Cupcakes have become Public Enemy #1.
Every news outlet is talking about it.
School districts all over the country are asking parents to not bring cupcakes
or other sugary sweets to school for their child's birthday or other class
parties. My own district took this on several years ago. They even sponsored a
poster contest to get everyone on board.
As a parent my first thought was:
"Thank goodness I don't have to
worry about making/buying cupcakes for 35 kids!"
My second thought was:
"What do you mean I can't bring a
treat for my sweet baby girl on her birthday?!"
I love to bake. I made cupcakes for my
daughter's preschool class but by the time I got them to school my Frozen
themed cupcakes looked like Olaf spent too much time out in the sun. I just
reminded my daughter that some people are worth melting for!
My takeaway lesson was no more cupcakes
from me, I will be looking for an alternative this year, and I am not so
heartbroken schools are asking parents to lay off the birthday treats!
As a teacher I have never been against
cupcakes or other treats for birthdays. If a parent wants to celebrate their
child in the classroom then I have no problem with it. I only ask that we
celebrate at the end of the day, right before class is over, so that the
celebrations do not cut into class time. We have so few, precious hours to
educate our students and cupcakes are a yummy, but huge, distraction.
I do have to add that it is important
to check with your school to see what is okay and what is not. You don't want
to show up with cupcakes to be turned away at the office. I did have this
happen to a parent one year and I felt bad that she had gone to all that work
but there had been several notices sent home regarding our birthday policies.
If it turns out your school does not
allow it then you are off the hook! One less thing to do! Just let your kiddo
know that it's the school's fault for not letting you make those 35 cupcakes
with fondant My Little Pony characters each handcrafted to match her classmate's
personalities!
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Photo via Zoey
Cakes
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After you check with the school then
follow up with the teacher. Often the office does not know what is going on in
the classroom on a particular day. This will help strengthen your relationship
with the teacher by showing respect for her time with his/her students.
My own opinion about sweets in the
classroom is that kids should be taught moderation. A cupcake every now and
then is not a bad thing. One cupcake will not make them fat. One cupcake will
not make most kids hyper.
Check out the article below that
explores this topic more fully:
I also believe that parents should have
the ability to decide if/when their child eats sweets. It is your child after
all! Talk to your child about what to do when a parent brings in a sweet treat.
If you want to bring a treat for your
child on their birthday, be it cupcakes or anything else, don't be afraid to
speak up!
Check out my Pinterest board dedicated
to Birthday Treat Alternatives!
P.S. DO NOT bring a cake with no
plates, forks, napkins or some kind of slicing utensil! It only makes for a mess
and a grumbling teacher.
What are your thoughts about cupcakes in the classroom? Do you have any awesome alternative ideas that your kids love?
no cupcakes in the classroom?! That's it! Homeschooling! hahaha, jk. From my teacher perspective, I completely agree with you. From the parent perspective I guess I don't care...as a kid I never took treats on my birthday. No one did. My views might change though when my babies actually go to school though ;) Great Blog Desiree! It looks so nice
ReplyDeleteI agree with this policy, but I completely disagreed with one school that banned any candy, cookies, or chocolate from my child's lunchbox. (That made no sense to me. I get it if other moms don't want their kids to have sugar, processed, refined, whatever, but it's her lunchbox and it was still nut-free.) For Ezri's birthday I checked with her teacher ahead of time and then came in and read The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear to the class and brought them all strawberries and milk (after double checking for allergies!). They hoovered them all and then asked what the birthday treat was, so I guess I was one of the only parents really with it on that policy that was more of a suggestion. When I was young, my mom always made individually-wrapped popcorn balls for my birthday - they were a big hit, not too much sugar, and could be taken home to enjoy instead of being a disruption to class. (LOVE your blog, by the way)
ReplyDeleteYour ideas for class parties are wonderful! Thanks for sharing. Also I agree with you that schools should not have the power to dictate what is on a student's lunch box (and my daughter has a peanut allergy!). A parent really knows what a child needs each day. Sometimes they need a little treat. I love surprising my little one with something she doesn't normally get in her lunch. I would hate to find out that the school wouldn't let her have it!
DeleteI love being able to celebrate my child on their birthdays, but I don't mind finding a way to do that other than with cupcakes. I need to follow your Pinterest board so I am
ReplyDeletebetter prepared for when that day comes. Brinkly often comes home with a goody bag when it has been someone else's birthday, which seems like a nice alternative.