My 3-Year-Old’s Teacher Shamed Her Over the ‘Bad’ Foods in Her Lunch & I Clapped Back

@pezzi.shop/TikTok

If you are a parent of a small child or have been around a small child at any time in your life, you know they can be pretty finicky when it comes to food. We've all heard of children who survive solely on a diet of things like chicken nuggets or plain buttered noodles. And we've loved a kid or two who only eats red fruits; we wouldn't dare hand them a banana. At the end of the day, as long as they eat and get some nutrients, it's a win, right?

TikTok mom Caroline, who posts as @pezzi.shop, was pretty aggravated when her 3-year-old daughter, Evelyn, came home from school and said that her teacher reprimanded her for wanting to eat a treat from her lunchbox before eating her veggies. This did not sit well with Caroline, who put a note on the lunchbox the next day, essentially telling the teacher to worry about her own lunch and let Evelyn eat in peace.

According to Caroline, food is food.

@pezzi.shop Here’s the story: My three-year-old came home from school yesterday, telling me that her teacher told her that she had to eat all of her “good” foods before she ate her “bad” foods. She couldn’t have her cookie before eating her sandwich and cucumbers. In this moment, I felt a little frustrated by the antiquated instruction from the teacher, but I responded saying, “Well that’s silly. There are no good foods or bad foods. Food is just food!“ I will say, this was not my internal dialogue growing up, but because of the information that I have from so many great accounts created by moms and experts, in the field of childhood and nutrition, I am armed with better responses, knowledge and practices for my kids. Three years old. At three years old someone has told her that foods are good or bad. I am so proud that she had sensed something was off - to know that was not right enough to tell me about it. We talk about it all the time at home… If you only eat carrots or broccoli your body won’t have protein it needs to grow strong muscles. If you only eat chicken, your body won’t have enough energy to do things like run and play all day long. We need little bits of everything to make sure that we are able to learn and play and grow all day long. So to the accounts that make sure we have the words, knowledge and confidence to write the note and practice it at home, I thank you, thank you, thank you. It has changed our family for the better. What you do and what you share is so important to young families. #kidsnutrition #kidseatincolor #solidstarts #kidfood #babyledweaning toddlers moms babies family @Jennifer Anderson, MSPH RD @Feeding Littles @Kacie Barnes, MCN, RDN @Food Science Babe ♬ It's All Right I Got Ya Baby - Neon Dreams

She explained in the caption of her TikTok that she doesn't want her young daughter to start developing a negative relationship with food. Evelyn told her mom that the teacher told her she had to eat the "good" foods before the "bad" foods, which meant no cookies until her sandwich and cucumber were gone.

"In this moment, I felt a little frustrated by the antiquated instruction from the teacher, but I responded saying, 'Well that's silly. There are no good foods or bad foods. Food is just food!'" she wrote

So, she wrote a little note.

The mom would not let it slide and placed a note card on Evelyn's lunch that read, "Hi! Evelyn has our permission to eat lunch in any order she chooses. None of her foods are 'good' or 'bad' — they are just food! Thanks! Caroline and Joey."

She explained that she wouldn't have known how to speak up in her younger years, but as Caroline has been exposed to people with positive food relationships, she has grown.

Caroline thanked food-positive content creators for inspiring her.

@pezzi.shop “Please stand outside the door, not inside. I can do it myself.” Moms of spicy, independent ones we love so much - I see you What act of independence made you late today? #independentkids #toddlerlife #toddlermom #momsofinstagram #momhumor ♬ Can't Get Enough - Jennifer Lopez

She felt armed with knowledge and confidence because of what she has learned on social media.

"So to the accounts that make sure we have the words, knowledge and confidence to write the note and practice it at home, I thank you, thank you, thank you. It has changed our family for the better. What you do and what you share is so important to young families," she wrote.

Not everyone loved Caroline's way of thinking.

Some people felt like she could have gotten her message to the teacher more personally.

One person wrote, "I'm sure the teacher wasn't trying to be cruel… maybe you could have talked to the teacher instead of a passive aggressive note on your 3 year olds lunch?"

This person was really upset. "You could have gone about this in a totally different way. Calling out the teacher in public is offensive," they wrote.

And some felt like the teacher was right on with her thinking.

"Maybe the use of 'good' and 'bad' wasn't the best choice of words but kudos to teacher for telling her to eat main food before dessert. Normal," another comment reads.

More From CafeMom: This 'Lunchable Mom' Just Nailed the Real Problem With School Lunch Shaming

But more people liked her note than didn't.

@pezzi.shop We took a page out of @feedinglittles book (as always!) to incorporate involving our little eaters in the kitchen! Involving the kids in the prep and mealtime experience has proven time and time again to work a little magic in the kids trying - and sometimes liking! - the food! Evelyn in 3 and is working on using scissors, so what better way to involve her in her little taco making than let her cut up some chicken with food-safe scissors. We take these EVERYWHERE with us on the go, but sometimes/often they get a moment at home too Grab yours in the shop! Shipping is free! #feedinglittles #tacotuesday #kidsinthekitchen #blw #babyledweaning #babytraveltips #babyshower #babyregistry #momreels ♬ Noted - PowerHouse

Parents and teachers alike were behind this idea.

"As a former teacher, my thought was the parents packed their kid's lunch with the intent they eat it; in whatever order or amount!" someone wrote.

This person agreed, writing: "As a para that goes to lunch with the kids I ❤️this so much. Eat in whatever order you want, just please eat is my motto."

And there was a lot of this: "What!? They're kids! Who cares what order they eat it in?! Good for you momma!!!"

Caroline, we get it and want to be sure that our kids develop healthy relationships with food from an early age too. And if you packed it, then it's obviously what you want Evelyn to eat. If she's getting anything in her mouth instead of just socializing like so many kids, it's a win!