Childhood Obesity Vent
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| Sat, 02-05-2005 - 2:46pm |
I haven't posted in a few months, so I hope you remember me ;) Our computer was down (finally got myself a brand new shiny one last week!) and well . . . . life is busy. Anyway, I hope to post more often again - I was just getting to know some of you when our computer went out. So . . . . . my topic of the day that I am enraged about.
I found out at a PTO meeting last week that the Texas Legislature is trying to pass a new law to go in to effect for the 2006-07 school year which states that teachers MUST include the childs WEIGHT and BMI on their report cards. I am so angry, I could lose my mind over it.
First of all - teachers are not health care professionals. Secondly - by listing a childs weight and BMI on a report card, we are helping childhood obesity how? And can I have that of the teachers while your at it? I was told that the snow-cone machine was no longer in use, because it "doesn't meet the state's nutritional guidelines" - a snowcone!?! And we serve WHAT in our school cafeteria?
Why don't you start some classes to help educate parents, re-vamp the school cafeteria so that kids CAN make better choices, because what they have to choose from can't be all that swell. Do you think that obesity is 100% controlled at home - or will the school take some of that responsibility for it? And in a society that already has enough body-image problems, how will this help.
Am I nuts for getting worked up about this? Has anyone else heard of this in their state? Looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say!

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"Why in the world would someone who had any choice in the matter at all work in an environment that didn't enhance their lives? "
Lois, are you really this naive?
You pick your profession. Your workplace is so much bigger and broader and more complex than your profession.
The answer is - because you need the money and it's convenient in many ways, at that point in your life, to take and keep that job.
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I have children who have to put in very minimal effort to get good grades. They also have "healthy" opinions of themselves. (I think that combination can be pretty dangerous.) I don't feel they need to be "rewarded" for having been born bright.
I am also trying to apply lessons learned from my own childhood. I was very into grades and pleasing others and as a result, I missed out on some really great things.
There is a great book out there called Punished By Rewards by Alfie Kohn that might help explain where I'm coming from.
Edited to add these quotes I just came across in Alfie Kohn's book, "The Schools Our Children Deserve," which I pulled out to help me answer Felicia's question about why I send my kids to school, page 35:
"When kids are led to focus on how well they are performing at school, they tend to explain their performance not by how hard they tried but by how smart they are."
"This (the overemphasis of achievement) is clearly not a productive way for kids to look at things, regardless of whether they have been successful or unsuccessful."
Edited 2/8/2005 3:43 pm ET ET by suzymomm
Hree's the top third of my nine year old's third grade report card:
Work Habits
listens/follow directions
makes good use of time
makes effort toward neat work
complete assignments on time
demonstrates organizational skills
Personal Growth
obeys school rules
respects rights and property of others
practices self-control
works well with others
Then it goes on to Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Science Health, and Social Studies.
Children who are teacher pleasers, children who happen to be compliant, and children who have learned to conform seem to have no trouble scoring very well on that top third of the report card.
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