Sweet treats given at school

My boys are in K this year (separate classes), and they are getting "sweet treats" galore!! Seriously, at least once a week and usually more. It's driving me CRAZY. I don't want to just complain. I'd love to find an alternative. Are you finding the same rewards being given at your childrens school?
They are on the stop light behavior system. So, every week that they are on green light, they get to go to the treasure chest to choose either a sweet treat or trinket. One class get A (single) skittle if they are extra good (not sure what determines that since they are already on green light). The other gets a roll or smarties or a hershey kiss. They get these for being quiet when everyone else is talking, or for answering a question correctly, or winning a game. Don't get me wrong, I love sugar as much as the next guy, but I don't give it to my kids on a daily basis. The kids get a sticker or to color in an icon on their calendar in their folder every day they are green light. One class also got a larger sweet treat (little debbie item) for being on green light all month.
Can you help me come up with things I could provide and/or suggest that the school or teacher could provide for students that would be the same cost for them, but not necessarily so high in sugar?? I've thought about sugarless gum, but I don't know if it would be packaged individually or in small enough packs. They usually bring the treat home, so the same could be done with the gum. Stickers, a "stamp," pencils. I even thought maybe a penny. They could either make a bank (like the old fashioned coffee can ones) and fill it with money, and buy something for the class...a book, paint...somehow giving back to the class. Otherwise, they could give the money to the child.

Ok, thoughts welcome and appreciated!!

 

Our teacher solely has trinkets from Oriental trading company in her treasure chest. We aren't allowed sweet treats at school. Aaron brought home a whistle this week and last time, mini-bubbles. Also, right now the target dollar bin has 15 glow bracelets (the kind you break to make them glow) for $1. If you are going to suggest an alternative, you might want to send some in. Check out oriental trading for ideas.

 

None of it ever comes home but my girls do get some sweets at school. Last year it was totally trinkets. The weird thing is for snack we can't bring anything sweet :umm:

 

This is how Jaydens classroom works too .. I will actually send in small trinkets that I find on sale to help her supplement her supply. The only thing I didn't care for were the HUGE tattoo's he brought home last year.
I'm surprised they use sweets .. our school system prohibits them.

 

Our school uses sweets too. Brooke's 5th grade teacher gives them out a lot. I'm not worried about it. It's only 1 piece of candy. If you prohibit a child from anything (sugar, chips, tv.....) once they are around it they will over indulge in it. I seriously see no harm in 1 Hershey Kiss or a few skittles every day. As long as your child is healthy, not over weight and brushes their teeth well, it shouldn't be a problem. I know a person who limited their childs sugar intake and was overly watchful of it. As a result, they would find empty sugar packets in between her mattress. Like I said, if you make it out to be a bad thing, they will want it all the more when they are around it. A 9 piece serving of Kisses has 23 sugars. The average serving of apple juice (3/4's cup) has 22 grams of sugar. That seems worse than a Hershey Kiss or a Skittle. Just my opinion though.

Edited to fixed a sentence

 

Preschool was doing this last year and it was driving me crazy!! I don't mind an occasional sweet for my girls, but I want to be in control of it.

Our kindergarten does no sweet treats at all. Not even for birthdays can a food treat be brought in. The teachers have a trinket box for rewards. They also do a marble jar, and they get marbles put in or taken from the jar for behaviour of the class as a whole. When they get 30 marbles they get a pajama party day. One of my DD's class already made it to 30, and they got to wear their pajamas to school, have popcorn, and watch an educational (Leapfrog) movie as their treat. They also made applesauce that day as part of their lesson plan (each kid brought in an apple). They also follow the stoplight thing too.

I would definitely approach the teacher. This is a school-wide thing for us, the principal has strong feelings on healthy eating and exercise (as do I), so it is a good fit for us.

 

I don't think that sugar is bad and deprive my girls of it, but I don't think it should be a reward daily at school. There's a big difference between me baking homemade cookies once a week or always having dessert for weekend dinners, and having a treat every day at school. I like them to see a sweet treat as a special thing, not a daily reward. A reward can be so many things besides food.

I did have cousins who were prohibited from anything sweet or unhealthy, and they would literally take spoonfuls of sugar out of the sugar bin when their mom left the house, so I would never be that extreme. But I just like to be mindful. My girls are tiny, healthy, no cavities yet, etc. They'll get to eat Halloween candy, then all the good food that comes after that with Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Besides, my girls love those darn trinkets that I find everywhere throughout my house and purge once a month.

 

Our schools are not allowed to give out sweets. They have stuff like pencils, oriental trading stuff, or things that people donate.

 

No, our school does not give sweets as a reward. :good: They only time they get sweets at school is for one of the parties or if it's someone's birthday and they bring something in for lunch for the class.

At our school they get "positive paws" (their mascot is the Bobcats) for being caught being good/responsible, etc. They collect the paws and then can turn a certain number in for a trip to the school store, no homework for a night, treasure chest, etc, but not sweets.

 

Completely agree with the bolded part. I just don't mind my kids being rewarded with some candy here or there. I hate the trinkets and tend to throw them out when they put them on the counter and walk away.

 

I agree with Heather, and the OP said it was at least once a week, sometimes more, so it's not even a daily thing I don't see the harm in getting a hershey kiss once a week. I hate the little trinket things, yeah it's not sweets, but it's (pardon my language), *crap*, and I hate the clutter that comes with all the little "thingies" :lol:

 

Our school is a no sweets school and I love it!!

Mine do eat sweets, but as PP said- I like to control when, how much, and the *perception* of it being a reward (vs dessert or treat).

hey will have popsicles as a box top reward at the end of the month...but that is the rare exception (adn they are 100% juice).

Our school does stickers, pencils, little erasers, notes home (happy grams), bookmarks, rulers,etc. All things they can use at school (not come home!) and are somewhat positive and school related. But not everlasting trinket-y junk (like penny whistles, bubbles, dinky toys, etc).

The principal does read to a class as reward, the teacher does extra recess, free time, etc. It is much more meaningful than junk.

 

Our school doesn't do sweets as a reward, either. They do get sweets for birthdays and the occasional class treat around holidays. I am definitely not in favor of using candy as a reward, either. I don't give them candy at home and I don't want them to expect it. But one of my two has an extreme sweet tooth and would stuff himself with candy if he could.

My kids school gives out 'points' for good behavior and as a reward. Once a week, the kids get to take their 'points' (they are printed out and look like dollar bills, in increments of 1, 5, 10, & 20) to the school store and can cash them in. They have little toys or they can pick a job as classroom helper, classroom reader (they can read to another class of their choosing) and some other things. This system seems to work really, really well! At least for my two it does. They especially seem to like reading to other classes.

 

Mine are only in pre k but I would not want my school using candy as a reward even if it is only occassionally. I'm not anti sweets, but we only have candy very rarely (birthday party goody bags, Halloween, Easter). I dont think this leads to "forbidden fruit" since they do get treats and my philosophy is eveything in moderation.

Both my girls' teachers are doing a reward jar. A's class filled a jar with golf balls and on Thursday filled it up and earned a "show and tell" party on Friday where they got to bring in their favorite stuffed animal. M's class is filling a jar with marbles and she says that when it's full they will have an ice pop party. Now I know they are little so maybe doing a class reward doesn't work in the older grades, but I wouldn't like candy or trinket toys. What is value in either of these things? I'd rather they earn points toward a new book or something that is useful.

 

My kids are in 1st and they do have a rewards system. Once they get the certain number of marbles or whatever they take a class vote on what they should do. So far pajama day was a hit as was 3 extra minutes of recess. Individually they get to choose from having lunch with teacher & one friend, trinket from treasure chest or getting to be line leader for a day (or something like that). I'm fine with candy every once on a while being a reward but everyday is a little crazy!

 

Hi:

Well, I am not a fan of "sweet treats" at school for the reasons given above, plus my DS has a severe peanut allergy which adds in the risk of inadvertent exposure from the candy (which is often made in a facility that has nut candy) plus the aspect of having him "left out" by not being able to participate.

Also, our school has had a problem with mice and having candy in the classrooms only adds to the problem.

I would prefer that schools steer clear of "sweet" treats entirely and use different incentives (praise rewards, non-food rewards, special privileges). Our school has a "wellness" committee this year that is addressing issues like this, too (food in classroom, cafeteria food, childhood obesity, exercise, hand-washing, etc.), which makes me happy -- I think the tide is turning (slowly).

Meg

 

This is basically what our K does too, except they don't even do trinkets (that I know of) -- I don't think they do any individual rewards at all. The whole class is focused on filling up their "bead jar," and when they fill up the bead jar they get to choose (as a group) their treat. They actually just filled theirs yesterday and were talking about whether the class would vote for pajama day, crazy hair day, backwards day, etc.

Even for birthdays, we were specifically asked not to send food or treats to school. I'm actually surprised to hear there are still teachers who hand out sweets to the kids -- I think the nutty-crunchy parents around here would be rioting.

I have nothing against sweets either (my kids get dessert every night, and it's not just fruit!), but not only do I want to be in control of it (with the exception of birthday parties, etc.), I also don't want them to start equating good behavior with candy.