Spying on your kids' lunches

[rjwong]

System Lets Parents Spy on Kids' Lunches / by Daniel Yee (AP Press)

Three school districts in the Atlanta area last week became the first in the country to offer the parental-monitoring option of an electronic lunch payment system called Mealpay.com, created by Horizon Software International of Loganville, Ga.

For two years, the payment system, used by 1,000 school districts in 21 states, has allowed parents to electronically prepay for student lunches. Students type in their identification number before the cafeteria cashier rings up each day's lunch bill. The bill then is deducted from the student's account.

...

However, these days parents increasingly are interested in what their kids eat away from home. It was requests from concerned parents that prompted Horizon Software to develop the online meal-monitoring option.

[glossyp]

This creeps me out. The "secret cookie" and oh the horror of an "extra 150 calories" from juice. Of course, now the good girl buys bottled water instead so the ends justify the means.

[torakris]

interesting....

I am still a big fan of the Japanese lunch system, the photo essay I did on it a year ago.

[touaregsand]

It creeps me out too. My daughter always has breakfast at home. I pack her snacks and lunch, sometimes for lunch I let her order whatever she wants from the catering truck. There used to be delivery service from a local French cafe but demand was too low, mostly because meals had to be ordered two weeks in advance. She eats another afternoon snack when she gets home and dinner. So there isn't alot she's eating that I don't know about unless of course she is at grandma's house for the weekend. That I would like to spy on.

[Vancouver Lee]

Very creepy, indeed. My wife and I have worked hard to make sure our son has developed a preference for healthy food choices, and we trust him to do what is best for his body. Do other parents really distrust their kids so much that they need to monitor what they buy at the school cafeteria? What kind of message does that send to the kid?

I'm not usually the paranoid type, but I hate the idea of someone's food choices ending up in a database somewhere. I fear, for example, life insurance companies denying a policy to someone based on that information.

[Maison Rustique]

I don't know that they have that exact system there, but apparently there is a system of some sort in place in Kansas City, Missouri. And I'm glad.

My 12 YO grand-nephew is type 1 diabetic. Since he started middle-school, he has been in complete denial about his disease. He has been lying about how his lunch money is spent--the school nurse checked the records (there is some sort of computerized system) and found out that he's not eating regular food--just sweets. He's also not checking his blood as often as he's supposed to--his monitor is computerized and when the hospital down-loads the info, they can see how often he checked and what the readings were.

This may seem like Big Brother to many, but when it is a life-threatening illness that needs to be monitored, it makes a lot more sense.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Deb, while your point is well taken for a Type 1 diabetic (who are not typical of the general child population), the overall intent of this program (almost wrote pogrom! ) is to watch and monitor ...

I really dislike this in all respects .. it shows a lack of trust in one's kids, and now with the drug monitors available in drug stores, it is quite a sign of the times ...

I know that when "tightly monitored kids" hit high school, all hell will break loose ... has to come out somewhere ...

[Maison Rustique]

Deb, while your point is well taken for a Type 1 diabetic (who are not typical of the general child population), the overall intent of this program (almost wrote pogrom! ) is to watch and monitor ...

I really dislike this in all respects .. it shows a lack of trust in one's kids, and now with the drug monitors available in drug stores, it is quite a sign of the times ...

I know that when "tightly monitored kids" hit high school, all hell will break loose ... has to come out somewhere ...

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OK, so how do you monitor those with medical conditions and not the others? And not all parents are as diligent as others. The eating habits of some kids might indicate a problem that the parents (those who might not be paying attention) wouldn't otherwise notice. Who makes the decision about whom gets watched?

[Gifted Gourmet]

This all reminds me of the intent of this humorous, yet real apparently,website:

GPS panties ...

Back to your comments, Deb:

how do you monitor those with medical conditions and not the others

The children with special conditions often have parents who are considerably more aware of the foods those children ingest .. at least after the initial diagnosis and education with physicians about their respective diseases ... I taught a few Type 1 diabetics who had been trained about how to eat and, for the most part, I, as a classroom teacher kept things on hand for them if their blood sugar dropped ... the nurse was also well aware of each child and his/her needs ... but the article really seems to be focused upon kids in good health ...

[Mottmott]

I feel creeped out by the "big brother" aspect of this program. OTOH, Type 2 diabetes in children is an alarming trend. Isn't a big part of the problem what is being served for lunch in schools? And who's serving it. I'm all for monitoring that.

In the long long ago, I recall public school and college cafeterias where the food was prepared in house and not by for profit food "providers." I recall my shock at seeing MacDonalds in Phila's Children's Hospital as long ago as in the 70's.

Our food systems seem designed to maximize profits and minimize health, generally speaking. Good luck to parents who try to buck it.

[Maison Rustique]

The children with special conditions often have parents who are considerably more aware of the foods those children ingest .. at least after the initial diagnosis and education with physicians about their respective diseases ... I taught a few Type 1 diabetics who had been trained about how to eat and, for the most part, I, as a classroom teacher kept things on hand for them if their blood sugar dropped ... the nurse was also well aware of each child and his/her needs ... but the article really seems to be focused upon kids in good health ...

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Bolding is mine in your quote. Not sure how often you consider to be often.

In the case of my grand-nephew, his father is aware, as are other family members, but once a child gets to be 12 YO, they aren't always under an adult's constant care and feeding--they do need to go to school. This is what is happening now. His blood has been in the "emergency" stage for the past couple of months. No one could figure out why, as he said he was doing everything he was supposed to be doing. Until the school nurse took it upon herself to check his lunch records (because he was becoming very beligerent--a common side effect), none of the family would have known that he was not adhering to the necessary medical administrations.

Edited May 31, 2005 by Maison Rustique (log)

[SuzySushi]

I agree with those who are outraged by the "big brother" aspects of the system, and with the parents' lack of trust in their kids. Moreover, kids who want to sneak in "forbidden foods" will always find a means to do so, from using their pocket money to buy such foods on the outside, to trading lunches with friends, to selling or trading their possessions if they're denied money by their parents. Do these parents really want to criminalize food?

[Eden]

Creepy! Big brothering the entire school system because a couple parents are control freaks is just wrong. If there's an individual case, like the kid with diabetes, then that childs family needs to find an individual solution. (like talking to the cafeteria workers to make sure none of them sell him sweets anymore)

This reminds me of a regulation they were trying to pass at some school (district?) near here that children could not trade lunches I remember how cool it was to be able to try new foods by swapping. I think it's a great thing for learning about differences between cultures, and brroadening your palate as well A little bologna for the kosher kid is not going to kill (or damn) her, a little tuna salad for the vegetarian, likewise. Now if a child has life-threatening allergies, it's another matter & you need to teach that child special rules, but when we're talking about the majority, hey let 'em mix it up a little!

Oh and re the big-brother panties, if you click through the ordering button you see that they must be jazz*, but I bet they're not too far from being available. Heck you can microchip your kids already...

*well faked e-articles/websites

[Gifted Gourmet]

re the big-brother panties, if you click through the ordering button you see that they must be jazz*, but I bet they're not too far from being available. 

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Of course, Eden, I considered it (with apologies to Robert Palmer! lyrics (out of nostalgia!)) simply irresistable!

[Maison Rustique]

Oh yes! It's all so creepy!! Ha ha ha! NOT!

My 12 YO grand-nephew nearly died today. He went into diabetic shock. Got to the blue skin stage due to no oxygen. Fortunately the paramedics got there quickly and he is still alive. We still don't know if there is brain or other organ damage.

I sincerely hope that none of your children/family suffer like this due to lack of supervision of their diet/medication. And I do mean that.

[rjwong]

Deb,

It must not be easy for you and your family. Hopefully, your grand-nephew will see the importance of eating proper food and taking his proper medication.

I would say, in medical cases, monitoring a child's lunch is quite acceptable so that unfortunate events like this don't occur. Fortunately, there was a school nurse who cared enough for your grand-nephew & his well-being to take appropriate actions.

My thoughts and prayers to you, your family, and your grand-nephew.

[racheld]

This very subject was in our local paper just this week, in the FOOD section, of course. Lots of debate back and forth, but my favorite MOM was the one who found out that her 12 year old daughter was drinking an 8 oz. juice at afternoon break, thus adding a hundred calories a day to the four ounces provided with her lunch. Five paragraphs were devoted to this great transgression and the steps taken to correct it, plus the mother's great relief that she FOUND OUT IN TIME.

You'd have thought she'd discovered Little Susie handing money to a dealer over the schoolyard fence.

[Fresser]

This very subject was in our local paper just this week, in the FOOD section, of course.  Lots of debate back and forth, but my favorite MOM was the one who found out that her 12 year old daughter was drinking an 8 oz. juice at afternoon break, thus adding a hundred calories a day to the four ounces provided with her lunch.  Five paragraphs were devoted to this great transgression and the steps taken to correct it, plus the mother's great relief that she FOUND OUT IN TIME.

You'd have thought she'd discovered Little Susie handing money to a dealer over the schoolyard fence.

←

Good heavens! A twelve year-old is in the midst of a growth period. Is her mother trying to breed a young anorexic?

[Rebel Rose]

The biggest challenge for many school lunch programs, though, is "moving things clearly not good for kids out and making the choices more appealing," said Dr. Douglas Kamerow, an obesity expert at RTI International and a member of the    Institute of Medicine panel that released a report on childhood obesity last fall.

That's the crux of the issue, I think. The software option is just another new fad--useful for parents who care and will talk to their kids about their food choices, but parents who don't already care, still won't care when they get the information.

My youngest stepson (also age 12) is hypoglycemic and overweight, and his grandfather has Type I diabetes. Unfortunately, his mother and grandmother, who are bipolar, are in denial about his condition and routinely feed him fruit, white flour products, and tons of sweets. We have custody during the school week and we make sure he gets healthy, high-protein, homecooked meals and snacks, but when he goes to school he sees chips, sodas, brandname pizza, candybars, etc. etc. etc.! And he thinks he can eat them because "grandma lets him." Personally I think all that crap should be banned from schools.

It's a difficult age, but we feel the most important thing we can do is just teach him every day about good food choices and involve him a little more in meal planning. He's working on his final spring speech right now: "Healthy Foods."

[*Deborah*]

Whatever happened to bringing your lunch to school and not having enough pocket money to do much damage?

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I save my monitoring energy for stuff bigger than what my kids eat at lunchtime.

And, please: There are no unhealthy foods, just unhealthy eating habits.

[Transparent]

My high school actually implemented the mealpay system last year. This was before the purchase records were viewable, though. It didn't last very long, I'll tell you that. We have a new electronic system in place that uses our ID cards and barcodes. I actually don't use the thing though - I'm always at the school library anyway. I bring stuff from home to eat in class anyway. You'd be surprised how lenient teachers are. I stay away from the packaged sweets, chips, and nice stuff though. It's usually some fruit, granola, or a pastry/anything I've baked.

It's pretty scary how my age group depends on sweets for sustenence, though. Soda and ice tea is guzzled like water, and honeybuns are the breakfast, lunch, and snack of choice. They all manage to look a lot healthier and built than my pale self though. :/

[tejon]

I find this concept frightening and disturbing as well. A question comes to mind: what happened to children bringing their own lunches to school? Even in Kindergarten, my son was one of only a handful who brought lunches from home every day. To me, bringing lunch is part of learning about food choices and healthy eating - we choose the things that are in the lunch together and talk about the foods he eats and he learns as time goes on. If there is need for that kind of control in a child's diet, there are other issues at work (as in the case of the 12 year old who is diabetic).

[divalasvegas]

Oh yes! It's all so creepy!! Ha ha ha! NOT!

My 12 YO grand-nephew nearly died today. He went into diabetic shock. Got to the blue skin stage due to no oxygen. Fortunately the paramedics got there quickly and he is still alive. We still don't know if there is brain or other organ damage. 

I sincerely hope that none of your children/family suffer like this due to lack of supervision of their diet/medication.  And I do mean that.

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I just saw this thread today Maison Rustique and I want to extend my good wishes and prayers for the speedy recovery of your grand-nephew. Diabetes is no joke. I know since it was complications from diabetes that led to the death of my Mom, with all of the debilitating side effects that led up to her demise. Bless her, but she did so love her sweets--especially Baby Ruth candy bars, real Coca Cola, white rice and bread.

Hopefully, the various school systems can come up with some system of monitoring to help families like yours keep track of the eating habits of their kids when indeed what they put into their mouths can be a matter of life or death.

[touaregsand]

Hopefully, the various school systems can come up with some system of monitoring to help families like yours keep track of the eating habits of their kids when indeed what they put into their mouths can be a matter of life or death.

Teacher?