So, I promised you yesterday, that I would tell you about the Ritz crackers and ice cream sandwich incidents.
First, let me give you some background information on this issue. You will see that I am still struggling with a decision that was made in preschool involving La Petite Belle, which I only found out about when she was in kindergarten at a different school. It was too late for me to address the issue and I am still not happy about the punishment that was handed down to her.
It was loss of snack.
Loss of snack, people. Punished from snack. No snack for you!
Basically, when my little three and four-year-old (yes, it happened for two years) baby girl misbehaved or was foolish in any way, her snack was taken away. So, while everyone else was enjoying the yummy items that were brought, she had to sit with her head down. I just want to cry thinking about it. I say … just give her a spanking or make her sit out for recess, but don’t take away her snack.
Two years of loss of snack. Now, granted, this wasn’t every day, but enough to make my child see snacks (food) as a reward. You’re good, you get food. You’re bad, you don’t.
La Petite Belle, to this day, still sees snacks as a reward. I pray that the previous punishments have not affected my daughter in such a negative way that she will struggle with her view of food. Girls have enough problems with their self-image. She doesn’t need that.
During these early days, La Petite Belle would actually sneak snacks. I don’t think she’s the only child that’s ever done that, but I never had this issue with K Belle. But, sometimes I think she may have a real problem with food.
On two occasions, we found these snacks hidden in her special hiding place: Behind the toilet! (obviously the most sanitary place she could have hidden her snacks)
She hid a stack of Ritz crackers behind the toilet upstairs. Beau found them and asked her why she did that. She said that she was just saving them for later.
On another day, I found a melted, and then hardened ice cream sandwich (it was pretty gross) behind the toilet that she obviously threw behind there in a hurry. (Remember the cheese incident.) Now, I know what you’re thinking … didn’t you just ban your kids from cheese. Yes, but because they disobeyed me related to the cheese and ruined the entire block of cheese, not because of some other random misbehavior. The punishment must fit the crime.
I give you these examples to show you how impressionable young children are. So, there it is. Please make sure your kids are not being punished from snacks. It can make quite an impact on a child of three or four.
That is SO sad…I try not to involve food in any of my punishments…but you’re right with the whole cheese thing…it has to fit the crime…
Acting out at school should have nothing to do with giving your child nutrition…I agree..have them sit out at Recess!
Weird, weird…that they took her snack away!
I have snacks all throughout the house…at first…my kids devoured everyone of them. But now, they don’t even look twice at them and only eat them ONCE in a while! I like that effect better. 🙂
Oh my mercy! I cannot imagine-
Bad mama over here has a SNACK basket, that they can get into at any time- It keeps them from buggin me all day long cause they are hungry! I’m so, so bad!
You know, you make a really good point here. And I agree with you about making the punishment fit the crime. You’re a good mom.
Oh.My.Word. That would not have gone over very well with me either. I’m afraid I would have created a scene the first time. I find it hard to believe they could not come up with some other form of punishment. Wow!
What a special hiding place she has. Ick!
I completely agree with you. Children learn from what they are taught. And this punishment didn’t even teach her anything. Stick to your guns mama. Stick to your guns.
That is awful. I believe I would be up at that school with that issue. I have never heard of that happening. Taking food away? OMG! I’m sorry that happened to ya’ll
That’s right! How sad that they did that. I let my kids eat anything they want anytime as long as it’s healthy…that’s the part they hate *laugh* My BUbby would be SO overweight if I let him eat what he wanted. He’s got rolls right above his 12 year old love handles as it is and he fusses about having to eat healthy. Finally I had to stop buying junk food so he wouldn’t think it was a punishment that he didn’t get any. They can only have sweets on the weekend now.When I was a kid I ate anythign I wanted. I always thought it was weird when I heard my friends ask to get food out of the kitchen but I was outside from dawn til dusk playing my heart out and I was skinny as they came. My kids hardly ever go outside and my son’s really having a hard time.It’s so hard knowing what to do sometimes…