“I know you get candy rewards at school. Bring them home. Don’t eat ANY of them until mommy checks them.”
Those are the last words I said to my twins before I watched them walk into their kindergarten class. They usually eat their candy in the hall before I see them, which in the past has been a lollipop or candy cane.
The FIRST thing they yelled out when they got in our car was that they had treats from the reward box and they haven’t eaten them.
Good job girls!
As I looked down in my daughter’s tiny hand, my daughter with a very severe allergy to any nuts, where she held what I’m sure felt like a piece of gold to her, I saw an oval shaped chocolate and the label read Butterfinger.
“Put it down!”
The odd thing is at that moment I wasn’t sure if this candy had nuts. I’m thinking, I’ve never crunched on a nut in a Butterfinger. But my instincts screamed louder than my uncertainty.
I hadn’t eaten a Butterfinger in forever, but one Google search later confirmed that they are made with roasted peanuts.
Eyes closed, breathing deeply and quieting myself. I took a moment to thank God that I’d given my girls these specific instructions on this specific day!
Let’s be honest about this transition. Many moms, especially those who stay at home, have a healthy fear of releasing their kids to a school environment. We are no longer there to protect them and have our eyes on them, nor can we govern and control their surroundings. It’s SCARY, but we do our best anyway.
Here’s how I handled this particular situation.
First, I heavily praised my daughters and explained why it was so good that they listened.
They LOVE sweets. Especially the one who had the chocolate. So it was extra awesome that she denied her urge to eat it and brought it home instead. Had they ignored my instructions it would have been severely detrimental to their health.
Secondly, I sent a text to their teacher to tell her what happened.
I personally know that she works hard to keep her classroom nut free. There are signs posted and she informs the parents before class parties. She was thoroughly apologetic.
Thirdly, I offered current and future solutions.
This mishap occurred because a parent brought in some candy for the treats box and it wasn’t checked out first. So I went to the classroom and checked the entire box and removed a couple pieces. We checked all the candy that was brought in for their Valentine’s Day party (which is a big deal right now) AND their teacher is sending another reminder about the classroom policy regarding items with nuts in them.
Lastly, I continue to reinforce my instructions to my girls.
Yes, we fear releasing our kids (on any level) to the world. But the best thing we can do is to guide and prepare them. When I told them about bringing their treats home, I wasn’t even thinking of nuts. I thought we had that covered. I was thinking of cavities and keeping a handle on their sugar intake. But I’m so happy I did!
