15 years ago

   Mine are a lot older now, but yes, I certainly felt the pressure. Maybe it was through fear that I wanted them to fit. I know it's wrong, but as parents, we want our kids to have a happy childhood, and if this means having the latest trainers, then so be it.

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   Ohmaposted 15 years ago

   Every kid in America knows that if they threaten to call the authorities every time mom or dad tries to discipline them that the likelyhood of the punishment being what it should be is not as great.
   The social decline in this country in my opinion can directly be attributed to parents not being allowed to parent. Kids need discipline and structure. The fact that 10 and 12 year olds are being expelled from every school in the country for weapons, bullying, and other acts of violence is the true testament to how we are caring for our children.
   It is not and should not be the responsibility of the police, social services or the schools to know what our children are doing.
   I am not suggesting that anyone go out and beat thier kids. I am suggesting that we need to pay more attention to them and be less afraid of the consequences when we make a parental decission. Just be good, fair and honest with them.
   Kids get into crap. As parents we better know what the crap is before the police come knocking.

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   rebekahELLEposted 15 years ago

   hmm, that's not always true about parents knowing before authorities. kids are very good about hiding identities. sometimes it takes authorities supervising schools because too many parents are too naive and not involved enough in their children's lives. that's how kids and teachers get shot.
   
   parents need to be more involved and better educate themselves about parenting~~ it doesn't just happen once you have a baby. I was often amazed at what kids brought in their lunches and their breakfasts, doughnuts with chocolate milk, gummies because the label said fruit.
   
   I don't think it's society making it harder. I think too many parents want it to be easier, and it isn't.

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   Jane@CMposted 15 years ago

   Nope, never felt any pressure.  My son did not eat a school lunch the entire time he was in elementary school.  I packed his lunch & he ate it (I was a lunch volunteer).
   
   In middle school they offer three choices & the cooks do a good job.  The cooks at the middle school see a lot, they see just a can of pop for lunch or Granda bringing in McD's a few times a week - but they have no say in what the kids bring or eat.

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