A mom from New Hampshire found herself at the center of an unexpected parenting debate after a note from her son’s teacher pushed her to make a drastic decision.
Megan Peavey shared her experience on TikTok, explaining that she pulled her toddler out of preschool after being “snack-shamed” by his teacher. The incident unfolded when Megan found a note written on her son’s empty Pringles container. The note read: “Please help us make healthy choices at school.”
@peaveymegan #repost #momsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Megan PV
Megan didn’t hold back her frustration. “They snack-shamed my three-year-old,” she said in her video. “And they snack-shamed me with that passive-aggressive message.”
In her household, Megan explained, they avoid labeling foods as “healthy” or “unhealthy” because such language, she believes, can lead to harmful relationships with food. “That’s how eating disorders start,” she pointed out.
She turned to her followers for advice, asking, “What would you do? Isn’t this ridiculous? Because I think it is.”
The video sparked a flood of comments from other parents and educators. One user shared a similar story, writing, “My niece, who’s seven, wasn’t allowed to eat her snack because it was ‘unhealthy.’ She had to sit and watch others eat.” Another preschool teacher chimed in, saying, “I’d never tell a family to ‘make healthy choices.’ My students get chips with sandwiches and fresh fruit.”
@peaveymegan Part one of pringle gate update #update #momsoftiktok #viral ♬ original sound – Megan PV
Some commenters even offered humorous solutions. One quipped, “Send more Pringles tomorrow with a note saying, ‘When you buy it, you can decide the snack.’”
In a follow-up video, Megan revealed that she took the issue up with the school director. She expressed her disappointment with how the situation was handled, especially since the teacher chose to communicate via a message scrawled on what Megan described as “a piece of trash.”
The director stood by the school’s stance, reminding Megan that parents had been asked to send in “healthy snacks.” But Megan felt the definition of “unhealthy” was subjective. “I didn’t think Pringles were that bad,” she explained. “I mean, they’re not Cheetos or candy bars. I packed them with yogurt, fruit, and granola bars. Is that really so terrible?”
@peaveymegan Part II ~*~*~* #update #momsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Megan PV
To Megan’s dismay, the school didn’t apologize. Instead, they informed her that her son no longer had a spot in their summer program. Feeling disrespected, Megan decided to withdraw her son from the school entirely. “I walked downstairs, checked him out, and that was it. We’re done there,” she said.
Megan, who has a background in mental health counseling, concluded her series of videos with a firm stance against food shaming. “I won’t let my kids develop an eating disorder because a school is labeling foods as healthy and unhealthy. That, to me, is what’s truly unhealthy.”
The story has sparked a broader conversation about how schools approach food choices and communicate with parents. What do you think? Did Megan overreact, or was she right to stand her ground? Share your thoughts and tag a friend who’d have strong opinions on this!
