

to be planning a letter of complaint to the PTFA for poisoning my children at the Christmas fair?

(343 Posts)
Mincepiedermama Sun 09-Dec-07 12:52:18

Why does it have to be so packed with sugar? After the fair at the juniors my nearly three year old was sick several times in the night because someone gave him those disgusting sugar walking sticks.

At the Infants fair yesterday I gave my kids pocket money and sent them off browsing reminding them about the sugar poisoning incident so ds3 decided to go for the lucky dip. He pulled out a handbag which I thought was great. I later discovered it was FULL of lollies FGS!

I can;'t watch them all every minute of the Christmas Fair because it's one of the places they should be given freedom to roam. Also I was running a stall.

I love school fairs but the sugar thing really ruins them for me and poisons my kids. Why are people so obsessed with sugar for kids?

I have many years to go at these schools so am thinking of writing or talking to the PTFA people about capping the amount of sugar available at these events. Is that reasonable?

Now if you'll excuse me I have to put some more vomitty bedding in the washing machine. angry

purpleduck Fri 14-Dec-07 14:16:20

um, he is 2 and you let him take on the responsibility of deciding what he gets to have?

There is alot of sugar at the Fairs, but they are REALLY hard work. Months of preparation went into planning it, and sometimes it is impossible to do the games/lucky dip in a healthy way. Little toys cost alot of money (thus defeating the purpose of the fair), so sometimes sweets are the best cheapest option.

Would your kids have been as excited about the Fair if the prizes were fruit bags?

Agree with whoever said that maybe you should join the committee

BTW, Well done for doing a stall

MsHighwater Fri 14-Dec-07 13:44:00

I remember watching a TV prog a while ago that examined (in a TV, not hugely scientific sort of way, admittedly) the effect of sugary foods on kids.

A bunch of kids were invited to two parties on consecutive days. Their parents, who were not at the parties, were aware that, at one party, they would be fed lots of sweets and cakes and at the other healthy stuff like fruit. They were told that they sugar party was on the first day and the healthy food party the second. In fact, it was the other way round.

At the sugar party, the activities were very low-key and quiet while at the other party it was all high energy stuff.

Before they were told the truth about which type of food was served at which party, the parents all said that their kids behaviour when they came home from the first party (with healthy food and high energy activities) was consistent with the kids having eaten lots of sugar.

Obviously, the experiment suggested that it was the activities, rather than the food, that had the greatest influence on the kids' behaviour.

cory Thu 13-Dec-07 23:41:40

When my ds was 2-3 yrs old, eating kiwi fruit made him throw up. So a couple of healthy fruit tasting sessions at childminder/preschool ended with him needing to be mopped down and have a change of clothing. Tbh I never thought this was that upsetting and would not have thought of accusing anyone of poisoning him. I felt a quietly muttered 'dear,dear' and a dash to the washing machine about covered the case.
After the third incident, I pointed out the connection to him and he decided eating kiwis probably wasn't worth it for him. So he stopped.
I agree that there is too much unhealthy food eaten today, every day- but if you believe that youngsters of previous generations (my childhood in the 60's, the time before the War, Victorian days) didn't stuff themselves with unhealthy sugars on special occasions like fairs and Christmas, then you can't have read many books. As for hyper children- ever read that bit in A Christmas Carol where Scrooge visits the family of his ex-fiancee ('not 20 children conducting themselves as one but every child conducting itself as 20')? These children are as hyper as you could meet in a month of Christmas fairs- the only difference is that the author and his characters don't think of it as a problem, certainly not a medical problem.

Danae Wed 12-Dec-07 22:39:11

Message withdrawn

cornsilk Wed 12-Dec-07 22:21:58

If you're running a stall you need someone to watch your kids for you. YABU

welliemum Wed 12-Dec-07 22:16:27

I think the OP has now alienated everyone - from those who happily feed lots of sweets to their children all the way over to those who avoid sweets whenever possible.

That's quite an achievement, but sadly it's not helping to stimulate a reasoned debate...

MsHighwater Wed 12-Dec-07 21:57:33

I have no problem with making a wider range of stuff available at events such as school fairs or whatever.

But sugar as poison? What rubbish!

tigermoth Mon 10-Dec-07 19:07:06

I'm actually feeling a bit sorry for the OP now!

My sons will eat tub loads of sugery rubbish at school fairs given half a chance. I certainly don't deprive them of sugar at home but we do try an eat a healthy meals - lots of veg and fruit, which they eat too. Actually they eat anything. Good, bad, whatever.

I make sure they have proper food before they go to school fairs, just to line their stomachs and (this is the theory) stop them eating junk out of pure hunger.

I don't blame sugar for OTT behaviour at school fairs. I think it down to the general excitement of the event.

I think the OP was taking on too much by volunteering to run a stall while looking after four children and hoping to monitor their sugar intake. TBH I think that's where the problem began.

And I think there's nothing wrong with suggesting more savoury treats for next year's fair. A letter to the PTA with positive suggestions would be ok, I think.

welliemum Mon 10-Dec-07 19:00:29

I too am a sceptic about the "if you don't give them sweets they'll go mad and od when they can" theory.

I've seen many children including ours, who don't get sweets, choccies or crisps at home, eating them at parties with enjoyment but quickly losing interest.

The big thing, to me, is to get my own attitude straight. I don't want them to think of this stuff as fabulous but forbidden. I definitely don't want them to think of sweets as rewards for being good or comfort when they're sad because I think those are not good associations for adult life.

I want them to think of it as quite fun, but just a small part of the pleasure you can get from food. I get much more pleasure, myself, from a good roast dinner than I do from sweets, and I expect they'll find the same as they get older.

myrrhthamoo Mon 10-Dec-07 16:42:56

No, it's nothing to do with willies - I mean, you're a scientist, you know these things. I'm not moving house again.

edam Mon 10-Dec-07 16:24:30

well she doesn't have a very balanced scientific attitude to nutrition...

MellowChristmasEveryone Mon 10-Dec-07 15:49:03

she is!! [honest]

Curmudgeonlett Mon 10-Dec-07 15:24:19

ROFL Mellow .. that was rather sarcastic wasn't it?

MellowChristmasEveryone Mon 10-Dec-07 15:00:38

spidermamma is not a troll she is rocket scientist!

aWorminaManger Mon 10-Dec-07 14:59:44

When we last moved house I mentioned to the estate agent that we were 'trying for a baby' (why did I do that? hmm). He said that moving house would mean that I fell pregnant -- and I did, about a week after the house went on the market, after trying for 6 months!

donnie Mon 10-Dec-07 14:56:08

what a fantastic thread. I love it.

Down with sugar

Up with apples

kidney beans to be in my dd's party bags from now on.

Blandmum Mon 10-Dec-07 14:52:46 are so bloody right. I moved house and I got pregnant too!!!!!!!


and they told us it was all due to willies!

Xmas makes dd's start having tantrums too.

And falling numbers of Pirates is directly linked to rising world temperatures.

merryberry Mon 10-Dec-07 14:46:31

I bow deeply to that, a WorminAManger grin

aWorminaManger Mon 10-Dec-07 14:43:58

What did Scrooge say when he saw the prizes at the scool Christmas fair?

Bah! Humbugs!!

BahHumbugRubyRiojaNoXmasName Mon 10-Dec-07 14:42:40

As a keen PTFA-er, has anyone found any good, non-edible prizes for this type of event. We use the Baker Ross tut, but the aim is fundraising of course.

And we had a riot when we offered raisins at the school disco!grin

myrrhthamoo Mon 10-Dec-07 14:42:35

I'll be alright then - I hate moths.

Btw, it's moving house that makes you pregnant - it's happened to me twice.

mumzyof2 Mon 10-Dec-07 14:42:21

Eek, moths are scary enough, but now theyve got poison in!!!??? What are we going to do??

Blandmum Mon 10-Dec-07 14:41:13



Sticky little feckers they are too!" grin

pagwatch Mon 10-Dec-07 14:40:24

Jeez - the bastards are putting it in moths now ! Sugar laden flying things - is no one safe

Blandmum Mon 10-Dec-07 14:20:24

excessive long term use of sugar, if it leads to obseity in particluar, can give rise to type two diabetes.

If sugar spends too long in the moth it can increase the numbers of tooth and gum diseases.

Suar per se, in small amounts does no harm. And all carbohydrates are broken down into sugards by our digestive tracts anyway.

Too much is a bad thing, but the same can be said of water (drowning!) and oxygen (can scar the corneas). But in small amounts, I ',m unaware of any reputable data that show it to be harmful (nb not a nutricianist, but did Biochemistry at uni)

Join the discussion

Join the discussion


Register now