New Zealand school bans birthday cake

by Jennifer Jordan (Subscribe to Jennifer Jordan's posts) Apr 6th 2008 9:41AM

Students at Oteha Valley primary school in New Zealand will have to find another way to celebrate their birthdays on site. The school recently banned birthday cakes due to new government guidelines designed to promote healthy eating.

The Ministry of Education has imposed new guidelines in an effort to "fat bust." The school in question, Oteha, is a large one, where cake could be found on site in a class room as many as four times a week. Cake was around so often some parents thought they were actually required to send a cake to school for their child's birthday.

The Ministry of Education has clarified its measures were intended to food sold at the schools, not brought in from outside. As we in the US face a similar situation, I've noted many articles on schools banning cakes, cupcakes and other kinds of sweets. Some say it takes the fun out of being a kid, some say it takes care of the problem, at least partially.

I don't think sweets are bad as a rule, but they are best, like most things, in moderation.

Pic by code poet.

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Comments (5)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jen Henry 4-06-2008 @ 9:57AM

While I'm all for healthy eating, I think the constant banning that's occurring in US schools is doing little more than giving kids one more rule to follow put upon them as adults. While I do hope that kids enjoy healthy foods, I also believe it's fine to celebrate on a special occasion with a treat. I'm a bit afraid that the banning of treats is going to become the equivalent of the banning of alcohol, kids are going to binge when given the opportunity. I do hope I'm wrong.

As a teacher I understand that you might have 3 birthdays in a week, but geez...let's think here a minute about a solution. How about a monthly birthday party where all the April birthdays are celebrated with treats, all the March birthdays etc? Those with a birthday that month can bring in a treat, kids can choose from the variety, and all is good. You get treats, but in one day, not 4 days worth.

I find it hard to believe that this is suddenly a 'new' problem? Are kids having two birthdays a year now or something? Thinking about my childhood I don't seem to remember having this constant abundance of daily parties that everyone seems to be talking about. I remember some kids bringing in treats, but not all kids did. With a class of 30 kids and 365 days in a year it would be impossible to have a birthday a day.

Personally? I'll probably be shot down for saying this, but I think it's easier to make the policies in schools because kids spend so much time there....we can't control what they eat at home and parents (myself included!) don't want to think that we could be the real reason that our children are obese.

Jen
http://furoreandfrenzy.com

Jen Henry 4-06-2008 @ 9:59AM

I meant to say "put upon them by adults"

LS 4-06-2008 @ 10:46AM

AMEN, Jen!!!

I am a Binge-eater. Yes, that's a real Eating Disorder, and the bane of my existence. In my search for the triggers of my binge eating, I am reading a book called Intuitive Eating, by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. I discovered that what I thought was shameful behavior on my part was actually shared by a large number of the patients that the authors of the book encountered in their practice: The "Forget-You Eater". This means that, at times during our life, we were told, "no, you can't have that" for whatever reason: it wasn't "good for us" (cake, cookies, fast food, etc., as a child), or it's not in the plan (weight-loss diets). Now, as adults, we experience backlash... we start deliberately choosing, often abusing, those very foods *because they were forbidden*. Now they are our weapons... a chance to say, "See? I'm an adult now, I can eat whatever I want!"

It's not a healthy mindset or a healthy activity, but it's there, and for some, so strong that it affects their entire life. I need look no further than the mirror to see proof.

So perhaps your idea, Jen, of a "Celebration Day" each month is the answer. I think it's an awesome suggestion.

Further, perhaps instead of freaking out and banning every grain of sugar and every gram of fat, and siccing the food police on the kids who really have no control over the food that is offered to them, perhaps we should get after the government to provide decent lunches and breakfasts for the kids. After all, they (the gov't) have decided that they should feed our kids because we can't - and then they turn around and give canned, processed, and oversalted macaroni and cheese with canned, processed, and oversalted green beans as a 'healthy and balanced' lunch. But don't you DARE give your kid a piece of cake.

Nicola 4-06-2008 @ 11:28AM

We have the same policy at my son's school. They are not permitted to bring cake or cupcakes, cookies, any sweet treat, for their birthdays. Furthermore, they are not permitted to bring candy or other "junk food" in their lunches either. I suppose that if can't force their parents to do the right thing at home, at least we can make sure that our children are getting a healthy message at school. Doesn't really bother me.