School Birthday Treats: It's okay to rock the boat
For my mom who taught me it's okay to be different and for TR - who pushed me saying that sometimes things need to be said.
I am going to vent, just a little.
I am the mother of three small children - 5 years, 3 years, and 16 months old. One of the MOST important things to me in terms of their rearing, is what things go into their bodies. Yes, I know that many of my blog posts have been cookies and cupcakes - but in reality, my kids eat very little of them. (Friend JRC asked me, "How do you kids stay skinny when you bake like that?" Response, "They don't eat it.") Aside from the occasional birthday treat or oatmeal raisin cookies, my kids don't eat cupcakes and cookies on a regular basis. They don't eat candy on any sort of regular basis and I like it this way.
Friend TR is a child obesity expert and whenever I mention how I feel like a "mean" mom, always saying no to requests for candy, she reminds me, "Being a good parent is setting limits." When daughters get candy at birthday parties or holiday parties, I cringe inwardly, because I know that I'll be the one monitoring how much gets eaten and when. After a party, I'll allow one, and then I'll take the rest. Most recently however, daughter #1 had a HUGE BAG of candy from too many parties in a row, and I couldn't deal with the constant, "Can I have one candy today Mom" questions, because I just preferred not having to answer it. I came up with a solution - I offered two small gifts in exchange for the entire bag of candy. Daughter #1 agreed and voila! NO more candy. (Gave it far far away.)
Which brings me to the other point of this post. Daughters both attend the same school, and the school has a wellness policy - that clearly has not been adhered to this year. I was thrilled when I saw it as it clearly said, "No overly sweet snacks, no frosting, no candy, no ice cream" for birthday parties and general lunch rules. I was happy to see that the school was encouraging good healthy eating habits for its school. I was disappointed and somewhat dismayed however, when repeatedly, Daughter #1 would come home from school reporting how she had cupcakes, ice cream and candy for a child's birthday in class. Because it happened on more than one occasion, I figured out that the wellness policy was not being followed. I followed up with the head of the school. I asked that next year the wellness policy be more tightly followed and to make sure each teacher enforces it in her class.
When you have a child's birthday at school, it is so tempting to go out to your local supermarket and simply purchase cupcakes or cakes a sugary sweets to bring to share at school. It is slightly more difficult, but not much, to bring something healthier and equally enjoyable to school. Growing up, I remember being slightly embarrassed, because on my birthday, my mom would make a BEAUTIFUL vegetable plate and a delicious cream cheese dip. She would show up during the day at some point, and pass out vegetables and cream cheese dip to the tune of "Happy Birthday" and I would feel slightly odd. But the night before, my mom always assured me saying, "Don't worry. They are ALL going to eat it." And eat it they did. All of it. I even remember one kid sticking his face on the plate to lick up the remaining cream cheese dip after having finished all of his vegetables. I remember in those moments feeling a certain sense of pride at having brought something healthier and better and still enjoyable.
This year, after a slew of cupcakes, ice cream and candy handouts from Daughter #1's class at school, I committed to not making anything of the same for her birthday. I informed Daughter #1 that her birthday treat for her class would be a fruit mosaic and oatmeal raisin cookies (1 small one per child.) She looked at me with big round eyes, and asked, "You aren't making me cupcakes for my class?" and I said, "No, but you can help me design your fruit mosaic." And she did. She came up with the flower design, told me what fruits to put where and decided what fruits were going to be what part of the flower. At one totally personal brain dead moment, in a conversation with my daughter I said, "Oh no. There aren't any green fruits to use as the stem." Daughter looked at me and said, "Mom. Honeydew or grapes. But I want honey dew." It took me 25 minutes to put together the night before but it wasn't hard and it was somewhat soothing. The next day, Daughter took it somewhat apprehensively to school, but at pick up was beaming when she related to me that the two "popular" girls (who incidentally had brought cupcakes and ice cream for their own birthdays) said, "Wow! That is soooo beautiful!" As another side note, all the fruit was eaten. I encourage you, to please find other ways to celebrate your child's special days aside from sugar treats and sweets. You'd be surprise at the impact your small act an have on a few other kids.
Here are some ideas of ways you can celebrate a child's birthday in class without overstepping the bounds with sugar and artificial colors and flavors.
1. Fruit Mosaic
Here are a few samples.
This one is also done by the same fruit artist SJ.
3. Fruit kebabs with yogurt for dipping sauce.
4. Fresh cut vegetable plate with dip (spinach or otherwise.)
5. Hummus and pita chips
6. If you want to bake something, make something small, that doesn't have chocolate.
Chewy Crispy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (only 1 per child)
Banana Muffins (make mini ones)
Pumpkin Muffins (make mini ones)
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins (mini)
Blueberry Corn Muffins
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Muffins
I am going to vent, just a little.
I am the mother of three small children - 5 years, 3 years, and 16 months old. One of the MOST important things to me in terms of their rearing, is what things go into their bodies. Yes, I know that many of my blog posts have been cookies and cupcakes - but in reality, my kids eat very little of them. (Friend JRC asked me, "How do you kids stay skinny when you bake like that?" Response, "They don't eat it.") Aside from the occasional birthday treat or oatmeal raisin cookies, my kids don't eat cupcakes and cookies on a regular basis. They don't eat candy on any sort of regular basis and I like it this way.
Friend TR is a child obesity expert and whenever I mention how I feel like a "mean" mom, always saying no to requests for candy, she reminds me, "Being a good parent is setting limits." When daughters get candy at birthday parties or holiday parties, I cringe inwardly, because I know that I'll be the one monitoring how much gets eaten and when. After a party, I'll allow one, and then I'll take the rest. Most recently however, daughter #1 had a HUGE BAG of candy from too many parties in a row, and I couldn't deal with the constant, "Can I have one candy today Mom" questions, because I just preferred not having to answer it. I came up with a solution - I offered two small gifts in exchange for the entire bag of candy. Daughter #1 agreed and voila! NO more candy. (Gave it far far away.)
Which brings me to the other point of this post. Daughters both attend the same school, and the school has a wellness policy - that clearly has not been adhered to this year. I was thrilled when I saw it as it clearly said, "No overly sweet snacks, no frosting, no candy, no ice cream" for birthday parties and general lunch rules. I was happy to see that the school was encouraging good healthy eating habits for its school. I was disappointed and somewhat dismayed however, when repeatedly, Daughter #1 would come home from school reporting how she had cupcakes, ice cream and candy for a child's birthday in class. Because it happened on more than one occasion, I figured out that the wellness policy was not being followed. I followed up with the head of the school. I asked that next year the wellness policy be more tightly followed and to make sure each teacher enforces it in her class.
When you have a child's birthday at school, it is so tempting to go out to your local supermarket and simply purchase cupcakes or cakes a sugary sweets to bring to share at school. It is slightly more difficult, but not much, to bring something healthier and equally enjoyable to school. Growing up, I remember being slightly embarrassed, because on my birthday, my mom would make a BEAUTIFUL vegetable plate and a delicious cream cheese dip. She would show up during the day at some point, and pass out vegetables and cream cheese dip to the tune of "Happy Birthday" and I would feel slightly odd. But the night before, my mom always assured me saying, "Don't worry. They are ALL going to eat it." And eat it they did. All of it. I even remember one kid sticking his face on the plate to lick up the remaining cream cheese dip after having finished all of his vegetables. I remember in those moments feeling a certain sense of pride at having brought something healthier and better and still enjoyable.
This year, after a slew of cupcakes, ice cream and candy handouts from Daughter #1's class at school, I committed to not making anything of the same for her birthday. I informed Daughter #1 that her birthday treat for her class would be a fruit mosaic and oatmeal raisin cookies (1 small one per child.) She looked at me with big round eyes, and asked, "You aren't making me cupcakes for my class?" and I said, "No, but you can help me design your fruit mosaic." And she did. She came up with the flower design, told me what fruits to put where and decided what fruits were going to be what part of the flower. At one totally personal brain dead moment, in a conversation with my daughter I said, "Oh no. There aren't any green fruits to use as the stem." Daughter looked at me and said, "Mom. Honeydew or grapes. But I want honey dew." It took me 25 minutes to put together the night before but it wasn't hard and it was somewhat soothing. The next day, Daughter took it somewhat apprehensively to school, but at pick up was beaming when she related to me that the two "popular" girls (who incidentally had brought cupcakes and ice cream for their own birthdays) said, "Wow! That is soooo beautiful!" As another side note, all the fruit was eaten. I encourage you, to please find other ways to celebrate your child's special days aside from sugar treats and sweets. You'd be surprise at the impact your small act an have on a few other kids.
Here are some ideas of ways you can celebrate a child's birthday in class without overstepping the bounds with sugar and artificial colors and flavors.
1. Fruit Mosaic
Here are a few samples.
This crazy artistic one was not done by me, but friend SJ who is just super artistic. I could not produce this myself. (She is also the person who first started doing these and inspired me to make these.)
This one is also done by the same fruit artist SJ.
Created by JEL for Daughter's 5th Birthday Party
I did this one for a fish themed party
This one was planned by Daughter and executed by me for her classroom party.
Made by me for Daughter's "Beary Party" (made with berries)
2. Ice cream cones (cake cones - the ones with the flat bottom) filled with fruit salad.
This one was planned by Daughter and executed by me for her classroom party.
Made by me for Daughter's "Beary Party" (made with berries)
3. Fruit kebabs with yogurt for dipping sauce.
4. Fresh cut vegetable plate with dip (spinach or otherwise.)
5. Hummus and pita chips
6. If you want to bake something, make something small, that doesn't have chocolate.
Chewy Crispy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (only 1 per child)
Banana Muffins (make mini ones)
Pumpkin Muffins (make mini ones)
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins (mini)
Blueberry Corn Muffins
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Muffins
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