sugar

On the event of being responsible for snacks this week for Priya's class, some thoughts:

It's interesting that people have peanut butter allergies and milk allergies, but I've never heard of a person with a sugar allergy.

Maybe these folks exist.

How does one determine a sugar allergy? What if hives or sneezing or itching are only some external indications of allergies? Whose to say that inability to concentrate, inability to obey instructions or general disrespect aren't indications of too much sugar in ones diet?

Oh no, I know what it is: those problems in many more children that we should admit, falls under the category of behavior issues and drugs with bad side effects are administered.

Don't read me wrong: I'll be the first one in line for sugar: coffee cake, coffee with cream AND sugar, cookies, brownies and there are, I am sure, some children who need drugs to help their behavior. My kids eat more sugar than they should and are very fond of sugar.

I do have a problem however with the FACT that children are fed sugar in cupfuls because things with sugar are easy to feed them. Fruit snacks not only come in fun little crinkly packets, they come in fun little shapes too. Oatmeal raisin cookies and grainy crackers only come in tones of gray and brown. But where did we miss the new flash that fruit snacks are simply chewy candies with ascorbic acid added so the distributor can advertise 100% DV of vitamin C on the front of the box. Never mind that a little body may or may not be able to use any of that and that the ascorbic acid is only one of several parts of the vitamin C complex that helps the body heal and fight off sickness and whatever else it does.

That and the fact that small childrens tastes change like junior high crushes.

Last time we were responsible for snacks, clementines were responsible for causing some kids to choke (supposedly). On Monday after I sent clementines again, Priya announced at least three times that she needed to take at least 10 more for the next day because everyone loved them.

Like someone once said and like I tell the kids regularly: it takes at least 20 or 30 times of trying something before you can develop a like or dislike.

In other words, you can't say what you like or dislike until you are big like daddy.

(that's my soapbox for today and I'm sticking by it)