Growing up, P.E. was not my best subject. In fact, I was lousy at it. I am not an athletic person and I don't have any athletic abilities. As a result, I often did not see eye to eye with the P.E. teacher.
Our elementary P.E. teacher is the epitome of that P.E. teacher I disliked so much from the past. I've only met her once, but that was enough. My girls are a lot like me in athletic ability. They are never going to be a superstar. But, to me, that's not what P.E. is about. It's about having fun and getting some exercise. I believe P.E. teachers have a stronger likelihood to play favorites than other teachers do. It's simply in their competitive nature.
Last year Diva told me Ms. C yelled at her for not throwing the ball right. I asked Diva if she was trying her best and that's all I cared about. I've made it known that I don't put a lot of stock in their P.E. grades. When Ms. C started sending home a daily exercise to filled out and sent in at the end of the month, it quickly went into the recycle bin. I've got enough homework to keep up with.
I admit, my attitude is bad. If it comes from Ms. C I'm going to have a preformed judgment about it before I even look at it. However, the other day when Diva brought home the Health Birthday Club, I couldn't help but laugh. On your birthday, instead of bringing a cupcake or sweet treat, bring something healthy. Here are a few of my favorite suggestions:
- Pasta Salad
- Soy Milk
- Water
Don't get me wrong, I agree that healthy snacks are a good idea. The kids get to bring a daily snack for the afternoon and I try to make sure it is healthy. But birthdays are special. My girls already miss out on a lot of the fun because they have summer birthdays. Diva can't even celebrate her half-birthday properly because it falls during winter break.
I get the argument that there are 20 kids in the class, all bringing in sweets for their birthday, but that's still only 20 days out of the entire school year. There's the argument that the kids are hyped up on sugar after eating it all and makes teaching difficult. Fair enough. Don't serve the treats until the end of the day. I'm more than happy to take my sugar induced child off your hand.
Teachers have my utmost respect and support. I have seen the kids on party days and wonder how these saints continue coming back day after day, year after year.
I've also seen school change a lot since I was in grade school. Our children are expected to learn more and more at a younger age. We are constantly pushing them. However, they are still children. They grow up way too quickly. I say, let them have their birthday and for goodness sake, let them eat cake!
9 comments:
Debbie, I agree! At our old school back in MO, we couldn't bring treats in AT ALL! Kids were encouraged to donate a book to their classroom. I know with allergies, the mess, etc. I get it but seriously, no snacks at all! Crazy!
PE as homework? How on Earth is the teacher going to know if the child actually did it?
I'm like you, I hated PE. To this day, I still don't know how to do a single jumping jack.
This is funny! And, I agree that it seems the learning more at an earlier age and pushing our children more is getting a little off the pendulum.
I will say, that I am on all the party committees because last year, I ended up working them all even though we were only required to sign up for two.
So many parents tend to bring cupcakes and sweets at the parties because they are working and over-scheduled, and it's easy.
Don't hate me, but Wonder-Mom and I put out a suggested list of party snack ideas. We would end up with three sets of cupcakes per class per party sometimes, along with cookies chocolate milk and high calorie sweetened drinks!
And, that wasn't counting the 30 plus birthdays in between; and, the occasions when teachers want to hand out a sweet treat.
I agree let them eat "A" cupcake. But, I also enjoy goodie bags full of pretzels, raisins, fruit, beef jerky even and a few silly little toys.
I do cupcakes too -- though, sometimes I have to fight the urge to add wheat germ and flax seed to even out the sugar! [Let them have their sugar rush, Mom] :-D
LOL!
It is also unfortunate that PE teachers are now sending home PE homework. I would think that it might be due to the fact that some parents to not enforce that their children get enough physical activity? And, so the whole class must have 'homework' so as not to single out one child?
Geeze.
My kids have a duty on their chore chart:
Exercise -- that can be riding a bike, a scooter, playing chase or hide and seek outside, putting in a dance video, etc.
Kay. Nuff, soap box.
Man, everyone has great posts up today!
We got that healthy snack birthday stuff a few years back. Everyone soundly ignored it and we still send in candy for Halloween and cupcakes for parties. Let kids be kids for crying out loud.
I liked Farmer*swife's response, in general, but I am ALL for letting kids bring in cupcakes or cookies on their special day. For crying out loud! Gah.
Michelle,
We do the birthday book club at our school too. Always something to get your money! Some teachers have banned cupcakes (Peanut's teacher) because of the icing. I get that, but no sweets all together I can't get behind.
Farmer's Wife,
I'm room mom for Peanuts class and we do have healthy snacks for the kids for parties along with one sweet thing. It's a party. I still say cupcakes or cookies 30-40 times (depending on the number of kiddos in the class) throughout the entire school year is not something to get bent out of shape about. I make sure the kids have healthy daily snacks and healthy snacks at home with sweets in moderation. I am a firm believer that if you allow sweets in moderation our children will not binge on stuff when they get a chance to have it somewhere else. It's all part of teaching them to be healthy and responsible eaters.
Lis,
Ditto!
Now, can someone get me some ice cream? All this talk is giving me a craving!
I hated PE and still struggle to make myself exercise (although I've been diligent for 2 weeks now). As for bday snacks, how 'bout this. Teacher: "Kids, let's all have a nice bottle of fluoridated water. It's not just "any" water... it's the special kind, for a special birthday kid... yes, it already has fluoride in it." Very healthy indeed. And while we're at it, let's all try a new vegetable for snack. Mmmmm. Seriously, though, I think "a" sweet is good coupled with some fresh fruit.
Pasta salad?! Are you kidding me?! What kid is going to eat that?! LOL I've had teachers give the suggestion of donuts or big cookies before instead of cupcakes, but like you said, birthdays are special!!! They need to be celebrated... with CAKE! And yes, we always do it at the end of the day and send the kids home high on sugar. Pasta salad... ROFL
Our school Wellnesss policy states that we are not allowed to bring in food for other kids AT ALL. Not even the PTA can bring in food for the kids. When the PTA has our annual Thanksgiving feast or BBQ for the kids, we have to buy the food from the cafeteria! For birthdays, we are allowed to send goody bags with NO food -- pencils, erasers, other junk from Oriental Trading or the Dollar Store. One mom had all her goody bags sent back to her because she had packed a package of goldfish crackers in with the pencils and erasers.
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