I'm generally impervious to guilt but I'm starting to feel a twinge of something now that I am having to ignore more snack requests than usual. Yesterday morning my son's school sent an email asking if any of us could help provide drinks and a snack for a small class celebration. My response to such requests is completely passive (and wimpy), I simply go "dark" and wait for other more efficient and industrious mothers to jump on the assigned task. I was not disappointed, within minutes several volunteered to bring drinks and a host of other goodies.
Still, I was left wondering why anyone had been asked to provide food in the first place. The children all enjoy a healthy snack at 10:00 and then lunch at 12:00. During regular days at school there is nothing to eat from lunch until 2:55 when they are dismissed so why the need to feast after a "publishing party"?
These days it seems like every activity no matter how mundane or celebratory must be accompanied by a snack. I thought I was the only anti-snack curmudgeon but this morning I happened across a great opinion piece in the Dining and Wine section of the NY Times by Jennifer Steinhauer. Knowing that I'm not alone is a nice way to start the day. Interesting comments section too.
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html