snack stress

Apparently the stereotype that Jewish people are frugal does not apply to snack time at preschool. Not that it is ACTUALLY stressful bringing snack to school, it IS more intensive than it should be these days. First the school rules are clear, no sugary snacks or home-baked snacks, no peanuts, nothing that is not pre-packaged (in other words can't be from a restaurant, deli, etc. more on the later). Then there are the unwritten rules one gathers from the examples of the elaborate and expensive snacks previously brought in. Varieties of organic fruits and crackers, cereal bars and granola bars. Not store brand either and certainly not the usual Ritz or Quaker Oat! In fact when a mom brought basically a Ritz Cracker in a plain brown recycled paper box "Back to Nature" brand, she made it clear "these are Ritz Crackers without all the junk." okay, fine. I already shop at Whole Foods anyway because I like the store (small, friendly, close to home) and I like the salt-free soups and grass-fed beef (confession). Some parents already were scolded for breaking the actual written rules-one mom brought cupcakes for Halloween, and another Matzo Balls from a bakery or where ever the heck you buy fresh Matzo Balls (not approved because of possible contamination being that they were prepared by whoever??!). So i was on high alert not to break those rules AND because moms actually quip about choking hazards (I brought raisins(organic) and overheard that comment!) and things being too hard to eat (another mom brought Clif Bar crunch, it was the crunch that got her), I was scouring labels and thinking about whether ALL kids could eat things. It was stupid. I was annoyed, I settled on Clif Kid organic Z Bar (soft and chewy) at $3.69 a box times two. And since everyone brings a fruit and cracker, bar, whatever, I also got Bare Fruit Organic dried apples on sale 2 for $4. Yes, that's basically $12 for snack AND keep in mind that Thurs class celebrates Sabbath on Thurs since they won't be at school Fri, so the school provides Challah bread at snack time so it is a totally unnecessary amount of food. This does not deter moms from bringing two snacks every time and sometimes a drink on top of it! Even though the school provides milk!

I told the cashier and bagger how I spent a ridiculous amount of time determining what to bring and they mocked the situation saying "do you like my organic, vegan, gluten-free, creme brulee I brought?" and the other said, "imported from France." then I said, "no way, it's got to be LOCAL" to which he replied, "oh yes, all the ingredients came from my own garden!"

I also might add that a friend of mine whose daughter goes to the same school writes a Christmas Letter every year from the point of view of her daughter. In the part where the "daughter" talks about school one line said, "and dad tries to get mom not to chince on the snacks for my school!" LOL TOO MUCH!!