I'm getting on my soapbox again. This time about the ridiculousness of giving kids treats after sporting events. This is just so wrong for so many reasons.
1) You are in essence rewarding children for getting to play a fun game.
2) You are basically saying--hey, playing a sport isn't enough fun, and me paying for it and driving you to it, and staying to watch and cheer for you isn't quite enough. You deserve more. Here's a treat.
3) Getting a child involved in sports is a good way to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle--the best offense against obesity and diabetes in children. Giving children a sugary treat afterwards does the exact opposite.
4) Providing treats for a whole team costs money. Some people don't have money. It creates an awkward situation for those people.
5) It promotes competition amongst the parents.
6) It makes the child more excited about the treat after than the activity. (Don't get me started on people who take treats to primary for all the kids in complete disregard of the manual!)
7) It makes it harder for me to feel good about giving my kids treats at home when I know they are going to get sugar from other places. In my house, we really only have treats for FHE and sometimes Sunday night if I'm feeling the need or my hubby makes cookies. But, I don't like giving my kids a treat on Monday if they had a treat in primary on Sunday (every single Sunday!!! GRRR!) and they are having a treat two days that week for a sporting event. Count up how many treats that is. Yep--too many.
I know, I know. I'll have sisters reading this post shaking their heads and muttering, "Take a chill pill, Ans." I recognize that while I'm not completely OCD about what my kids eat, I'm close. But surely there are other people out there who want a treat to be a treat. Not a daily occurrence. And I'm sorry, as much as we like to talk circles around it, parents are responsible for childhood obesity. Not the children.
Chalk another one up to she's a crazy red-head who is getting crazier all the time. That's okay, I get it. Or, join me in my anti-treat revolt and let t-ball be about teaching kids to run some bases, not about teaching them to eat ding-dongs.
PS My children are definitely not on board.
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#6 -- I hear you! I used to be in the primary presidency and boy was that a problem! And it's a problem in the ward we're in now. Nearly every week we have to have the "treat" talk with our kids. As in, "PLEASE don't ask your teacher for treats, your teacher shouldn't be giving you treats. We come to church to learn, not to have treats." It's a very tiresome talk... :)
ReplyDeleteReasons 1 and 2 are basically the same. And I don't think it promotes competition among the parents. But yeah, I don't think that bringing treats when it's your turn should be obligatory to sports.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when I was a kid I thought it was great to get a treat anytime. It was always a treat to me.
p.s. I don't think your ad on the sidebar is appropriate. Can you change it?
ReplyDeleteSo funny and so true! I could say a thing or two about treats at YW's....
ReplyDeleteKate, I can't change the google ads. I'll watch closer though, and if there are more inappropriate ones, I'll have to do away with google ads.
ReplyDeletewhatever happened to the zipliz baggie full of orange slices? that's what we had after soccer games - if we were lucky. but, don't get me on this soapbox - i'm still astounded that people pay $3500 for travel sports leagues when we used to pay like $60 (which almost killed me to fork over when i had to pay for it myself)...total racket, i tell you. plus, it's a bit elitist and doesn't teach your kids much about being part of a community and learning together - rich or poor (and everyone having an equal shot at getting on the school teams)...oh, were we talking about sports and snacks - yeah, they make no sense. apple slices, oranges, banana halves - hello - healthy snacks that most of us can afford for our kid's teams. plus, it should be a rule or something. bb
ReplyDelete