Question: On Primary and handing out candy


cdowis
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1 hour ago, cdowis said:

I seem to remember a policy statement from the church instructing the wards that they are not supposed to hand out candy in Primary.  Can you find that letter, or is in in the Handbook?

Thanks

I cannot find candy in the handbook.  The only mention of giving food to children I could find is in Handbook 2: 9.4.2 (the very end of that section, under "Children's Class"): If food is provided in the children's class, leaders first consult with the parents of each child about any dietary restrictions due to conditions such as diabetes or allergies.

I searched the primary section of Handbook 2 and could not find "food", "candy", "treat".  Not sure what else to search on.

This just seems like a no-brainer to me - don't give food to other people's children until you've discussed it with the parents.

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3 minutes ago, mirkwood said:

I gave my class orange flavored life savers today.   I also gave them out while home teaching a few hours later.

Cops want children to get diabetes. 

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Your memory is correct, but when Handbook 2 was updated in 2012 they took out the statement.  I think the old book said:

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The only times food should be provided during Sunday Primary is when it is included as part of a lesson or as a snack for the children in the nursery class. If teachers provide food, they should first consult with the parents of each child about any dietary restrictions that may be caused by conditions such as diabetes or allergies.

 

@zil provided what's in the handbook now.  In addition to that, on lds.org under primary leader resources FAQ ( https://www.lds.org/callings/primary/leader-resources/frequently-asked-questions?lang=eng&_r=1#food-in ) it says:

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What is the policy for food in Primary?

Counsel with your priesthood leader for direction.

 

Also, from the "Primary 2: Choose the Right A" book (for CTR 4-7 classes) in the Helps For Teachers section at the beginning found at https://www.lds.org/manual/primary-2/helps-for-the-teacher?lang=eng

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Food. Whenever a lesson suggests using food, please check with the parents of the children in advance to ensure that none of the children has allergies or other adverse physical reactions to the food. Please do not bring food on fast Sunday.

 

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Our bishop gives candy or pretzels to kids after church.  They all go to the bishop's office to report what they learned that day and get the goods.  They report on fast Sunday but don't get the goodies.  It's cute to see the freshly-arrived-at-Sunbeams go to the bishop and say, "I learned it's fast Sunday today so we don't get candy."  LOL.

One of my kids get the candy and hand it to me so I get candy every Sunday... it's awesome to have a kid that don't like candy.  :D

Edited by anatess2
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2 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

No candy ever? Or just not on fast Sunday? Are you a former/current teacher as well as a parent?

I'd prefer that my primary children never get candy or food at church.  I'd also like my 12-18 aged youth to not get food.  One of our past primary presidents had a no food policy and it worked great.  If implemented ward-wide children can feel a teacher's love and learn to behave without food.  I'm supportive of the nursery exception though.  At that age, it's not so much a treat/reward as filling a need.  Sunbeams could be another exception if church is held during their usual lunch time.

I don't like my children eating a lot of junk food.  It's not a "treat" anymore if it occurs too frequently.  It seems like in practice if it's not banned outright then there's not moderation.  Nor do I want them eating food just before a family meal.  Also, some children want the treats so much that it overshadows the value and meaning of the lesson.  I also don't like disparity problems when some kids get candy and others don't.  Another problem I once saw as a leader was when most of the youth in a Sunday school class (not primary) went to the wrong class week after week because of treats and other prizes, making their own teacher feel bad.  One place we lived had treats in primary, extra activities, and even in school so out of control that we felt like we couldn't reward our own kids with treats as frequently as we would've liked.  Too much from outside sources lessened the meaning and it was too unhealthy.  I want the right to give my own children some ice cream and see the smiles on their faces.

Some teachers don't know how to manage a class any other way, but they can be taught.  And in the end they will become more effective teachers.  I think to get all of the benefits of a "no food" policy to work, it really needs to be consistent across the whole ward.  Otherwise there are still problems.  (Or maybe the ward picks one Sunday a month where food is allowed.) 

And yes, I've taught primary for multiple years and multiple age groups.  I love teaching primary!  If they're not used to getting candy at church, other classroom management techniques work fine.  If they're used to receiving candy it's much more difficult at first, but they can learn.  My wife who is an amazing and very experienced teacher feels the same way.

When our ward was reorganized a year ago she asked the ward council to consider reigning in the distribution of junk food, but they didn't see a problem.  At that time when our children's new teachers were asking about allergies we let them know we aren't a fan of treats.  But, we allow them to receive them because I think having all of their classmates get treats while they do not would be worse.

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2 hours ago, Rhoades said:

I'd prefer that my primary children never get candy or food at church.  I'd also like my 12-18 aged youth to not get food.

Been working in Primary for so long.  Always have food in my classes.  I'm in Cub Scouts now.  We still have food in our den meetings.  We did have a ward-wide rule come out - if you offer food to your kids at sacrament meeting, you have to clean up immediately after.  The Deacons complained about fruit loops and goldfish left on the pews for them to clean such that they are late attending their meetings.  If a ward-wide no-food rule comes out, we're gonna have upset kids and adults.  We love our chocolates in Relief Society.  :)

 

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Guest MormonGator
1 hour ago, Eowyn said:

Pardon my opinion, but I think parents getting uptight about their kids getting something at church once a week could lighten up a little. 

 I think we ALL could lighten up a bit.  I've seen wards where everything is gloom and then they wonder why people don't show up to church on Sunday. 

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Nothing in the Handbook, as others have provided. Never had any issue with offering candy, and expect parents to let me know if there are any allergies with their children (at least whenever we have had a child with any allergic reactions to certaing foods the parents are quick to inform teachers). Candy is yum, yum. Always feel bad for children who aren't able to have said yum yums :)

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1 hour ago, Eowyn said:

Pardon my opinion, but I think parents getting uptight about their kids getting something at church once a week could lighten up a little. 

If it was only one treat and happened only once a week I could live with that.  That would be nice.  When it's something in class, then something in sharing time, and then something from the Bishop that starts to add up.  And if some of those givers don't limit it to a sole cookie but give out several then that adds up even more and at some point it becomes too much.

My wife stated her preference once asking that they consider the volume of treats being dispensed, and we haven't said anything since so I guess we're OK living with more than one a week.  We are by no means health nuts -- the entire lunch was ice cream at our house the other day.  After thinking about it more, the treat volume is actually pretty reasonable now that certain people have changed callings or moved.  In fact, I don't remember any treats being eaten after church yesterday, or hard feelings about who got what, or children not eating dinner.  And, thankfully there aren't daily treats in the schools where we now live.

 

25 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

 I think we ALL could lighten up a bit.  I've seen wards where everything is gloom and then they wonder why people don't show up to church on Sunday. 

Thankfully we're in a ward in the Eastern US that is quite the opposite of gloom and inactivity.  Very, very friendly and welcoming people.  Sacrament meeting attendance is around 70%, we have over 60 young men and women with about 95% of those being active, and a large primary that's almost 100% active.  This is the ward that used to have a no treat primary president just a few years ago.  Judging by how they're turning out, it didn't damage our youth too much. :) 

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Guest MormonGator
7 minutes ago, Rhoades said:

 

 

Thankfully we're in a ward in the Eastern US that is quite the opposite of gloom and inactivity.  Very, very friendly and welcoming people.  Sacrament meeting attendance is around 70%, we have over 60 young men and women with about 95% of those being active, and a large primary that's almost 100% active.  This is the ward that used to have a no treat primary president just a few years ago.  Judging by how they're turning out, it didn't damage our youth too much. :) 

I'm on the east coast too. Glad your ward is a good one my friend! 

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On a related note in "Teaching, No Greater Call" lesson 23 on Reverence (https://www.lds.org/manual/teaching-no-greater-call-a-resource-guide-for-gospel-teaching/lesson-23-reverence?lang=eng ) it teaches this:

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Do not reward reverent behavior with prizes or food. Do not have contests to see who can be the most reverent. These tend to focus on the wrong things. Teach about the real rewards of reverence, such as increased understanding and the influence of the Spirit.

 

Edited by Rhoades
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56 minutes ago, Rhoades said:

On a related note in "Teaching, No Greater Call" lesson 23 on Reverence (https://www.lds.org/manual/teaching-no-greater-call-a-resource-guide-for-gospel-teaching/lesson-23-reverence?lang=eng ) it teaches this:

 

Giving a treat for reverence is like giving a treat for not fighting in the car on a long trip.  I saw this FB post a while back about an idea for long car trips using cutsey decorated name tag on a clothespin clipped to the sun visor.  The post says that when a child mis-behaves their clothespin is removed from the visor and the child that is left on the visor gets a treat at the next stop.  I'm like... uhm... no.  In my house (or car) we don't reward kids to do what is expected of them.  Now, we have given a special treat for the kid that took the initiative of entertaining the rest of us for the duration.  I had a kid that read an entire book to us on a trip once...

My CTR 8 class had flex time.  Flex time is journaling/scrapbooking where they fill up a page of their binder to show what they learned - it can be a coloring page that they paste on their binders and color, or it could be some kind of crossword puzzle, etc., that is a reminder of the lesson.  They also write down the scriptures used in the lesson.  The girls love to make their page cute with stickers and such.  At the end of the year, they take the entire binder home.  I did this because when my kids were young, they always end up with little pieces of paper and little project stuff that ends up in the trash.  I got the idea of using the scrapbook instead so they don't need to take anything home until the end of the year.  They can eat during flex time on non-fast Sundays in my class if they wish.  I always have a bunch of snacks in the bag with the crayons.  It's something I use to break the monotony of a 50-minute class.

Edited by anatess2
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My wife was called to teach along with two other teachers on a rotating schedule.  The other two always brought candy and other treats to the class.  She did not.  

The result was that the children sat still during the other teachers' lessons.  They were wild and crazy during my wife's classes.

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It is interesting to me that some members think than kids should be good for nothing????

 

Often when I teach in HP I will pass out candy to those that respond.  I have never had a complaint from a parent of a HP - but I have had some complaints from their children.

 

The Traveler

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1 hour ago, Traveler said:

Often when I teach in HP I will pass out candy to those that respond.  I have never had a complaint from a parent of a HP

So, you're like the furniture store that advertised "Credit offered on purchases solely to septuagenarians accompanied by both parents!"?

Lehi

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I'm guilty of bringing food - one Sunday it was a lesson on following directions/obedience, so we went to the kitchen, and I had the follow directions to make no-bake-cheesecake.  we made enough for everyone to have a little cup-cake sized cake, and one more that we gave away as a service project.  

Another lesson on missionary work - I came in with a bunch of vegetables.  I told the kids that I do not like vegetables, and it was their job to talk me into eating it (that this is what missionary work is - talking someone into doing something good).  We went to the kitchen again, they had to wash, cut and prepare it.  Then they had to eat it themselves to show me how good it was (I was not going to eat it if they did not like and eat it too).  The lesson was a great hit - I even had extra students who were ditching their other classes show up.  

 

 

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5 hours ago, unseen said:

I'm guilty of bringing food - one Sunday it was a lesson on following directions/obedience, so we went to the kitchen, and I had the follow directions to make no-bake-cheesecake.  we made enough for everyone to have a little cup-cake sized cake, and one more that we gave away as a service project.  

Another lesson on missionary work - I came in with a bunch of vegetables.  I told the kids that I do not like vegetables, and it was their job to talk me into eating it (that this is what missionary work is - talking someone into doing something good).  We went to the kitchen again, they had to wash, cut and prepare it.  Then they had to eat it themselves to show me how good it was (I was not going to eat it if they did not like and eat it too).  The lesson was a great hit - I even had extra students who were ditching their other classes show up.  

 

 

We had a lesson on missionary work too.  I brought a  very pretty chocolate cake, I gave the kids little plates and got them excited for the cake then I smashed the cake with my hand to grab a fistful of cake and dumped it on their plate.  It was supposed to illustrate how we can't expect people to eat our delicious cake if we don't present it with reverence and the Holy Ghost... but.... the kids just happily ate the cake that I just dumped with my bare hands on their plate before I was able to explain about not wanting the cake.... so the lesson was a complete fail.  Ahhhhhhhh, fond memories.

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10 hours ago, unseen said:

I'm guilty of bringing food - one Sunday it was a lesson on following directions/obedience, so we went to the kitchen, and I had the follow directions to make no-bake-cheesecake.  we made enough for everyone to have a little cup-cake sized cake, and one more that we gave away as a service project.  

Another lesson on missionary work - I came in with a bunch of vegetables.  I told the kids that I do not like vegetables, and it was their job to talk me into eating it (that this is what missionary work is - talking someone into doing something good).  We went to the kitchen again, they had to wash, cut and prepare it.  Then they had to eat it themselves to show me how good it was (I was not going to eat it if they did not like and eat it too).  The lesson was a great hit - I even had extra students who were ditching their other classes show up.  

 

 

Brilliant! You are clearly what every ward needs. Can we clone you?

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I don't mind candy. I love candy personally.

That said, I don't bring it as rewards. It's fun as a surprise, but should anyone declare it my job to bring kids candy you have another thing coming.

At school, I'm th only teacher in my grade without a stupid prize bucket. I'm not going to spend a bunch of money so kids can not be brats.

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