Are You a Mom Breaking The Law?

Lets hear an I do or an Amen from the moms, dads, grandmothers, aunts, etc. that prepare or their kids prepare a good old fashioned PB&J sandwich for their kids for lunch.

Do you toss in a glass of milk with that as well? I know we do and have for years and the kids usually like it.

Now, if they are going on a field trip with their daycare instead of milk, I always pack a nice ice cold (1/2 frozen) bottle of water so as the day progresses, they have fresh cold water.

Yesterday, I packed them a bottle of water, PBJ & 100 cal cookie pack and an apple. Imagine my shock when I received a note stating I was in violation of state licensing law.

That's right mom's, what you fix for your childs lunch is now being dictated by the government!

You see, according to Washington state law, I must pack for them:

• 1 dairy product (milk, cottage cheese, cheese or yogurt) (they won't eat it as it gets warm and gross! But the law states I must pack it!
• Meat or meat alternative (protein)...I thought that is what peanut butter was?
• A grain product...I guess a whole wheat sandwich round isn't enough ?
• 2...you read this correctly, 2 fruits or vegetables equal to the total portion size required...(I have no clue what size that is, but apparently their apples weren't large enough) and fruit jam can't count as one portion
• Also, if you send juice as an alternative fruit, it must be 100% juice

So, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it! According to Washington state law, you must comply with their ideal lunch for your child.

To make it easier to comply, the daycares must check all childrens lunches prior to them leaving on the field trip if you aren't in compliance, your child must remain at the daycare and eat what they prepare for them, which 1/2 the time most kids don't eat either!

My grands are not nutritionally deficient, they eat well and I was recently told by their pediatrician they eat to well and must scale back and lose some weight as all of them are in the 95% of the (also government) dictated, weight guidelines. The middle one said the Dr. said she was fat...no, she didn't, but it is her perception...do we wonder why Anorexia and Bulemia are eating problems among our young girls?

I do have a problem with the government dictating what a parent can pack their child for lunch and I do not care how well it is chilled, most kids when given the option of playing or eating are going to take a few bites of a sandwich and forget the rest any way!

The day before, I packed them bologna and cheese sandwich and they said the cheese got gross and it was packed in their lunch box with blue ice and frozen water, they didn't like the applesauce...so it seems to me the government now is not only wasting tax payers money, they are dictating to us how to waste ours!

If you think they are reasonable in their dicatations, go to a school at lunch time and see how much food is thrown out. Just because you tell a child they must eat something, doesn't mean they will!

So, before you take your kids to the park this summer for a little picnic lunch...if you live in Washington state, you might want to watch out for the lunch police, or at least have your childs sandwich look like the one pictured and if you don't, watch out...you might get a lecture and a copy of the USDA food chart showing you how a child 'SHOULD,' eat!