My 6 year old was fed Ham in school today. advice?

[chickensducks&agoose]

We brought in a Menorah to share Hannukah with her class this winter.... so the teacher should have had some kind of clue... and she was fed ham as part of a Dr. Seuss celebration... without any parental notification. I understand that many of you eat ham, and that is totally fine, but we don't eat ham. We don't believe in eating ham. and I am totally unsure how to proceed. any advice?

 

[redhen]

Did you tell the school to not feed your kid ham? If you did, and they did..then i'd be sooo peeved...

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Maybe the teacher didn't realize that your child doesn't eat ham. Just because s/he knows you're Jewish doesn't mean s/he knows all the rules, ya know. I'd just send a note and ask to be told in advance about any kind of special foods that are going to be served.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

On a lighter note, I'm assuming there were green eggs along with the ham? Better have been!

 

[BrattishTaz]

I doubt is was done with malice. I could see myself making that kind of mistake, especially if I were surrounded by a bunch of 6 year olds. I would also feel terrible when I realized what I did. Call the teacher and discuss the situation. If it happens again, throw a fit.

 

[Msbear]

I consider myself a fairly smart person and would never have thought that feeding your child ham would be something you would be upset about because you are jewish. I guess Im just not up to snuff on different religions and the ins and outs. To be honest, there is so much these teachers need to worry about.... how to reprimand, when and when not to step in when they believe a child may be abused, when and when not to step in when the teacher's are concerned a parent is not taking part in their child's education. Teaher's have a HUGE responsibility and some things may take a back burner unless the parent makes it absolutely clear how they feel and what they expect. I think it's pretty harsh to be mad at the teacher for not being on top of this. If it were me, I would treat it like an allergy and make a formal request to the school and make it known to your child's teacher in a kind way not to feed your child a pork product.

 

[desertdarlene]

I'm thinking the teacher didn't know the dietary rules of your religion and made an honest mistake. And, your child may have not said anything about it because she didn't want to disrespect the teacher. I would talk to the teacher about it.


Edited due to typo.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Yeah... I agree with this. I know of some people who say they are Jewish and STILL eat ham... guess they aren't really Jewish? I've brought moon cakes in celebration of Lunar New Year but never assumed that everyone knew my traditions or culture.

Unless it was specifically in writing that your child could not eat ham, I would let it go. Back when I was in elementary school in the 90's, we'd have classroom snacks and we could bring home made goods to share. I hear from friends who have kids going to school now that only packaged foods from stores are allowed, there is no shared snack time, and no more green milk on St. Patty's day... largely because of a few complaints here and there.

 

[FireTigeris]

Remember not all Jewish ppl are Orthodox.

Most of the temple closest to me eat ham and pork, but still do most of the other things. (non-orthodox)

 

[HeatherLynn]

I think if the teacher was not told directly then it probably was an innocent oversight. She probably had no clue it was an issue. A note just letting her know and any future teachers that your daughter has dietary restrictions that do not allow any pork products will probably ensure it does not happen again. I am sure once the teacher knows she will apologize and be a bit embarassed she had not thought of this issue considering the menorah.

If she was not informed though it really is not her fault. She may be completely unaware of the restrictions your daughters faith presents. At this point the best case scenario is the teacher is now informed, has a bit of information on these restrictions and will respect them now that she is aware.