Thank you all for the cookie dough opinions. Especially those that offered up companies. Now...
We are going with a cookie dough fundraiser because we don't have to push a lot to get the kind of return we're looking for. Also, we're not selling it to the kids; we're selling it to adults. The adults will fix it and serve it. I expect them to use common sense. And we do send home nutritionaly information at the beginning of every semester, as required by our national accrediation. (we're a private school, one of only 9,000 accrediated nation wide). We are very strict about what we allow to come to school in lunches (ie, no soda).
Of course it's fattening--IT'S COOKIES!!! However, I'm a strong believer in not denying your kids anything. And by that I don't mean give them everything they want when they want it. I mean be balanced. Let them have the occasional treat. I've seen kids pick junk out of garbage cans and stepped on, yicky gum off the ground because parents refused any treats what-so-ever. And not just "health nut" parents, but doctor's and dentist's children who just believe do away with the garbage and not deal with the consequences. Research shows those that don't over eat and have healthy life styles are those that DO allow some wiggle room. Most my beliefs on this come from personal experience/observations and from a friend of mine who is a child nutritionist that works exclusively with obese children, many of whom are closet eaters because of strict parents.
Kids have to be offered choices to learn how to control themselves. I had friends in high school whose parents picked every class or friend or boy/girlfriend, etc., etc. And when they got to college one of two things happened. 1) They went exteremly wild or 2) had a breakdown. The ones who put on the freshman 15, are those that didn't know how to eat without mom watching every little move.
And besides, I can't force anyone to participate if it goes against their beliefs. And I'd rather deal with cookie dough then be asked to (over) spend on high quality, but small amount of wrapping paper or buy flower bulbs for 3X what I can buy at the local nursery.
Sorry this thread has been hijacked by the food police but we use Little Annies Cookie Dough sales with no complants from our parents and if you don't want to buy it give a dontation and be done with it already!! This is just cookie dough not the end of the world here no one is making you do anything!
No, Backhoed, I'm not overboard I don't think. I do think the schools have gone overboard in mindlessly allowing harmful food fundraisers.
My kids are not "tightly controlled". They are out and about in a world where over half our country is overweight right now. My kids have good eating habits, but those are undermined in the current school climate where junk food is being promoted.
Today's children will face a holocaust of societal health problems when they grow up. They don't need other students pushing candy at them in every class, they don't need even their teachers trying to sell them candy, and the school rewarding them with candy right and left.
Besides a mom and farmer now, I'm a licensed health care professional and I've seen so many people disabled by their excess weight! Just because it's being sold for a good cause doesn't make unhealthy food any less dangerous.
So to do this, we need to offer some unhealthy choices too? Are schools the place to be offering unhealthy food? Maybe we should offer tham a little porn as well? Some cigarettes, booze, other drugs?
Don't you think you are going a wee bit overboard?
I've got to tell you, if you do keep your kids that tightly controlled, somewhere, they are going to pig out on everything you have kept from them. I have seen it happen.
It is a fundraiser for Petes sake... don't buy it then.
JHB wrote: I have to agree that teaching children to make healthy choices and preaching moderation is our path
So to do this, we need to offer some unhealthy choices too? Are schools the place to be offering unhealthy food? Maybe we should offer tham a little porn as well? Some cigarettes, booze, other drugs? I'm so tired of the junk food vendors' excuse that children need "choices".
momof3 is very right to try to keep unhealthy food away from her kids. I try to do this just as I try to keep the other "bad" things mentioned above away from my kids. I have a friend dying of diabetes now and it's not a pretty sight. I truly feel that unhealthy food, including that sold at school fundraisers, is a threat to my childrens' health and well being and I cannot in good conscience support cookie dough sales.
