Being Denied Snacks as a form of Punishment

M

mom2my2cuties

New Member
Hello, I was just curious on what everyones opinion is on using snacks given at snacktime as a form of punishment for unapproved behavior such as talking in class, not paying attention, etc?
Thanks :)
 
I would think long and hard before taking away the child's snack.

Ask yourself the purpose of the snack and does taking it away fit the 'crime'?

Is it an added treat or a regular part of their diet each day? Does this child require eating 4-5 small healthy meals a day? etc.

If the snack is a 'bonus' treat for everyone and is something special...maybe you could deny it as a punishment. If it were sent from home by the parent and was a daily occurence, I wouldn't take the snack away.
I may modify where the child could eat his/her snack. For example, at snack time, but at a special table or not with his/her best friends for part or all of snack time. After which you'd of course talk with the child about why he/she couldn't have snack with a friend and that perhaps tomorrow he/she could.

If it's in the heat of the moment and the child is pushing your last button, don't take it away. Give yourself a break. Anything done like this in the moment may come back to bite you in the rear end. (Definitely not worth it.)
:)

Good luck. Thanks for asking the question.
LC teacher, Virginia
 
Hello, and thanks for replying. Actually I'm a Teacher's Aide and have been very concerned about the Teacher doing this, the snacks are supplied by the parents, and this has happened on several different occasions none related to snack time such as throwing food for example. Your thinking seems to be on the same track as mine.
Thanks again for your reply :)
 
Wow, this brings back memories. I posted about this type of thing awhile ago when my little neice had this happen to her for something completely minor.

If it is a scheduled snack, meaning something that happens every day that is part of the program, then I would NEVER use it as a punishment. Most likely then they are getting funds for the food, etc. which would make it illegal. In WI we have laws about that as well. If it's something like a special treat (ice cream, cookies) that was brought in or if the snack is normally not part of their day to day activity, then I would feel comfortable using it as a behavior tool if the situation called for it. Kids who don't behave do not get special treats! Why should they?

To me, it also depends on what the behavior is (going back to "if the situation calls for it"). My niece got it taken away because she was arguing with another child...BIG DEAL! She is 6...kids argue. Don't adults argue too? That is human nature. Now, if she would have hauled off and smacked a child or something, then that would be different.

Punishment should fit the behavior and should be realistic as well. If a child is arguing over a toy, which my neice was, then her punishment should have been she couldn't play with that toy for the rest of the week, or something similar. It shouldn't have even involved the snack.

Just my two cents.
 
Yikes. Am I reading this right...the teacher takes away snack as a punishment for something else that happens in the day...not related to the snack itself...kind of like she's taking away recess? (Also one I wouldn't do.)
It sounds like a tense situation. Does anyone else see this besides you?

I have kids on ocassion that look forward to snack because they were in a hurry and didn't eat breakfast. (As a result, they eat snack during morning work as they need it as long as their work gets done.)

I hope this gets better for you and the kids.

LC Teacher
 
This is a public school, and snack time is something that is usually everyday, and the snacks are being brought in by the parents on a rotating schedule. My son is in this class too. Last Friday the class had a St. Patricks' Day Party and I rented a cotton candy machine to make a bag of green cotton candy for the every student in the class. After one student got in trouble for being in the hall, I was instructed to give everyone a bag of cotton candy except the one student who had got in trouble (which broke my heart). My thinking with this, and with the snack time occurences is that children (especially little girls) are being taught that food can be used as a form of punishment which is something these days I think is EXTREMELY unhealthy, with the way some little girls are so worried about their body image at a young age. I also think from a parent's viewpoint too, that it is unfair to take something that a parent has volunteered or donated to the class and use it as punishment, when I donate the items I do so unconditionally so I think the items should be distributed in such a manner too.
Thanks for the replies again :)
 
The teacher seems like she's going way overboard. Like she is expecting them to never get in trouble and be perfect. Kids will be kids. Does she give warnings at all?
 
Somehow I doubt the child learned anything from this experience except that the teacher is a meanie. I think in terms of positive discipline, not punishment. It seems to me that if the problem was about hallway behavior then making the child be first, or last in line, or required to stand with the teacher in the hallway would be best suited to this situation. If the child intentionally stuck cotton candy in someone's hair, then losing the food might be appropriate.
 
It is wrong to withhold snacks from them. You can get in trouble for doing that if it is part of your daily program. However, you can withhold a "treat", but I would not recommend this unless the kid has nearly killed someone or stolen the superintendents car.
 
How could anyone with hold food from a child. Has that teacher ever read the book "A child called it" maybe someone should buy it for her. That poor man was starved as a child and the only time he ever ate was at school. His mom use to make him vomit the food back up if she caught him eating. This maybe the only meals this child is getting. There are some mean parents out there too. I would be really mad to find out my child was being denied snack at school. And he is a 3rd grader, misbehaving or not there are other ways of disiplining children. And as for the cotton candy issue, I would have told her I could not do that (not give him any) If anything I would have sent it home with him in a bag. Thats just not right. You are messing with emotions, can you imagine how that little kid feels about his self. Sorry the whole issue just makes me mad.
 
Let me start with this I have not read all the responses previously posted, (just scanned them).

If we use food as a reward or punishment we start the kids on a bad habbit and food disorders.

however if it's a situation like the kid is throwing food, take it away.
 
More proof positive that I could never, never, never teach the tiny ones, because I would take any kind of treat right out of a naughty kid's hands and not feel the least bit bad about it.

I'm not cruel. I know kids are hungry, and I know there are parents who are trash. I saw them at conference, with cigarettes in their purses but no socks on the child.

I always kept a jar of peanut butter, and jelly, and bread, in a drawer in my file cabinet for kids who forgot their lunch or were just hungry. And every afternoon I fed my Advisor group, because their lunch was at ten thirty which is absolutely RIDICULOUS. I also cooked breakfast for my ISTEP kids every year because there was NO WAY a child was going to take a big test like that on an empty stomach in MY room. Please don't think I'm Evil Personified.

But I did not put up with any kind of deliberate disruption, either. Misbehave in my room and you got to sit there and watch all the other kids while you got none. And a big fat neener neener to the rotten kids, while I'm at it.

Come back after the others are gone, Rottenness. I'll fix you a sandwich. I ain't no witch. You won't get anything else, though. You could have, but of your own free will you chose not to. Sorry. (not.)
 
There is a difference between a "TREAT" and a snack. Cotton candy isn't a snack........
Treats are just that, something special, earned, out of the ordinary. Cotton candy fits under that category. Treats can be withheld if it is appropriate to the situation at hand. I have no idea what led up to this, so I can't say whether or not I think it was appropriate. Had he been warned that this would be the result if a certain behavior continued? Had he been acting up all day, and this was the last straw, etc.. If that had been the case, I would have sent it home with a note attached telling mom and dad why little sweetie didn't get to have the treat with the rest of the children.
Snacks on the other hand should NEVER be withheld from a child at this age. There is a big difference between the two.
 
Well as a parent and a teachers aid why don't you donate some treats to the class, like small toys or games, that can be used as a behavior reinforcement. So that the teacher can have other alternatives.

I think you all are being a little hard on the teacher. Children need incentives and punishments for misbehavior. Maybe the teacher feels as if it is her only incentive. If you are sooo concerned provide her with other incentives and see how that goes.


We don't have recess or snacktime at my school, so sometimes i sit children out during free center time. Some may think that it is cruel--but you have to use a reward punishment for children.
 
jaszmyn, is it illegal here in WI to withhold food from a child NO MATTER WHAT when you're talking about a snack that is part of a program like in this situation...so here...it is not considered being hard on the teacher when it is the law.

Withholding a special treat, then yes, I can see a teacher doing that. But as a parent, if my son is suppose to be given and is expected to be having a snack every single day, I'd be PO'd if his was not given.
 
Hi!

We do not have "snack" in my school. We do however earn a "treat" on Friday. That's the day I "cook" with my class, and if a student isn't behaving that day they will not receive the "treat". They know it. I know it. The aides know it. It isn't a question of being mean, it's following the rules to get a reward...

With that said, if a parent is providing a "snack" on a daily basis, I can in no way think that a teacher can take it away.

Kelly :)
 
I am very mean sometimes. When my kids don't listen I take their outside time away completely. I don't mess around and I have a very well behaved class because of it.
 
Grammy, you're not mean!!!! You have high expectations for your kids, and that is a GOOD thing! Kids need to learn what is expected of them and that behavior that is rotten has a consequence to it.
 
Hahahaha! Hi Jane you old Meanie you...oh you're not really that mean...you stash peanut butter and jelly in you desk drawer for the hungry kids!!!
 
We are going to have a banana split party at the end of the school year. From next Monday till the end of school the kids have a chance to earn each piece of a banana split starting with the bowl, then the spoon, then one scoop of ice cream, etc. There was some discussion that there will likely be some children who get the bowl and the spoon and Nothing Else! We were absolutely okay with that since they will have about ten weeks to earn it. Behavior tends to slip some right before school is out and I think we need all the tricks we can get to keep the kids in line and keep learning until that very last bell of the year.

As far as a child not getting cotton candy because of misbehaving, I have no problems with that either! A nutritious snack should not be withheld, but pure sugar sure can be!
 
mom2my2cuties said:
Hello, I was just curious on what everyones opinion is on using snacks given at snacktime as a form of punishment for unapproved behavior such as talking in class, not paying attention, etc?
Thanks :)
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You mean giving the naughty ones vegetables and beans while the others have chocolate covered granola bars? lol j/k...I know what you mean.

I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot if you took away snacks because hungry tummies good students do not make BUT I have been known to take away snack time from those kids who do not behave DURING it.
 
teacherintexas, what will happen with the kids that don't earn the rest of the pieces?

When my son was in school he was always excluded from end of the year picnics or outings because of behavior issues. I once suggested it was the end of his year, too, so why couldn't they come up with a different form of punishment? The behavior occurred before the activity , so to me they shouldn't have taken him out of it.
I always found it amusing- sarcastically speaking- that the kid he was in trouble with was allowed to go but he couldn't.
 
My first instinct is to find another way to brings consequences to the child. Snack time is emphasizing socialization and good manners. This child misses out on something he obviously needs to be trained in!
 
I haven't (yet) taken away a snack, but my partner does it frequently with one student. He realized it is the only thing that gets the boy's attention! We're talking a fruit rollup or cheese/crackers, regular daily snack. Our students take turns bringing the Kinder snack each day.

On the other hand, the only consequences I use are (in order of severity) verbal warnings, time out at table, 5 minutes of recess (out of 15), or 10 minutes of recess. I always allow enough of the recess time for an offending student to get a drink and use the rest room. But hey, in Kinder, these are about the only choices we have!!
 
Grammy Teacher said:
It is illegal to withhold the scheduled "snack." However, I would have no problem not giving candy or ice cream to a brat.
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This is going on with my child now. He is in a private school and it’s his regular snack time, so is it still illegal for a private school?
 
Food shouldn't be used as a reward or punishment. Some kids need the caloric/nutritional support of snack in school...the idea of food as reward or punishment can lead to unhealthy thinking and relationships with food/eating/eating disorders.
 
Snack should NEVER be taken away as a punishment. Now we do things like double snack passes for children who use "ebucks" (daily rewards for good behavior) and we do not let them have double snack passes but we will never take away snack.

Punishment should match the crime and be given at the time of the crime. But taking away snack could possibly cause more behavior problems due to hunger. Just not worth it.
 
FWIW, NJ doesn't allow food to be used as incentives. That said, we also have very strict guidelines as to what is allowed as "snack". With the state this invested in the whole "snack" process, I would say taking snack off the table, figuratively or realistically, should be a huge NO. Other privileges, well, there can be guidelines for earning those, but if snack is a given for everyone, I wouldn't think of messing with that.
 
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