Is Valentine's Day Too Sweet?

by Jean Saunders, HSC School Wellness Director

On Feb. 14, my fourth grader came home with a bag of Valentine cards and a bigger bag full of candy. His class exchanges Valentines -- most came with candy, a few had pencils, and one included Play-Doh. I sent my son to school with cards and stickers (characters from the movie "Cars").

Reviewing the big pile of loot, I wondered if my son felt that his contribution had measured up. Did he think his offering looked skimpy in comparison to those he received from his classmates? Interestingly, my son said that he was proud to have been true to our goal of making healthy contributions to his school events. (He was once overheard telling a friend that his mom had to send healthy snacks to school or she would lose her job, but that is a story for another blog!)

Valentine's Day = sweet treats. It's easy and inexpensive for parents/kids to tape candy to the cards they take to school for their friends. And it's easy to see why Valentine's Day and other school activities end up becoming candy fests.

Last week, the Chicago Tribune profiled wellness related initiatives in Evanston, Ill. It's exciting to hear how students are embracing the changes made in the cafeteria. I know first-hand how hard the wellness committee in that school district worked to develop the required wellness policy.

But, I think that most would agree that inconsistent messages are very confusing for kids. How can kids rationalize the health-related messages they are getting from their teachers and in the lunch rooms with the Valentine candy or giant heart-shaped, frosted sugar cookies?

If teachers are going to be successful in teaching kids to make healthy eating choices, they need some help. Many school districts are beginning to address this tough issue regarding the kinds of foods that kids are offered in their classrooms. If there was a district policy in place regarding classroom treats, teachers who are working hard to promote healthy eating messages in their classrooms wouldn't have to play the role of food police, or turn a blind eye to this inconsistency.

And I'm sure that most parents would be willing to send healthier treats to school with the Valentine’s Day cards, if they thought that there was a "good" (read: fun/appealing to kids/inexpensive) alternative to the those Sweet Tarts. The (closet) entrepreneur in me sees a business opportunity here! Next February, let's chat about the healthy Valentine's Day treats our kids exchanged at school.

Comments

[Gretchen]

I couldn't agree more. In Evanston, one Lincolnwood teacher gets over the candy problem by asking all the kids to work on valentine's that include one or two sentences saying something nice about everyone in the class--not just "you are nice", but "I like it when you ask me to play at recess" or "you always include me in your games during free time". My child and I treasure these wonderful valentines and they carry so much more meaning than a piece of candy that will be thrown away when not eaten after a few weeks.

And let's also remember that the teachers need to eliminate the classroom candy, not just on Valentine's, but year round. How can we ask children to avoid candy when some teachers still view it as tool for compliance?

[Amanda]

I work at a day care and am starting to think about what we are going to do for our valentines day party this year. This past halloween we were all overwhelmed by the amount of cupcakes our class received and were unsure of what to do with them all! So this upcoming holiday we have decided to send home a letter to parents with some suggestions of snacks they can bring for our party, now I know a lot of these aren't things that can be attached to a card however when bringing snacks they are something to keep in mind. Rice krispy treats, add a bit of red or pink food coloring and shape them like hearts and they make a great treat! they can also be bagged if you are looking for something to spend with cards and are not as sugary as frosted cookies. Strawberries are always a fool proof snack for this holiday. Send in plastic cups of yogurt, parfaits or pudding. Sending fresh fruit and a fruit dip, muffins are also a healthier alternative to cup cakes. Use a cookie cutter to cut favorite snacks into heart shapes such as.... Slices of watermelon, sugar free jello, slices of cheese (which would be a great hit if joined with a few crackers), mini pb+j (about 1/4 of a sandwich size to snack on), and pepperoni. Almost anything healthy snack can be transformed into a valentines day treat with a little imagination, a cookie cutter and even some food coloring!

[lilan]

My kindergarten son and 3rd grade daughter brought in clementines (also called "cuties") for their classmates. What kid doesn't like these -- refreshing, sweet, and fun to peel! We added a heart-shaped sticker to make it a little more "valentine-y".
We parents need to send the message that every holiday doesn't equate to candy.