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A mum has penned a note to her daughter’s preschool teacher, after she told the three-year-old she couldn’t eat her ‘bad’ foods before her ‘good’ foods at lunchtime.

The frustrated mum explained that her daughter came home from preschool and revealed what her teacher said.

“Her teacher told her that she had to eat all of her “good” foods before she ate her “bad” foods. She couldn’t have her cookie before eating her sandwich and cucumbers,” mum Caroline explained in a TikTok video.

“In this moment, I felt a little frustrated by the antiquated instruction from the teacher, but I responded saying, ‘Well that’s silly. There are no good foods or bad foods. Food is just food!'”

@pezzi.shop Here’s the story: My three-year-old came home from school yesterday, telling me that her teacher told her that she had to eat all of her “good” foods before she ate her “bad” foods. She couldn’t have her cookie before eating her sandwich and cucumbers. In this moment, I felt a little frustrated by the antiquated instruction from the teacher, but I responded saying, “Well that’s silly. There are no good foods or bad foods. Food is just food!“ I will say, this was not my internal dialogue growing up, but because of the information that I have from so many great accounts created by moms and experts, in the field of childhood and nutrition, I am armed with better responses, knowledge and practices for my kids. Three years old. At three years old someone has told her that foods are good or bad. I am so proud that she had sensed something was off – to know that was not right enough to tell me about it. We talk about it all the time at home… If you only eat carrots or broccoli your body won’t have protein it needs to grow strong muscles. If you only eat chicken, your body won’t have enough energy to do things like run and play all day long. We need little bits of everything to make sure that we are able to learn and play and grow all day long. So to the accounts that make sure we have the words, knowledge and confidence to write the note and practice it at home, I thank you, thank you, thank you. It has changed our family for the better. What you do and what you share is so important to young families. #kidsnutrition #kidseatincolor #solidstarts #kidfood #babyledweaning toddlers moms babies family @Jennifer Anderson, MSPH RD @Feeding Littles @Kacie Barnes, MCN, RDN @Food Science Babe ♬ It’s All Right I Got Ya Baby – Neon Dreams

So the mum decided to write a note to her child’s teacher, and place it in her lunchbox. It reads:

“Hi!

Evelyn has out permission to eat lunch in any order she chooses. None of her foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – the are just food!”

Mum's lunchbox note to teacher

Caroline explained that she was raising her children differently to how she was brought up.

“I will say, this was not my internal dialogue growing up, but because of the information that I have from so many great accounts created by mums and experts, in the field of childhood and nutrition, I am armed with better responses, knowledge and practices for my kids.

“Three years old. At three years old someone has told her that foods are good or bad. I am so proud that she had sensed something was off – to know that was not right enough to tell me about it. We talk about it all the time at home… If you only eat carrots or broccoli your body won’t have protein it needs to grow strong muscles. If you only eat chicken, your body won’t have enough energy to do things like run and play all day long. We need little bits of everything to make sure that we are able to learn and play and grow all day long.

“So to the accounts that make sure we have the words, knowledge and confidence to write the note and practice it at home, I thank you, thank you, thank you. It has changed our family for the better. What you do and what you share is so important to young families.”

What do you think of the situation? Leave your opinion in the comments below. 

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  • The teacher is certainly out of line and I like the mums’ response

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  • Love love love how this mum is raising her child and dealt with this situation which most likely was instigated by ignorance.

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  • The only time a teacher has the right to say something is if that child is throwing their food around. When my youngest was going to school I’d make him the sandwich he asked for, gave him the piece of fruit he asked for and a muesli bar. Everything came back home except the muesli bar.

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  • I am my sons mum, i monitor what he eats and what he doesn’t. It isnt any one else’s problem. My son eats very very healthily & if I want to pack a treat in his lunchbox, then I will

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  • Good on mum

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  • Sometimes teachers go too far with the comments on the food the child is eating. And they definitely should speak to the parent before the child – they don’t know what is or may be happening in the child’s family life.

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  • And people wonder where eating disorders come from when people get involved an it’s not even their child!!!
    Annoys me that teachers think they can leave notes like that in lunch boxes…

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  • Doctor told me with my fussy eating son don’t worry as long as he is eating that’s just fine .I wonder what that teachers parents did to her.

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  • Teachers have no business to look into the lunchbox of the children and comment on it negatively.
    School can cover food within the subject food technology / health & physical education, but in a respectful manner

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  • I reckon teachers should stick to teaching and lay off the nutritional side of things

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  • I spoke directly to my son’s teacher when this came up in primary school.

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  • Parents pack lunch boxes to suit their kids. Teachers should not comment on what is good or bad nor tell a child how to eat their food.

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  • Not ok for the teacher to do that. I think also labelling foods as “bad” isnt helpung the next gerneration of the esting disorders we qent theough in the 90s. Of all the food is acceptabke to be eaten at school it can be eaten in any order.

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  • I think the way the parent responded was just brilliant

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  • A reminder that it all starts with a conversation at home.

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  • Umm but that is a huge lie! So now she’s taken away two lesson from her daughter, And that contributes to why we have such a huge obesity issue in our population even among our children. It breaks my heart!! There are 110% food that are BAD and good, healthy and junk!! That’s just facts?!?

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  • And we wonder why childhood obesity is at all time high! This teacher needs a thank you, not criticism. Unfortunately, we can’t all just live in magical fairy land where there is no such thing as bad food. I hate to break it to you, but cookies are not healthy and are a sometimes food. A little is fine, but sugar filled food is fast burning energy, so what she said about it all fuelling the body is not entirely correct. Fruits have sugar but it’s slower burning, so more energy. The sandwich is carbs, so also energy and staying fuller for longer. I would love it if my daughter’s teachers paid more attention to what she is eating as I’ve had all kinds of struggles with her binning or hiding food and only eating the 1 treat I pack, plus whatever she can con out of her friends. I think this mum needs to be very careful with her parenting here.

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  • While I don’t think foods should be labelled “good” and “bad” I don’t have a problem with my child’s teacher asking them to eat at least some of their sandwiches or main foods first. At home we eat our dinner before dessert ( whether its fruit or ice cream etc) so I really don’t see the difference.

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  • I agree, I do not think teachers have the right to tell kids what they can and can’t eat. I recently had an issue with my childs teacher and i was not impressed. These children are ours, not there’s and it is there job to teach them school subjects, not pick on what they are eating. I think Teachers should focus on what they are there to do not worry about this. As parents, this is our responsibility and we can handle it. I don’t like my child coming home to tell me the teacher told her she must eat her fruits and no other snacks are allowed.

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  • Teachers need to stick to teaching. Instead of criticising and sending a note home try teach the children the benefits of healthy eating and the food pyramid.


    • Food pyramid is bought and paid for, total junk

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