Fed Up With Lunch

So, yeah, I haven’t blogged in a week…

I know, that’s bad. Frankly, you need to blame it on Grandma L. Grandma L always tells us that you should keep most of your problems to yourself, because, really, no one wants to hear it. Then she asks us if we liked hearing about other people’s problems.

She has a point.

I don’t really have any problems, but I feel whiney. This makes it even worse, because I don’t have anything good to whine about. Yeah, the clouds and cooler temps are back, yeah, there’s a chance for snow this weekend, yeah, daylight savings times is wreaking havoc on my circadian rhythms.

That’s a nice way of saying I’ve had a big bout of insomnia recently, coupled with a lot going on at home and at work. The world seems so surreal right now that you could tell me I’m in a Dali painting, and I would believe you. It would be entertaining if I weren’t so darn tired.

Point is there’s nothing really worth whining about in the diatribe above. Everyone else is going through it too, so why should I feel so privileged as to whine about it?

Well, I did start a blog, after all. Let’s face it, I felt like sharing.

One thing I want to share (although Yahoo news is now doing the same thing)? This Blog: Fed Up with Lunch  .

It’s hitting a lot of nerves right now in my family. K inherited my mother’s genes. He is ravenous and super skinny—he’ll stay that way his whole life. Unfortunately, Ant has inherited my father’s genes, and that, my friends, includes the carbs addiction.

Ant has been monstrous since birth (his pediatrician called it the 125th percentile in height and weight, and no it wasn’t gestational diabetes, thank you very much), but not overweight until he started school. I could show you pictures from his first day of kindergarten, and then pictures from now, and you would be greatly amazed (hey, I live with the kid every day, and it was a slap in the face to me). J and I first thought it was the fact that he was not his normal, ‘active’ self -- since he had to sit down and learn things and all. So we boosted the activity level as much as we could. Then we tried to limit snacks and TV. That went over like a lead balloon, and it still didn’t help.

Then we started paying attention to the choices my son makes at school for lunch. And now, breakfast. Sugary cereals, chocolate milk, a daily helping of croutons and ranch, with no salad (SERIOUSLY?), high fructose corn syrup in the juice… Snacks (count ‘em, TWO) are mandatory. Don’t like what they’re serving? Have a taco or two. Vending machines in an elementary school. Only for the teachers of course. Unless they are rewarding a child for good behavior from the “treasure box”.

Food for the family every time they want us families to come in for something. Ice cream socials. Donuts with Dad. Pizza/game night.

Tell me which kid would like his mom to pack a lunch with carrot sticks and peanut butter when ALL OF THIS is available, and so much cheaper than I can ever hope accomplish. (Did I mention breakfast is FREE to all children, regardless of ability to pay? Do you know this means he can go in and get breakfast, even if I don’t want him to?)

The kid used to eat salad and sushi as his favorite foods. No, we never intentionally kept him from chips and soda and cookies. We just didn’t buy them often. Now, I can’t take my kids to the grocery store, for fear of the fits.

We live in a GOOD school district! Ever wonder how we compare to St. Louis or Kansas City public schools?

The blog is by a teacher from Illinois-- anonymously blogging about what the students eat every day by eating it with them. Every. Day. Pictures are also posted. Thought the school lunches were bad when you were a child? Yeah, take a look at those!

Michelle Obama has chosen childhood obesity as her cause. There are new reality TV shows coming on the schedule, trying to change children’s eating habits. I think these are good efforts, but are they really going to stop the epidemic I cannot even get under control in my own household?

What are your thoughts on this? Do we offer our kids too much? Do we shelter them too much? Are the new initiatives really going to work, or cause negative body image to spiral out of control at even younger ages?

What do we do, if I can’t even put the kibosh on croutons and ranch for lunch at school?