Hi Ladybug Mom! At our public school, the teachers and parents have always been interested in hearing about the potential "bad side" of these processed prepackaged foods...Of course, there are always a few who just don't get it, but that's okay...There always will be
In the younger grades, parents bring in snacks for the whole class. I would politely tell the teacher that we would bring in our own snack every day. Honestly, whenever I said that, there really was never a problem. If you think about it, kids have all sorts of allergies going on...peanut, egg, etc...It's really no big deal to say your kid is "allergic to preservatives, additives, food dyes" or whatever. I never felt like "that mom" I remember that there were some days ds would really want the brought in snack, or teacher/him would forget to get his natural snack, but I was always okay with that. Sometimes it's just as important for kids to feel like part of the gang and also not to be tagged as "that mom" haha
I pick and choose my battles wisely. Now, as my children have gotten older, they prefer the "all-natural" food. They actually get sick to their stomachs and get headaches after eating something with preservatives and ESPECIALLY Red dye 40 or yellow 5 (which is almost always in kids snacks!) At our school, starting in 4th grade, kids get to bring their own snacks...Huge relief! Ds9 prefers to bring his own lunch everyday because he says he feels better. He recognizes his ill behavior/unfocusing as soon as he eats something he probably shouldn't have. So it's a nice relief that he can actually monitor himself now! I totally agree with Grinity that unmet educational needs could also be a cause of behavior problems, but hey, while you're at it, why not clear out the processed foods too??? It sure doesn't hurt to get healthier! I feel that if you can't pronounce the ingredients on the back of a label, you might want to think twice about feeding it to your child....
