Mum's 'frustrated' note in daughter's lunchbox divides parents
The woman said the teacher's approach could undo the work she has done with her daughter.
A mum has hit back at her daughter's teacher with a handwritten note after her three-year-old was told what order she should eat her lunch in at preschool.
Preschooler Evelyn arrived home and shared with her mum that she was instructed by her teacher to eat all of her 'good' food in her lunchbox before eating her 'bad' food which infuriated her mum.
"She couldn’t have her cookie before eating her sandwich and cucumbers," mum Caroline who is based in the US wrote online. "I responded saying, 'Well that’s silly. There are no good foods or bad foods. Food is just food!'".
The woman explained she has had multiple conversations with her daughter to encourage food neutrality — the idea that food has no moral value — in a bid for the preschooler to foster a positive relationship with eating.
"At three years old someone has told her that foods are good or bad. I am so proud that she had sensed something was off — to know that was not right enough to tell me about it."
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Handwritten note taped to lunchbox
The next day at school Evelyn's lunchbox had a handwritten note taped to it, with her mum sending a message to her preschool teacher in response.
It read, "Hi! Evelyn has our permission to eat lunch in any order she chooses. None of her food are 'good ' or 'bad' — they are just food! Thanks! Caroline & Joey".
Mixed response to lunchtime message
Online many people praised the mum for passing down an 'everything in moderation' food mentality to her daughter, with some warning the preschool teacher's approach can "actually encourage harmful eating habits".
"As long as my daughter is full enough to concentrate I don’t care what part of her lunch she eats first," another mum said in support.
However, others questioned why a "passive aggressive note" was sent instead of having a conversation with the teacher, saying certain foods are best prioritised for a child's energy.
"As a daycare teacher I will always try to encourage kids to eat at least some of their 'foods that give them energy to play'," one said.
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