Taking Away A Kids Lunch? Are You Kidding Me?

not my photo.
image googled from around the web,
no monetary compensation
 is gained through use of the photo.

I read an article the yesterday about kids at a school in Utah getting their lunches taken away.

Here is the article I read:

http://aattp.org/utah-elementary-school-physically-removes-trashes-lunches-of-children-whose-accounts-are-behind/

Here's is another article on the subject if you would like to catch up:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/elementary-school-takes-away-students--lunches-due-outstanding-balances-on-accounts-174726995.html

First off let me say this...if anyone took my child's lunch away for ANY reason....I would be livid.

Basic human rights are:

Food

Air 

Water 

Clothing

Shelter

If a child is deprived of any of these things, it is child abuse.

Plain and simple. 

Children have a RIGHT and a NEED to be fed!

If a child spends 8+ hours at school every day, I as a parent would want to know my child has food, bathroom privileges, safety provided by the staff of the school, etc.

If ANY of these are taken away from a child, it is a disgrace. It is a shame. A child should feel safe at school.

I am sick of all these anti-bullying campaigns....yes they are helping kids keep from being bullied by kids...

BUT I have read numerous articles of kids now being BULLIED BY SCHOOL STAFF! This is UNACCEPTABLE.

I do not care if the school has apologized. I do not care if they say they are sorry. It should have never happened in the first place. 

The issue of money is between the parents and the school. Send the parents a bill in the mail, call a conference with the parents...but DO NOT for ANY REASON take a child's lunch away. PERIOD. 

In my opinion, school lunch should be provided free of charge since your child will spend the majority of the day there. It is a basic human necessity. If it is charged for it should be paid for in advance....like a college meal plan for example.

I do not believe however that children should pay for a school's lack of funds or a parental mistake.

If my child is in the care of a school, they should be safe for the entire day. My child is to be fed, remain clothed, feel safe, be able to go to the bathroom, get a good education, have access to water  when they are thirsty, and not be reprimanded in any way without contacting ME!

It is sad to me that so many schools are getting away with being BULLIES to the children despite an ANTI-bullying policy.

I think that the Principle needs a detention...aka FIRED. 

I read recently about a male teacher embarassing a student by removing her shirt in front of class, I read about a child locked in a closet by a teacher, I have also read about a deaf boy who wandered off school property because no one was paying attention to him....this is UNACCEPTABLE!

What is happening with our schools today??

A message to the schools:

Safety first. It is our children you are dealing with. You may see it as a pain or a challenge to take care of them while they are there, but they are our CHILDREN. We love our children, cherish them, and want them to be safe. If you are not a person who cares about this, then you should not be working with children. My child's safety, learning, and well being come before your paycheck, the school's convenience, or any other bullshit excuse you may come up with for humiliating a child. It is my hope and prayer that you all get your shit together before my daughter is old enough to go to kindergarten.

Sincerely, 

An angry parent

Spending Undivided Time With Your Household This Christmas....And Avoiding Consumerism.

not my photo.
image  from http://wallpapers-xs.blogspot.com/

I have a huge issue with consumerism lately. I used to be one of those people who "shopped til you dropped", unfortunately that lead to excess stuff I didn't need, wasted money, and generally made me more unhappy than if I hadn't bought the items in the first place.

How many candles do you really need? What about the endless amounts of scented lotions that end up thrown out? Or the clothes that go unworn and end up donated or trashed ( please don't trash them!)? 

I just ran across this news report: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101276268

It appears that ToysRUs will be open 87 hours straight for shoppers to get their last minute shopping in.  It appears that Kohl's has decided to stay open for 100 hours straight. 

All of this happening after Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc.
 Is all of this really necessary? 
Do we really need STUFF that badly, or are we all trying to fill a void?

 For many that void can be time that is uncomfortable around family and friends, others the over inflated ego that comes with giving an expensive presents, for others just the compulsive feeling to BUY BUY BUY.

 I get it. I understand. I broke the habit. I am STILL uncluttering from years ago due to the need for "just in case" items, and " I can't throw away because Aunt Sally gave me" presents.

Honestly, our time with our families gets interrupted so much through out the holidays. Wouldn't it be great to sit down with your kids on Christmas day? No phone calls, no clutter? Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy Christmas movies, a big breakfast, and bake a birthday cake for Baby Jesus?

The time you spend UNDIVIDED with your kids goes a long way, and they deserve it. The traditions you have with your children set the traditions they have with their children. I think that the love they feel will spread the love to their children and beyond.

Do we really need 100 hours of shopping without stop? Do we need to fight the crowds on Black Friday for the best deal? What are our children seeing and learning from this? What is  the take away message?

How loved can our children feel if we are sitting with our iPhone's glued to our ears or faces on the Christmas holiday? Sure, the texts and Merry Christmas's do give me a boost, but is it really necessary when I have already sent a card? Could talk to these people at other times? Do I need hour long phone chats while my child is playing on the floor? How is that condusive to family time?

These things all swim through my mind this season.
  To my loved ones: You may not get a Merry Christmas text on Christmas day this year, if you call it may go unanswered until it is convenient for ME. It is nothing personal, I am just playing with my daughter and her new kitchen, or finally getting a few minutes to sit with my Hubby who has a day off. Maybe we are in the middle of cooking dinner or watching a Christmas movie.

You won't see us rush to a ton of stores. You won't see us in the return lines either. You won't hear us worried about our wishlist or what we did/didn't get for Christmas either. 

We are the ReInvented Household. We call ourselves ReInvented for a reason. We are ReInventing our lives, and asking others to join us. We want to have better relationships with each other, our child, and YES our family and friends. One on one time is so much more important than the hustle & bustle. It is so much more important than the presents.

Ok, so you are uncomfortable at a family gathering?  Play a game instead.  Do you really need presents to connect? Chances  are you hate that ugly sweater anyway, and the gift you are giving someone else probably isn't their cup of tea either. Put the wine down, put the food down, put the presents down....put the credit card down. Take a breath and look around at the atmosphere, the people you are with, your children, your pets. Spend time. Turn off your phones & just be with the people who are with you.....you can talk to the others another day.

This is how I feel. Hubby and I aren't showering each other with gifts this year, and I am sure the stores hate us for it. Who cares. I am perfectly happy if we don't buy each other a thing. Love is all we need.

Baby A on the other hand is going to enjoy her new toy kitchen, and mommy & daddy are going to have a lot of home cooked meals prepared by Chef Baby A :) 

Do you feel the holidays have become too much about consumerism? Do you feel the need to BUY BUY BUY? Do you have trouble finding uninterupted time on the holidays with your children because of phone calls & texts?

Please share below! I would love to hear from you!! All opinions welcome!!