Mom ‘Lunch Shamed’ For Packing Cookies In Her Child’s Lunch

A Colorado mom said she was “lunch shamed” for packing cookies in her daughter’s lunch. Leeza Pearson insists she generally packs a healthy lunch for 4-year-old Natalee. However, last week she packed a small bag of Oreo cookies, as she ran out of nutritious snacks. Unfortunately, a teacher at Aurora’s Children’s Academy and Childcare Center refused to let Natalee eat the cookies.

As reported by ABC News, Leeza is specifically concerned about a letter, which was sent home with her daughter. In the letter, school officials outlined guidelines for packing a healthy and nutritious lunch.

“This is a public school setting and all children are required to have a fruit, a vegetable and a healthy snack from home, along with a milk. If they have potatoes, the child will also need bread to go along with it. Lunchables, chips, fruit snacks, and peanut butter are not considered to be a healthy snack.”

Leeza said the letter was “definitely over the top.” She is disturbed that she was lunch shamed over a few cookies. Although the letter suggests the pre-school is committed to nutrition and health, Leeza said the rules are inconsistent.
On holidays, for example, the children are asked to bring candy to share with their classmates. Leeza is further concerned, as the school has served Natalee unhealthy snacks on numerous occasions.

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Aurora Public Schools spokeswoman Patty Moon said the letter is not part of the district’s standard policy. However, she insists school officials were simply “trying to promote healthy eating.” She underlined the fact that the school provided Natalee with a more appropriate snack.
As reported by Examiner, Leeza disputes Moon’s claim and insists her daughter was not provided with an alternate snack.
Instead of lunch shaming her over a few cookies, Leeza said the school should have let her daughter eat the snack. She also would have preferred a phone call as opposed to the questionable form letter.
Children’s Academy and Childcare Center Director Brenda Deen said the situation is currently under investigation. According to Deen, individual teachers do not have any authority to confiscate food from children’s lunches.
As reported by USA Today, Deen also said the form letter was not approved by school officials and should not have been sent. The director said she plans to discuss the incident with Natalee’s teacher. However, she did not reveal whether the teacher will be disciplined.
Leeza said was embarrassed to be lunch shamed over a few cookies. She hopes her story prevents other parents from experiencing a similar situation.