It's Childrens Protective Services on the line.
Just kidding. Hopefully.
Sorry I haven't posted in over a month. I've been pretty busy over at www.4our2cents.com
It's a fun endeavor but it takes a lot of time and energy.
Back to CPS. Let's hope I don't hear the phone ringing. Here's what happened.
Girl Wondertwin (GWT) was "in a mood" this morning when she woke up. She refused to eat her breakfast, taking just one bite of her toast. At school during snack time she ate most of the contents of her lunch, leaving her with just a fruit snack and a half of a sandwich.
"Starving" (remember, she's the dramatic one), she gets the attention of a cafeteria volunteer who looks at her lunch box and judges that I have not packed her enough lunch. After calling over every mom who happened to be in the school at that moment, they all decided that GWT should be sent to the office to call her mom. I was on the treadmill and did not answer.
GWT then begged the secretary to give her more lunch. A lunch was purchased (putting an account I didn't know I had!!! into deficit) and she ate to her heart's content.
Receiving the message on the treadmill I had my husband call the school. He talked to the principal who thankfully knew of GWT's dramatic ways and did not judge us based on this particular situation. At the end of my workout I rushed over to the school to smooth the waters. All was well among the secretary pool but when I arrived at home I got an email from a well-meaning friend who told me that many of the cafeteria moms were sure that I didn't pack enough in my daughter's lunch. Hmm.
Reminding once again...know the whole story before you decide to judge another's life. Thankfully my well-meaning friend knew me well and seemed to stick up for me in this "sticky" situation.
GWT will be paying for half the cost of today's lunch. I struggled with whether or not to punish her but knowing my sweet but overly dramatic daughter, this would surely become a habit. She's now tasted the likes of school lunches and in her words, "Me likey".
The day they start serving lunches with vegetables and fruits I can identify is the day she can buy lunch at school.
Thoughts? This parenting stuff is tricky.
Let her buy once a week, let her pick which day based on the menu, no it's not all that great of food but most serve some kind of fruit or veggie these days, and then she feel some freedom to know she gets to buy sometimes. JB buys once a week, maybe, if he likes whats on the menu. I don't mind having a day off of packing once a week. Mac will never be able to buy b/c of her food allergies. It might be a compromise she can live with without the need for drama... Sorry other moms made snap decisions that's rotten!
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