When we got to the checkout aisle the teenage cashier asked me if I wanted to buy my daughter a giant gingerbread man for just $2.99 so that $1 could go to help support the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario's (CHEO) Foundation.
Exercising my right as a parent, I said, "No thank you".
You know I'd have happily spent $1 on a sticker for CHEO. Heck, I'd have spent $1 just for CHEO by means of an addition to my bill. But spending $3 to give $1 to CHEO so my child can be fed a bunch of pulverized white flour held together by 5 teaspoons of sugar and emotionally tying together for her the purchase and consumption of junk food and doing a good deed? No thank you.
And I know too there are those of you out there who think I'm just crazy. That, "it's just a gingerbread cookie and it's Christmas time!" - but that's not a whole picture argument. There no longer seems to be any cause, holiday, sporting event, or gathering that doesn't have someone enticing my children with junk food and sugar. It honestly seems as if not a single day goes by where my kids aren't offered junk food by someone other than their parents. It's a never ending parade of garbage and we've normalized it to the degree that to question this junk food cavalcade is deemed more surprising, upsetting and offensive than the cavalcade itself. And each and every time and instance has someone rationalizing the practice with the, "but it's just one (insert junkfood here)" argument.
It's a hugely shortsighted argument.
Somehow I'd have hoped that of all folks out there, the good people over at CHEO would want to decrease the normalization and constant provision of junk food to our children, let alone be used as a means to make the sale itself.
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Well said! I'm from the UK, now living in New Hamburg, ON, and I'm shocked at how pervasive the "just one treat" culture is. I complained when my granddaughter's elementary school held a fundraiser, selling mint smoothies: No sugar coating fundraiser’s poor choice. Yes, I know that we have a choice of whether or not we participate, but schools are a place of learning; what does this teach our kids?
ReplyDeleteI also recently declined the CEO cookie and then tweeted them about it (no response). I offered to just donate the money, but apparently you MUST take the cookie. :(
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to when my children's elementary school raised funds for the Heart Association (a teacher below the age of 40 had a heart attack) by selling bags of candy. Seriously! I asked the principal if perhaps holding a skip-a-thon wouldn't have been a better choice. It is really difficult to get teachers/schools to drop the candy as a reward practice. How is it a reward for the child when it contains dubious ingredients with a negative impact?
ReplyDeleteWow! Heart and Stroke fundraisers have changed a lot since the annual "Jump Rope for Heart" campaigns that I took part in all the way back in the 1980s....
DeleteAttitudes and awareness will change if people speak up. Thank you, Dr Freedhoff, for your articulate words.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting more creative in how I turn down lollipops at the bank for my kids.... Thanks for a great post.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly and wish more people realized this. When the time comes when my children are asked to sell chocolate bars for the sports teams, school fundraisers ecetera, you bet I will find out what percentage the school actually keeps and just pay it. Forgoing the sale of chocolate bars altogether. I wish I could do the same when the other kids come knocking
ReplyDeletethank you for your opinions...i am just coming off battling a teacher who told my daughter she could not have a 'mandarin' for a snack because it was too messy...they do book work when they have a snack...ok, i told her that i peel the mandarins and segment them for my daughter so she does not have a mess at school--no work for my daughter--just pops them in her mouth...my daughter then asks why its ok for kids to be eating 'chips' that leave fake orange colored residue on their fingers...after she told me that, i told the teacher that i will make sure her mandarins are sectioned perfectly when I chose my daughter's snack...teacher also crossed off sliced apples, grapes, any fruit---i am not joking!
ReplyDeleteThat's completely preposterous. How about carrot sticks or celery? That's pretty much the least messy vegetable I can think of...
DeleteI've often wanted to pass on the free thing just to donate the cause. When my daughter was in school I couldn't bear one more resin figurine or scented candle to support a cause, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE MONEY TO THE DAMN CAUSE. But they don't know how to deal with that request. What a missed opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThere's an assumption that people won't donate $$ to a cause unless they get something in return, even if it's a just a sticker to show they supported the cause. Tying a cookie (or some other crap) to the cause is just "easy."
DeleteTo Anonymous 9:03 a.m. - I'd be complaining to the school about that one. That's ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteugg it's all so pervasive! makes me happy i don't have kids to have to navigate these minefields.
ReplyDeleteProfessional Beggars are good at separating you and your money. These well paid groups study how to get you to reach in your pocket and give. The defence is to recognise this, and explain this to children early. You must realize that little of the fund raising money actually reaches the intended target. It is another form of buddhist theft, taking money and using it for purpose that it was not intended for. The solution is all in your personal philosophy.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I donate to charities through official channels. Hopefully bypassing any man in the middle.
DeleteI've never heard of buddhist theft. Where did that come from? Are Buddhists bad people?
I too have been just donating the money to the school rather than buy the chocolates...cookie dough....homebaked pizzas...candies...I have often wondered if the school offered both the choice of the 'stuff' or just a direct donation how many people would just donate.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Terry Fox and Canadian Cancer fundraisers where they sell hot dogs and barbecued meat, as if diet and nutrition have nothing to do with colon cancer.
ReplyDeleteone thing i've done with my children so i don't feel 'guilted' into buying those food fundraisers (or 'healthy' vending machines or subway sandwich wednesday or pizza friday or popsicle tuesday) --i tell my children 11 & 9, who have to earn all their money to buy the 'extras' that would come their way, and tell them if they want it, they can always chose to spend their money--then we get into the fact that they don't want to spend their money...hmmm then you don't really want to donate the money?...great basis for discussion...ps this is anonymous from 9:03 am
ReplyDeleteThe way we've decided to cope with sweets in our house is to schedule 3 dinners a week when our children are allowed to have dessert. Then they can accept candy/cookies/etc. when it's offered, but they don't eat it until their next dessert day. But as they get to be school-age and especially around the holidays, they have far more candy and cookies hanging around in the cabinets than they'll be able to eat before it goes bad! It seems like every day they get a candy cane from somewhere!
ReplyDelete