School-Lunch Monitoring System for Parents 430
karvind writes "According to Yahoo, 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. The system was initially designed as a convenient way to make sure children bought lunch without worrying that lunch money would get lost, spent on other things or stolen. But on parent's request online meal-monitoring option was added and now parents can see all of a student's lunch purchases."
I want this for the sales people in my company. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I want this for the sales people in my company. (Score:2)
If you start restricting the cafeteria, kids will simply go to the shop at the nearest corner. It may be a slight problem in the US -- as you leftpondians have a few big shops per city instead of several ones per every street segment, but this isn't something that's an unbreachable barrier.
Re:I want this for the sales people in my company. (Score:2)
Now, that's pretty nazi. But, in this case, you can just buy your treats on your way from home.
Even in a prison, it's easy to get drugs/cell phones/other illegal goods -- so I don't really believe it's possible to stop kids from having their snacks, kids are smart monkeys.
Of course, the parents are supposed to be smart monkeys as well, but considering my lack of social skills and the fact that my main candidate lives on the other side of the pond so I
Re:I want this for the sales people in my company. (Score:3, Interesting)
a funny bit (or not so funny depending on how you look at it). my mom is the principal for one school, back a few years she told me some parents wanted the school yard to be locked and barbed so children couldn't leave at all (right now there's a fence, but the doors are open and you can leave with the proper authorization)
YRO? (Score:5, Insightful)
One of them shouldn't be hiding your lunchtime purchases with money given to you by your parents.
Where is the violation of rights here? The parents want to know their money is being spent in a wise manner.
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:4, Insightful)
Given the fact that (1) the USA has a severe epidemy of obesity, (2) for the first time in over a hundred years the life expectancy is decreasing in the USA, due to obesity, (3) obesity problems start in childhood; I believe that teenagers should have the right to choose anything, except what they eat. They should be allowed to buy condoms or abortions if they want to, but *NOT* Big Macs.
Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re:YRO? (Score:4, Insightful)
Some studies would seem to disagree with you.Scientific American: Obesity: An Overblown Epidemic? [ NUTRITION AND HEALTH ] [sciam.com]
Re:YRO? (Score:5, Insightful)
I apparently read more than you did (in fact, I read it in the magazine several days ago, which is how I knew that the article existed). They take to task the whole BMI method of designating people as "obese", show that the numbers showing how much lifespan is lost due to obesity are essentially fabricated (in part by ignoring the dangers of being underweight), show that the BMI "overweight" and "mild obesity" range actually appears to be healthier, that obesity in kids doesn't seem to be linked that closely with incidence of diabetes.
I also challenge the accuracy of the "fact" given in the post I was responding to: "for the first time in over a hundred years the life expectancy is decreasing in the USA, due to obesity". The rate of increase is slowing, but it hasn't stopped, turned around and started decreasing.
I'm not saying kids shouldn't eat right, but the article brings up some significant problems with the whole "epidemic of obesity is killing us all" thing.
Re:YRO? (Score:5, Insightful)
And obviously not a parent. There's nothing wrong with having this as an option, as long as the child is informed. If you can trust your 12 year old to make reasonable choices - like not spending thier lunch money on crap it wasn't intended for - there's no problem, and you won't need this service. If you aren't sure - you can check that the child is doing what they tell you. A parent's main means of knowing that thier child is growing up well is reliable information about the childs activities, which is getting harder to come by due to "children's rights".
A 12 year old has a right to all the privacy I as a parent feel safe giving them. Each child is different - some may need this in order for parents to get the information they need in order to help thier children grow up healthy and happy. What if the child is being bullied out of thier lunch money or something? This would be a good way to find out and remedy the situation.
Dignity and responsibility don't instantly come at 18 (My 12 year old is actually more responsible that my 22 year old), but when one can actually handle all that life can throw at you. Before then, we parents want to be able to prepare our kids so they can do that.
Soko
Re:YRO? (Score:2, Interesting)
With a lot of questions coming out about the true quality of and health issues regarding pre-package foods being served to children at schools, it could end up with the schools being seen seriously negligent in the meals being provided by schools to the children.
With the parents put back in control of the
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
At 18 years, you get to make your first choice.
If there is anything Life is, it's a transition. To be alive, on must have the right HOLD person and property, stand on a stage and speak your beliefs.
If we think a child can't tell right from wrong, or his faith, can nurture his own talent, we are mere tyrants.
Denying unalienable rights from children will make adult monsters, who are used to their inflexible cage.
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Were it only so... the thing that bothers me the most is getting children used to being survailed. That has to be the first step
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
This isn't a replacement for good parenting, it's something that will let good parents be better parents.
Shitty parents will always be shitty parents. Giving them more tools to do their job won't change that.
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Personally, my parents sent me to school with a small amount of money for lunch each week, and I skipped lunch and bought cigarettes, so I can see the need for parents to know these things about their kids. However
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
There isn't really a lot of technology in a swipe card system though. We were using these at college over 20 years ago.
Re: I'm not saying... (Score:3, Interesting)
Maybe my view on this is slightly skewed because down here a lot of kids still take a packed lunch.
I'm looking at it this way; I have a fifteen year old sister who's going through that 'difficult kid' phase and isn't really eating all that well. She's basically wafer thin and
Re: I'm not saying... (Score:2)
Re: I'm not saying... (Score:2)
Again, not a solution to a problem, just another tool in figuring out if there is one.
Let me put it this way, I won't go home tonight, look at the tools in my shed and expect my car to fix itself. I'll take each tool and apply each one in such a manner that will allow me to see the bigger picture and repair it.
See what I'm saying?
Re: I'm not saying... (Score:2)
A man unable to make a choice ceases to be a man. (A Clockwork Orange)
So.. Do you advocate random drug testing?
Because pissing into a cup really promotes self-esteem.
How about DNA/pregnancy testing?
We need to intervine if Jack/Jane is depressed or pregnant as soon as possible.
I know.. you want what we have today, no real education, at best a prison, at worst a day-care center.
We're putting the infastructure in place to give Jonn
Re: I'm not saying... (Score:2)
You're asking the wrong guy. I work in the mining industry where random drug testing (and blanket drug testing across sites) is commonplace and a required safety practice. I'm used to it. I don't think kids should be drug tested however, I don't care what little Billy does in his spare time as long as he isn't disruptive in the school as far as that goes.
"How about DNA/pregnancy testing? We need to interv
Re: I'm not saying... (Score:2)
turn out ok? (Score:2)
I'm not saying that this system couldn't help prevent parents keep track of eating habits to try to prevent/fix an eating disorder. As others have pointed out the tracking is
But it doesn't work (Score:2)
When I was in Jr. High I had a friend (yes, I really did) and he was on the school lunch program so every day he could get in whichever line he wanted and only had to show his card. But he never ate lunch. Instead he would go through the line where you get a hamburger and fries for a buck.., and then se
Because EVERYONE needs some privacy (Score:3, Insightful)
It seems that the way it's heading for children these days is basically monitored all day long: what you eat (via this), where you go (via GPS), exactly when, what and how many hours you've played on t
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
Re:YRO? (Score:2)
WTF? (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously, what the fuck is it with these "all or nothing" attitudes?
They're children. They need to be treated as such, but always to a point.
You can't wrap them up in a blanket of ignorance, but at the same time you can't give them free reign to run their own lives when they're barely into the double digit age bracket.
Re: (Score:2)
Simply Solution (Score:4, Funny)
American Parenoid Dream (Score:2, Insightful)
Good idea. (Score:5, Insightful)
Not to mention, I wouldn't be surprised if more than 50% of the students' parents don't pay for their lunches and they are on a reduced/free lunch program funded by tax-payers.
You have to teach students to eat well before you can expect them to eat well. I'm tired of seeing parents who only make a home cooked meal once a week, live off of hamburger helper and delivery pizza, send the kid to grade school and middle school where the provided lunches are fried everything (hamburgers, hamburger pizza, spaghetti with melted cheese, cheese sandwiches, hotdogs, weiner wraps, macaroni and cheese, fish sticks, chicken nuggets and so on) - and some how expect them to make the same wise meal choices that YOU don't make for YOURSELF or FOR THEM or that their SCHOOLS have made for them thus far.
The fact is that children will have a better appetite for better things if they're used to them. A kid who grows up on steak, potatos and veggies will prefer that whereas a kid that grew up on over-salted, over-sugared, mostly-synthetic boxed/pre-packaged/ready-mix/vending machine/deep fried/fast food/delivery/microwavable/tv dinner foods will prefer those types of foods.
But hey, if parents don't want to take responsibility for it - that's all good.
Re:Good idea. (Score:2, Insightful)
I wouldn't exactly call this sensitive information. It should be protected, but it's not like it's a huge deal if it gets out. Nobody'll give a shit, corporations already buy all the stats on what kids eat anyway.
But hey, if parents don't want to take responsibility for it - that's all good.
Doesn't this system -help- parents take responsibility? When I was a kid, I liked
Re:Good idea. (Score:3, Interesting)
I am normally the first one to yell MOTHERFUCKER when government takes a right away (like installing 3000 camera's in chicago so the police can watch everyone, all the time, and have it recorded). But this is not government, this is a parent watching what their kid is eating.
Not to mention, I wouldn't be surprised if more than 50% of the students' pa
Re:Good idea. (Score:2)
Aha! So that's how you do it!
Re:Good idea. (Score:3, Insightful)
If it helps the parents keep track of what their kid ate, then go for the survelance system. A kid will not keep his reciept. Plus, what is to stop the kids from spending $2 bucks on a healthy sandwhich that he throws away, then another $2 on a soda and chips that he eats?
If all kids had the cards, then the parents would
Re:Good idea. (Score:2, Insightful)
Then tell your kid you expect to see the reciept or the money back.
Plus, what is to stop the kids from spending $2 bucks on a healthy sandwhich that he throws away, then another $2 on a soda and chips that he eats?
Well, if you gave your kid $4 and he only has a reciept for $2 worth of stuff and he doesn't still have the other $2, then that seems pretty obvious to me.
I mean, this is simple stuff. You know, my parents used to send me to the store and ask me to get a reci
Re:Good idea. (Score:4, Insightful)
That's either a well-crafted, seductive troll, or an infuriatingly sloppy bit of equivocation. Do you actually think that this information is all posted to a website that everybody in the world can just browse through? Do you think that maybe, just maybe, parents have to sign up, get an account, and choose a password for that account? Sheesh.
But hey, if parents don't want to take responsibility for it - that's all good.
Are you implying that monitoring what my child eats for lunch is irresponsible? Perhaps you are implying that I am fulfilling my responsibility by simply assuming my child spent the money I gave him on what he claims to be spending it on.
I give my child lunch money to buy lunch with. I give him an allowance to spend on whatever the hell he wants to. I don't ask what he spends his allowance on. Well, I do, but mostly so I can tell what sorts of things he's into so I can be involved in his life. But it's his money. He can spend it as he pleases. He can burn it, watch a movie, whatever.
Lunch money, however, is my money, which I am spending to feed him. It is every bit my money as is the money I spend at the grocery store to feed him. It's earmarked. I am entrusting with it. If he spends it inappropriately, or embezzles it, he is lying to me, which is not very grown-up behavior. I expect I will deduct that amount from his allowance next week. The next time, I will deduct double that amount. Finally, I will revoke his lunch money privileges and start making him lunches myself, or requiring him to make his own lunches, under my supervision.
If he's embezzling, I will discuss with him why he thinks he needs more money. We will negotiate allowance, and discuss how he can earn additional income.
You can tell me anything you want about his rights, and how I should respect his privacy, but my role as his father is to teach him well, and to monitor and facilitate his progress from childhood to adulthood. I have the right to find out if he's spending his lunch money on pot because he's already blown his allowance on beer.
it's about time... (Score:5, Funny)
The Wisdom of Will Smith (Score:4, Interesting)
Can't remember the exact quote, and I'm too lazy to look it up, but esesntially it said "Being my son's father, I forbid him from listening to Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor tapes, but I really hope he's sneaking them behind my back.".
This school lunch thing is all kinds of lame. Any parent who subscribes to this should be ashamed.
The school lunch system is broken (Score:3, Insightful)
Public schooling is free. The lunches ought to be provided free as well. The cost to feed a handful of students is only marginally cheaper than feeding all the students and a school district can fully feed all the children in any school by prioritizing expenses.
In regards to the article in question, in my day we had things called monthly menu calendars which parents who were interested in what kids were eating could pick up at the school office. There wasn't any choice in a meal. If a kid was eating the cafeteria lunch, it was plain to see what was being eaten. I fail to see how a computerized system makes this any better. Nor do I see how giving kids a choice in free lunches makes the cafeteria cheaper and easier to run.
Re:The school lunch system is broken (Score:2, Informative)
This is already being done in some (quite few) european countries, one of them is Sweden. Unfortunately, the developing direction in Sweden is more and more against charging for school lunches. It's still subsidized, but there has been a lot of criticism against the kommuns (municipilaties) that have started charging a fee.
Re:The school lunch system is broken (Score:3, Insightful)
So let's force all the kids to eat crappy, school provided cafeteria food!
Re:The school lunch system is broken (Score:3, Insightful)
In Florida like many states, it is illegal for teachers to go on strike. Why are they considered such important emergency services if in you words, they are glorified babysitters? In college classes it is considered far to high to have 45 students in a sing
Good heavens! (Score:3, Funny)
Next week we'll be reading a story about how some criminal hacked the system and found out what everyone had for lunch!
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:So much data... (Score:2)
Think about it! There is a woried parent born every minute! A woried parent with disposable income!
You could even make a RPG style HUD for parent desktop computers, so multiple children can be monitored at the same time! For an extra fee you could even throw in partner monitoring. [contagiousmedia.org]
hmm... (Score:2)
A lament for the spirit of man (Score:5, Insightful)
School is a public place. Parents (whose money is being spent) probably do have the right to know how that money is spent, and if it brings to light that a child is being bullied out of lunch-money sooner, that can't be anything other than a good thing.
But I worry about the seeds being sown, and the harvest we will reap. When a child is constantly being placed under surveillance in different circumstances, and knowingly so, it will tend towards the 'norm' of that child's cultural world. It will become accepted rather than questioned - what are the benefits? What are the costs? Is it worth it ? I fear for a future when the question is not 'why are we under surveillance?', but 'why are you not watching out for XXX?'.
"They" (and by 'they', I mean 'we') are sucking the lifeblood out of personal freedom, one pinprick and one drop of blood at a time. More and more freedom is being just handed over, and the responsibility that went with that freedom dies a little too. Without the responsibility for actions taken, there is no choice in life - welcome to the herd mentality, and kiss goodbye to that magnificence of spirit - individuality.
Quite a leap from telling parents about their childrens lunching habits, but as Francis Xavier said "Give me the children until they are seven and anyone may have them afterwards". Young minds are receptive minds, and missionaries tend to understand indoctrination better than most.
Simon
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A lament for the spirit of man (Score:2)
Hunh?
Parent: Here's your lunch money. I can check, remember, what you're buying.
Child: Yeah, so what. You'll only find that I'm doing what I've always told you I'm doing.
Parent: I know. Remember this when you're older - privacy and real freedom are way too valuable to lose.
Child: I sure will, dad.
Parent: Cool. Here's an extra couple of bucks to get some ice cream after school. Now get going before you're late.
Turnabout is fair play.
So
Re:A lament for the spirit of man (Score:2)
But I worry about the seeds being sown, and the harvest we will reap. When a child is constantly being placed under surveillance in different circumstances, and knowingly so, it will tend towards the 'norm' of that child's cultural world. It will become a
I had something like this in my old hs (Score:3, Interesting)
What they offered was a debit-card look-a-like that uses prepaid credit to buy cafe food.
However they made a fatal mistake...
To maximize their chance of success in the pilot school (which was the one I attended, they had a plan where each new card would automatically get 10 dollar credits-
They never saw it coming
pity
Reverse psychology (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe they should try talking to their kids (Score:3, Insightful)
Who here has the growing up to do? (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, kids make mistakes, but they're still human. If your body wants protein, you're gonna crave a steak. If your body needs calcium, you'll crave some orange juice or vegetables. I don't think we really have to worry too much about kids buying six dollars worth of snickers bars every day.
In fact, the only situation where I could see this being used is for anorexic teenagers, to make sure that they're actually purchasing food. Which sounds great, in theory, but considering the fact that anorexia is usually linked to domineering parents, a history of sexual abuse, and an inescapable urge to be in control of something, then monitoring an anorexic's every food purchase is not a good way to help them regain control of their life.
This is just ridiculous. They're your kids. They're not supposed to be convenient, they're supposed to be huge pains in the ass who are hard as hell to raise right. You can't just slap a tracking device on them and monitor and measure everything they do so you can fit them into a spreadsheet report.
If you can't ask your kids what they had for lunch and get an honest answer, you have a much bigger problem than the lack of an online monitoring service.
Re:Who here has the growing up to do? (Score:2, Insightful)
That also wouldn't work. An anorectic would most certainly buy foo
Re:Who here has the growing up to do? (Score:4, Insightful)
Are parents that emotionally detached from their kids? I mean, couldn't you just ask your kids what they ate for lunch?
So the kid who ate nothing but chips, cake and chocolate from the machine won't lie to an adult when they think they're in trouble? I've seen kids lie to a teacher about what they just ate, when the empty plates with the leftovers were still in front of them. Kids tell little white lies all the time, it's just part of growing up to be an adult.
(Yes boss, I'll have that finished monday; no dear, your hair looks lovely). You teach them why they shouldn't lie about the important stuff, and shouldn't lie for their own advantage, but it's tough when they see adults do even that every day.
If your body wants protein, you're gonna crave a steak. If your body needs calcium, you'll crave some orange juice or vegetables. I don't think we really have to worry too much about kids buying six dollars worth of snickers bars every day.
You don't know much about kids. Jamie Oliver, a UK chef had a TV program where he tried to reform kids diets. The biggest problem he had was getting the kids to even try the healthier options, they wanted the high sugar, high fat processed foods over the nicer, health choices he was making. Some went as far as buying food from outside rather than eat the 'horrible new food'. He had to not only provide good food, but convince them to eat it.
Which sounds great, in theory, but considering the fact that anorexia is usually linked to domineering parents, a history of sexual abuse, and an inescapable urge to be in control of something
I call shenanigans. Anorexia can be caused by the things you mention, but it's most often caused by poor body image from unrealistic comparisons to the media and by their peers, until they think they're fat even when they're not.
If you can't ask your kids what they had for lunch and get an honest answer, you have a much bigger problem than the lack of an online monitoring service.
We have a massive problem with obesity in the western world, especially amongst children who are growing up fatter than ever before, in greater numbers than ever before. Parents who both provide good meals at home, and want to get involved in their school meals should be applauded, not derided. After all, who do we blame when we see an 8 year old that weighs twice as much as his peers?
And the example from the article shows that parents can help point out things that are unhealthy over time, even though they're not bad in moderation. That's a trend a student might not spot on their own.
The very fact that this system exists will make children think twice about what they choose at the dinner counter; and that's no bad thing at all.
You need a computer for that now?! (Score:2)
Okay, seriously... in grade school lunches were paid up front to the teacher a week in advance. Then I went to the lunch line and was given whatever the days' lunch was. My only "choice" was white or chocolate milk. This was done using pen and paper.
In middle school I paid for lunch daily with cash and my choices were "expanded" to include an additional "malt" (in quotes because it wasn't a malt.. it was a reformulated
Re:You need a computer for that now?! (Score:2)
don't you mean "malk"?
now with vitamin r!
And? (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps this article, then, is not intended that way, and is placed under YRO for some other reason.
Re:And? (Score:2)
Let me tell you a (horror) story (Score:4, Insightful)
My most unpleasant memories are the pure stress associated with growing up with a mother and grandma who wanted to know _everything_ I do, every move I make, every breath I take. I usually had a parent coming with me to summer camps, or at least to the same town, to be damn sure what I do there too.
But wait, it goes downhill from there.
The first problem with that is receiving an endless stream of advice, typically in the form of being told how everything I ever did was wrong. The way I walked, the way I talked, the way I combed my hair, the way I ate, etc. They just had to tell me what minuscule detail I did less than 100% perfect. Even if I decided to, dunno, clean up my room or whatever, the usual "encouragement" was being told how I did it wrong.
Unfortunately that meant that it seemed most of the time like why-the-heck do I even bother, because everything I do is wrong anyway. Probably the only "right" thing to do was to sit and stare at a wall, or something.
It leaves permanent damage. I'm in the mid-30's now, and I still have to overcome an instinct to not even try whenever I want to start doing anything. I do overcome it, but somewhere in the back of my brains there's a circuit that _still_ says "mom probably wouldn't approve _that_, either." And I don't mean for doing anything bad, but even for mundane stuff like throwing the laundry into the washing machine: mom would probably disapprove of the temperature it's set on, or the exact quantity of detergent, or whatever.
Think you know better than to do that? Well, tell that to the lady in the story who got her knickers in a knot about her daughter buying 4 oz of juice to wash the food down with. ("Nooo! It's 150 calories!") Geeze, 4 oz is a _third_ of the liquid in, say, a can of coke. But even for that some retard had to basically go and tell her child, "no, again whatever you decide is wrong, and I know better than you."
Yeah, I'm with you about the license-to-breed part: I wish such retards were prevented from breeding, because I foresee some very serious psychological problems in that daughter's future.
But let's go back to my story, because it goes downhill from there.
The other problem about parents knowing everything is that they just had to talk to _everyone_ about it. And I really mean _everyone_, including perfect strangers on the street or the new cashier at the supermarket. A lot more positively than the feedback _I_ got, too. I guess they were very proud of me, or something, which isn't unusual for a parent. (Would have been nice to also tell _me_ that, though, instead of only negative feedback.) But still, every minute of my life was dissected
Why is that a problem? Because knowledge is power, and it gave others power over my life too. E.g., I couldn't tell a little white lie like "sorry, can't go with you there today, I haven't finished homework yet." Everyone already knew, or was going to be told, exactly at what hour I really finished homework and what did I do after that. _That_ kind of being a public figure essentially leaves you with a lot less choices of what you can do without losing every single friend you still have.
As late as high school, mom actually phoned my girlfriend to tell her basically "oh no, he does have plenty of time today." And not even tell me that she interfered. That was the end of that relationship there and then.
You know, other kids grow up dreaming of becoming an astronaut or a jedi or something. My nice fantasy was about the day when mom will finally STFU (Shut The Fsck Up) about me. Quite a nice fantasy too, but sadly just as unrealistic as the one about jedis. Still hasn't happened.
I actually liked school. It was the time when I finally had some time without someone looking over my shoulder.
Ironically, that's also a large factor in what drove me
Re:Let me tell you a (horror) story (Score:3, Insightful)
Example: we would go camping for a weekend. We would give out papers with information for the parents beforehand. On those you could read, among other things, that we (the leaders) have spares of *everything* that is important, so forgetting something will have *no* i
Re:And? (Score:2)
So? (Score:2)
Not the first... (Score:2, Funny)
I got really thirsty one day and caved in. My fellow boycotters pooh-poohed me. I had sold out to the man.
So Big Brother... (Score:2)
Not Supported (Score:4, Informative)
"Your browser is not supported for use with this site. This site requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or above on Windows platforms or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.1 or above on Macintosh platforms. You can download the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer by clicking the link below."
Imagine my suprise to learn that this school lunch site was offering me the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer for Linux. But then I follow the link provided only to learn there is no such critter. It would seem that this WWW isn't so world wide, you have to use a proprietary browser that is only provided for an extremely limited number of OS.
Forget the whole big brother issue, this concept should be banned on the browser issue alone.
Breakfast .. (Score:2)
It's not an epedemic, it's not a signess, it's not genetic, it's not something you can catch... it's what you eat!
Title Goes Here (Score:2, Informative)
I happen to live in the Atlanta area. I happen to go to school. I happen to go to a school that is using Mealpay. Here's how it works in practice. Every student is assigned a six (new kids get 7 digits now) digit number. This number is used to log into the school's computer network and to buy food at lunch. At every checkout line is a small keypad where we punch in that number. Once we do that, the lady working the register punches in what we buy on a touch screen. We can either pay for it cash or have it a
I'm not a brain scientist or anything... (Score:2)
There's a simple solution to this that is quite cost-effective as well: Kick the kids out. When they arrive home from school, make them go outside. That's what my parents did. An hour on the computer had to be matched by an equivalent hour outside. The length of the outside hour was, of course, not enforced, and often ballooned to a few hours of hide and seek (do people pl
Re:I'm not a brain scientist or anything... (Score:3, Insightful)
I haven't bred yet..... (Score:2)
Once kids get much past 10 or 12 [medicinenet.com], it becomes increasingly difficult to change their eating habits.
And with the evidence mounting that junk food contributes to a wide range of diseases [vic.gov.au] I don't see how parents keeping on watchful eye on their children could be a bad thing.
Mealpay.com No contact information (Score:2)
On their web site, only viewable on IE as previously stated, there is no contact information, and to contact customer support, only a form and 800 number are listed.
getting (too) accustomed (Score:5, Interesting)
Some good might come from it (Score:2)
School lunch programs are a joke in this country. The food is barely etible, and are hardly healthy. When the parents start checking their children's lunch purchases and say to their kids "Hey, why are you only buying garbage?", and the kids say "This is the best they have to offer.", the parents might wake up a little and start demanding a little quality and nutrition in the lunch programs.
Of course, it would b
Vomitorium (Score:2, Informative)
Here's a Radical Idea... (Score:5, Insightful)
It's called "taking 5 minutes in the morning to make them a sandwich." School lunch in US schools is utter slop anyway, in most cases.
Re:Here's a Radical Idea... (Score:3, Insightful)
To all the people who feel kids get away w/ 2 much (Score:4, Insightful)
I disagree. I think that kids are irresponsible because they don't have enough resposibility. And responsibility can only come with freedom -- the freedom to make choices and make mistakes.
This is a different kind of freedom than the freedom to play computer games all day or get expensive gadgets without working. It is a much more mature freedom.
But you can't pick and choose what freedoms they get, because otherwise it isn't real freedom. If you're going to be a responsible parent you need give them the responsibility related freedoms (jobs, self-motivated education and the sense that their gadgets come from money saved up in a responsible way, though possibly with parental subsidy) with the other kids of freedoms (allowed to stay out late, go to parties, etc.)
Both of these kinds of freedom prepares them for the adult world, where you are free to go to parties and have to pay the bills. What happens now is kids get out of high school and either go to college and get drunk all the time and get into abusive (receiving or giving) relationships that don't give them any real training in another life responsibilty, building mature relationships, or they go into the work force and have a really hard time dealing with 9 to 5 jobs because they've never had to balance fun freedoms with responsible ones.
This causes a lot of problems. We have a culture that romanticizes our youth. Why is it this way? I think it is this way primarily for the same reasons kids go off to college and act irresponsibly -- they're not ready for life responsibilities and dream of the care-free past. Unfortunately, that just leads to sucky adult lives.
If you learn how to balance fun and responsibility as a youth, with parental support and guidance when you mess up, then your life is fuller.
I blame parents, not the system. Parents need to decide that they don't need to work as much, that the schools job isn't to raise mature adults, and that being scared that your kid might f-up on your watch and shame you isn't an excuse to reign them in until they leave the house (so it's someone else's problem.)
Even if you want to blame the system, it isn't like it is taking away your ability to parent. Computer games and T.V. are rotting your kids minds? Then don't have a T.V.! Your kids have weird ideas about relationships and sex? Then you'd better sit your butt down and talk to them about it -- not just a lecture as to why something is or isn't good, but a heart-to-heart talk where the goal is for you to respect the other.
I can't think of a single parental role that the system has taken away that you can't take back if you choose to.
And if you say you need to work jobs to pay the bills, then I suggest you own less stuff and you start getting politically active and fight to remove us from a system that requires every generation work more than the one before it.
Excellent idea! Prepare your lawyers now.. (Score:4, Insightful)
The next time you find out your kids have been fed crap (as witnessed in the UK recently by the fights celebrity cook Jamie Oliver had to put up to get decent food introduced) you have a nice, clean, court admissable track record.
Ah, liability. That school obviously still has a *lot* to learn about tracking - it cuts both ways.
(and no, I would never track my child - how else can you teach what trust is about?)
= Ch =
Re:What next? (Score:2)
4 oz of juice? (Score:3, Insightful)
And the parent post has it right, what the hell is wrong with 12 more oz of juice? Not soda or kool-aid, JUICE. 150 calories? This mom sounds like she's pushing her daughter into "only thin girls get the boys."
It's times l
Re:4 oz of juice? (Score:2)
Re:overkill (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:overkill (Score:2, Informative)
Re:overkill (Score:3, Interesting)
Studies have shown that people adjust their intake of food in the future if they eat a higher calorie food today. One such study used starch to "invisibly" boost the calorie content of soup that was served with a soup and sandwich lunch. The sandwiches were served cut up into small measured portions, the participants could take as many
Re:The Bigger Issue (Score:2)
Our society seems obsessed with ranking, labeling, and insisting that everyone should receive the same manner of education. After all, those methods are very effective in manufacturing automobiles!
Perhaps the only thing worse than that was the horrendous p
Re:I'm in Highschool right now.. (Score:2)
Re:Freedom as in what?? (Score:4, Funny)
We can't have that. Someone might get hurt.
Then someone will most surely get sued.
And that's expensive.
Re:I'm a parent (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't take this personally, but I think you should find some other way to convince your daughter to eat healthier. Maybe use an old practise called... discussion.
I mean c'mon pal, it's perfectly normal for a 5-year old to prefer pizza than vegetables.