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This mom was food-shamed by her daughter's teacher over birthday cake

When this mom sent a slice of cake in with her daughter's lunch, she never expected this type of response.
/ Source: TODAY

Turns out, some schools don't approve of kids having their cake and eating it, too.

A recent Facebook post is garnering attention for its not-so-sweet message. The post displays a snapshot of an assertive note one mom received from her 3-year-old daughter's teacher about the child's lunch.

According to Melinda Tankard Reist, a friend of the mom and the one who publicly posted the picture of the negative note online, the "chocolate slice" was just one part of the young girl's lunch that day.

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In the bold note, which depicts an unhappy face in red at the top, there's a message to "please choose healthier options for Kindy."

According to Reist, the school policy requests that "processed" cake and biscuits not be sent in. The sweet slice actually was from a homemade cake created for the child's brother's birthday and, as per family tradition, leftovers were sent to school the next day as part of lunches.

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Reist, who declined to identify her friend or the school, thinks that the school overstepped its boundaries. "I understand that harried teachers are most likely trying to carry out school policy while not being trained dietitians. But I'm concerned about where this approach takes us," Reist told TODAY.

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She continued: "My biggest concern is where shaming around food takes us. When children see food as 'good’ or ‘bad’ it can set them up for eating disorders. Some eating-disorder specialists I work with say messages around obesity are contributing to food anxiety and contributing to disordered eating behaviors in children."

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