the politics of a lunch box

Who doesn't get nostalgic thinking about a lunch box? It's jammed packed with emotion. Remembering the good old days, the anticipation of lunchtime (only to be confronted with the cold reality of what my parents considered healthy vs. the Hostess frenzy going on around me; but I digress), the urge to provide your tot with just what s/he needs to get them through the day, the special note or sticker placed lovingly inside so they know you're thinking about them, negotiating what hideous character (or lack there of, in my - and some others -opinion) should appear on the front.

In today's world there seem to be many rules about the box itself and what goes inside and what it all says about you (I mean them. It's all about the kids, right?).

Some are clear: no peanuts, peanut butter, peanut dust or anything made with peanuts or processed in a factory that uses peanuts or any product that has ever been touched by a person with peanuts on their breath, for that matter.

Others are couched as "suggestions" by the preschool Nazis: "Please don't send any food in a container that can't be opened by your child" (uhm, well...what kind of mood is he in at that exact moment in time? He's three for Christ's sake, are you going to help him if he needs it, or just let him starve to death??). "We frown upon the use of plastic bags here." (gee, really? because I know he can open that, which rule is more important to you?). "Please don't send any treats of any kind (even healthy ones)." WTF? (Does the carrot/banana/granola muffin I made with my own two hands with whole wheat flour and half the called for sugar count as a treat? It's the only way I know to get carrots down his gullet at this point, so you tell me).

And then there's the end of the day inspection of the box. (Not in front of the tot, of course! don't want to start off this educational process by hinting at an eating disorder of any kind.) What does it mean that they sent the top of the yogurt home with him? Where's the container itself? Did I use the wrong container? I did, right? I'm sure I did. Are you trying to tell me that I'm a bad environmentalist? Is yogurt considered a treat??? Why is that muffin that he scarfs down in front of me still in the box and the apple slices are gone? No way did the Bean CHOSE apple slices over a muffin. Did they confiscate the muffin, only to return it to the box to send me some sort of message?

Perhaps I'm looking to find meaning where none exists. I most certainly care too much about what the pre-school staff thinks about me and my family by what appears inside Bean's non-character lunch box. Maybe this is just all new for me too.