[tazcan]

DD just started school this year and I have been horrified by the amount of sugary snacks and drinks at her school canteen:
chocolate milk, fruit poppers, slushies, ice-blocks etc etc

I don't hardly ever let her get a lunch order because of this, but her friends buy her ice blocks and slushies quite often. She has started hunting for coins and hiding them to take to school and I know other kindy kids are doing the same thing.

I don't think school canteens should be selling these kinds of things and I don't think kindy kids should be allowed to buy things for each other from the canteen. I would never buy DD (5.5 years) a slushy when out and about so why should she be getting them at school?

I am writing a letter of complaint to the principal about it as well as maybe a copy to the head of the P&C.

Does anyone else have a problem like this with the school canteen, and do you think the principal will take notice of my complaint? Who else could I write to or approach about the matter?

[tazcan]

I think (without knowing your DD!) that you might have more success with talking to her about it. It's hard whenever you're faced with "but everyone else is getting one!", but it's never too early to talk about peer pressure. Explain to her why you don't want her having them, then offer her an alternative that you're happy to pay for that she can have when her friends are having the crap. She can pretend that she likes orange juice better (or whatever your alternative is) then everyone is happy.

Unfortunately I have talked to my DD about it to no avail. I guess its because she is only 5 years old and doesn't have that sort of self control yet. I have even caught her dipping into my wallet to find and hide $2, and I know other parents are having a similar problem. I believe sugary drinks are particularly unhealthy, even fruit juice since it has so much sugar in it. I would actually prefer her to be given a lollipop because it has way less sugar than fruit juice.