School says Jesse is over weight !

!!! I just deleted everything I typed with my palm on the mouse pad. Argh.

What the jist of it was- I think you and I approach the same problem from different angles and see a different piece. I'm not arguing that you're wrong or ignorant, I just disagree. I think the reality is, very probably, somewhere in the middle.

I am not judging a group of people and writing them off, I am saying that I think that the system is broken (again, based on my exposure to it) and that it is not being used as *I think* it was intended to, so it needs work. I disagree with compensating for parental shortcomings by adding to the responsibilities of the school systems.

And I know I will be called chicken, but I think I have to bow out. I was simply stating my observations and opinion and did not think I was that offensive. I'm not trying to stir the pot, I was just talking. I don't like being called ignorant (that my behavior was, or whatever) and I find it hard to speak up on here. I won't take Michele's thread any further off track with my general gripes.

 

Yikes! Really? I'm fairly sure I can think of a heck of a lot of stupid ways in which "hardworking citizens' money" is being spent, but making sure our nation's children are healthy and nourished is definitely not one of them.

 

You actually received government aid yourself!!!! It's okay for you--an adult--but not for innocent children?!?! W.T.H. Do you even get how hypocritical that is? Aid shouldn't be there--unless you need it. Because you are better than all those poor kids scamming the system.

 

I def agree with this part. I think I get what you are saying. Its a great program but has a lot of flaws. But I don't want to see any child starve because of anything the parents are going through (whether it be laziness or a real reason to be where they are in life).

 

This is the sad reality of life in the USA these days. Sharon, you managed to sum that up nicely.

:good: If kids' basic needs aren't being met, how can they learn and focus? So sad that so many come to school hurting, hungry, in need. If the schools don't step up and help, virtually no one has these kids' backs. Very sad.

I know, Jori. I cannot understand that attitude. I guess it's okay for some people to receive help and not others. ??? It doesn't even make sense.

Yes, the system is rather broken. But until it gets fixed (if it ever does), providing for our children seems like the prudent and loving thing to do. Children need advocates, especially if they have none at home, and if the schools can fill this roll for those who are without then by all means, I believe they should be involved. If we want our next generation to be strong, successful, and self-sufficient, we've got to provide them with the tools to get there. Education is a biggie and a child cannot learn if their basic needs aren't being met.

 

I'm pretty sure some of these kids are freaking sick of not being properly cared for too.

BTW, why the quotations regarding the (I assume you meant) scoliosis exams. It is easily detected by looking at a child's spine. Are you doubting that any cases of scoliosis have ever been discovered this way? Scoliosis can be very debilitating. My mom has a severe case and it has given her so much trouble, especially now in her 70's. If something can be done to detect and correct it at young age, I am all for it.

As to schools feeding the kids, what is wrong with that? They have to get nutrition somewhere. Our schools here are a real mixed bag of socio-economic classes. We have kids living in million dollar homes who want for nothing all the way to kids whose only meals are available at school and they basically have nothing. Some of these kids are literally not fed at home. Shocking but true. I would never begrudge any student a good meal. Now it is debatable what a good meal is but at least they are able to concentrate and learn with a full belly.

 

I see I’m being misunderstood, so I want to clarify my feelings on this.

I am not coming from a place of anger towards children in unfortunate circumstance. I don’t think that everybody who receives aid is misusing it. As I have been very open about, I have accepted WIC for my girls. We also were placed in the early intervention program. We have $80,000 in outstanding medical debt from my pregnancy and delivery. We also have $40,000 in student loan debt (which is subsidized aid, I know). Speaking of myself now, because it seems that I’m being interpreted wrongly: We will not reapply for WIC and we have opted out of EI because we used it for the period we needed it and do not intend to take advantage of the resources. When applying for supplemental Medicaid (which, as we understood, steps in to cover the medical expenses beyond primary insurance) we missed qualifying by $2000 annually. It was explained to me during our consult that I should drop our insurance because we would then fall below the income cap and we could receive regular Medicaid for myself and the girls. Paul and I felt that it was dishonest and did not go this route. That is not the design of the system, but it is being used this way.

I feel like excerpts of what I have said are being taken and quoted incorrectly. I do not believe that I am good enough for these benefits but that others are not. I did not say that, nor did I mean it. What I see, when dealing with the original topic, is that schools are being forced to pick up social responsibilities when I think their focus should remain on education. As I said, I would happily pay more taxes to reform this. Perhaps a community center that offers after school programs with health screenings and activities that would better prepare kids for adulthood. Maybe these programs could be run at schools, AFTER school hours and with a dedicated budget for that purpose. I’m not sure of the solution, but I do see the problem. It’s hard to discuss reform because I’m being perceived as some right wing nut who wants to kick all the kids out on the streets and cut off all money. That’s not the case! I simply think that there is work to be done to provide better aid without negatively impacting the school systems.

So, I apologize if I was not clear. I don’t apologize for thinking this way, though. I really do want to step out of this topic and hate that I look like I just can’t let it go, but the comments in response to mine cross a personal line in that I’m being called a hypocrite, etc. That’s not who I am.

 

I'm sorry if you are upset. I'm sure you are a lovely person. But your posts did come across as judgmental, and given that you were recently judged yourself, I'd hope you could understand that you shouldn't judge people receiving aid because you don't know their situation. The system is not perfect, but villainizing the recipients of aid is not the answer.

 

There is a great blog by a MD who follows Ellen Satter's feeding model called Family Feeding Dynamics link She talks about the data that shows how labeling a child as obese by these tests is proven to make a child exercise less and eat worse. She is very against these tests, even given by the pediatricans, as BMI is not accurate, as your child proves.

I would recommend looking at posts by this doctor on this blog about how to handle this and it has excellent information on feeding our children, of all body sizes. My twins are tiny and my singleton is huge, so her information, along with Ellen Satter's books and website have been tremendously valuable resources for my family.

 

I happen to think that the system works fairly well and is far from broken.
On my commute to work, I pass by one of the poorest neighborhoods in the most dagerous city in Mexico. I-10 runs right along the Texas-Mexico border and I can literally see people walking on the sidewalks and waiting for the bus. In contrast, while this part of Texas is poor by US standards, we are so incredibly wealthy in comparison to our neighbors just miles away.

Do you have any idea what happens in a society without a social safety net? Northern Mexico is bieing destroyed by the NiNis - ni estudian, ni trabajan, teenagers and young adults who neither study nor work. Parents work several low wage jobs to put food on the table. Kids are left to their own devices because daycare is too expensive and schooling beyond junior high costs money. Now women - many of them mothers of young children - are members of the cartels. How else to feed your kids after you lose your low wage job in a recession? There's no WIC, food stamps, cash aid, etc.

These social programs stabilize society and allow us to be the prosperous nation that we've become since the end of WWII. We got so rich by investing in education (ie GI bill, expanded money college, desegration of schools, preschool for lower income) and health and nutrition (school lunches, Medicare/Medicaid), among other things. So instead of villifying these tax-supported programs that benefit all of us by making society stronger and richer, why don't we all count our blessings that we as a society have decided to make sure even the poorest among us have the basics? The few who take advantage of the system don't cancel out all the good that come from it. And the underpaid public workers who keep these programs going deserve our praise, not our censure.

Stepping down from my soapbox now.

 

I have been a Hospital sw'er too. There are SO FEW in the big picture that do this that it is not a valid argument. That's like saying we should stop educating all our children because a few drop out. Teacher's focus IS on educating our children, and not on raising them. They teach 99% of the time but because there are a few other things done throughout the year that's their focus?
A Part of being able to educate a child is that they have to focus to learn and sometimes schools need to provide services to create the best learning environment possible. That is the school's responsibility.

ITA!!

Kim, once again, you hit the nail on the head.

 

I had a thought about the whole issue of schools tracking BMI, height/weight, and all this. For one thing, all the schools do is send home a note stating this. They don't put your kid on a diet, send them to a nutritionist, or really do anything that's "nanny state" or doing the parents' job. Same with when they do hearing or vision screenings.

However, I really don't know this for a fact, but I would imagine that it does help the schools to keep track of the numbers of overweight children to evaluate the programs. If they have a significant number of overweight students, then perhaps this is solid data to back up a request for increased funding for Phys Ed, nutrition classes, more recess time, and/or healthier school lunches. Or if the number of overweight students drops after programs are implemented, then they can see that their programs are working.

 

:good: This!

 

why do schools need to weigh our children to know that they need increased or better funding for PE, nutrition classes and recess? Studies have been done, data can be gathered by physicians or other sources without needing yet another study. How can someone not know that our youth are becoming less and less active during non school hours and when they have just 15 min recesses and 1 class of PE a week the numbers are going to get worse. No more data needs to be collected. AND as far as school lunches go no matter the weight of the child if they are getting a school lunch it should be healthier choices rather than unhealthy high fat/calorie choices.

Children already need to (at least my children's school requires it) a medical form filled out by their physician. How is a note from the school about the child's weight going to do anything more to get a parent to act on their child's high BMI than a personal physician would at the child's yearly DR visit? More studies are not needed. Actions on the info that is already in hand are needed.

 

Because they need data to back up these requests. Medical forms are filled out upon registration, not every year (at least not at all schools). Yes, one would think it's intuitive that more physical education and recess time are needed, but these are getting cut in districts across the country as budgets get tighter. We're lucky that our school has PE three times a week and 30 min recess every day, but I know this is not the norm. Our school lunches are still not the greatest though, and this is what children in the lower income brackets - the demographic with the highest rates of obesity - receive. Because canned fruit is cheaper than fresh. A pre-packaged, breaded chicken patty with fillers in it is cheaper than a fresh piece of chicken.

I agree that more studies should not be needed, it should all be pretty obvious. And no, sending home a note likely doesn't cause any action if one's doctor has already told the parent this information, but at least the school did something and made a record of it. If recording this data helps get more PE, nutrition classes, and better school lunches, then that's a good thing.