The Mother Bear Surfaces

The hair on my neck is standing up and I'm pacing back and forth growling - one of my cubs has been threatened!

Here's the story:

Yesterday was Sierra's first full afternoon of preschool (last week was just an intro session).  We baked chocolate chip cookies in the morning so she could have a special treat for snack time.  I also hadn't been grocery shopping in awhile so the options were limited otherwise. 

Off she went with her little backpack and lunch bag.

The first thing she says to me when I pick her up, in a slightly dejected voice, was, 

"I have to have a healthy snack."

Pause.

Oh really?
 

"Who are you to say what my child eats?"
I think in my mind as my defenses rise.

Through some discussion I discovered that a teacher made a healthy snack comment to her.  I also recognize that Sierra is only four and it may have been a very innocent comment misconstrued by a four-year old mind. 
But no matter what they are trying to teach the kids why are they even saying that?  How many three/four-year-olds pack their snack entirely on their own for pre-school?  What do they mean by healthy?  Sierra had a homemade cookie and often I cut the sugar and add healthy ingredients such as oatmeal, whole wheat flour and flaxseed in my baking.  That one cookie had less sugar in it than many yogurts.  So what if she has a treat for pre-school?  They don't know how she eats the rest of the time, maybe pre-school is the only time she gets treats.  (not the case but they don't know that)  Besides, most fruit doesn't survive well once cut up and Sierra will not eat veggies for a snack.
I could rant on.
Seriously though, what business is it of theirs what a child eats?

(Yes, I was a little offended to say the least!)

Now I've since heard that more and more schools are going to limited sugar, such as banning any beverage other than water or milk because of issues such as ADHD.  I scoured the school website and read all the letters they've sent me in detail and the only thing mentioned in regards to the content of said snack is that it should be peanut free.

When the first thing Sierra says to me is in reference to her snack I know that it affected her.

So this mama bear phoned the school and confirmed that there was no policy regarding sugary snacks.  The teacher said it was a general comment to the entire class about bringing a healthy snack along with a treat.  I explained that comments like that affect my daughter negatively and that I would appreciate being told personally regarding issues like that. 
Like I said above, most four-year-olds don't pack their snack without parental guidance so why even tell the children?

 
I told Sierra that if she wants to bring a cookie for a snack, or if she wants to bring a fruit or something "healthier" for a snack she sure can as long as Mommy says she may.

Grrrrr!