Letter To My Parents

Maybe it's a letter to ALL parents

Today we'd like to pass along a copy of a letter written by a fourth grade girl to her parents. There seems to be a message in it.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I know I'm not somewhere else, and I could just talk to you, but sometimes you don't seem to listen, so here's a letter that maybe you'll have time to read.

Well, I guess school is going OK this year. I'm in the Pink Group for reading (that's better than the Blue Group which is mostly all boys), and Mrs. Willis says my math is a lot better this year. We're going to start something called geography next week. I hope its more exciting than history.

Recess hasn't been too good lately 'cause the other kids are starting to make fun of me. One of the boys came up to me and went, "Oink! Oink! little piggy!" and some of the girls are teasing me, too. At the lunch room one of them brought me her plate and asked me if I would help her eat it and I got so embarrassed I didn't know what to say. I felt just awful and went to the nurse and she let me lie down in her office for the rest of the day.

When I look in the mirror I see me and ME is beginning to look a little fatter than ME did last year and I don't like it but I don't know what to do. So I need to have you guys help, and that's why I'm writing this letter. When I said, "I don't know what to do" I wasn't really telling the truth because I have some ideas.

First, when you serve the plates, can I have a small plate? And make the servings smaller for me, please? Then if you want me to clean my plate, I won't have to eat so much to do it.

Second, when I'm good or do something nice for you, can I have something besides food for a reward? Maybe we could save up for a bike?

Third, let's have more fruit for dessert for everyone. I know how much you like cake and donuts and stuff, but I think there's a lot of fat and sugar in those things and there's not so much fat and sugar in oranges and apples.

Next, I'd like to be able to talk to you at supper, so could we please not eat so fast? You always seem to be in such a big hurry to eat and then get it over with. Judy told me at her house it takes a WHOLE HOUR to eat supper and they talk all the time and all of them are kind of skinny.

Fifth, teacher told us that it's a good idea to take a walk after supper and maybe we could do that. I know some really neat places we could go. I know you get sleepy and all that, but if we just try it maybe it would get easy after a while.

And you know how Daddy always sits in front of the TV and has to have something to eat like nachos or chips and dip? Then we all have some even when maybe we aren't hungry at all? Let's make a rule never to eat while we're watching TV. You guys have to make the rules because I'm not old enough yet.

And for the last thing, when we need a snack let's have something besides cookies and potato chips. Last week in Health Class we learned that carrots and stuff like that or maybe some nuts are good for you and don't make you fat. Or maybe we could nibble some dried fruit.

I feel so bad when the other kids tease me and I really want you to help me so they don't do that any more. If I can get some more tall and not so much wide then maybe I can help Daddy do the same thing which I'm beginning to think he needs. A-HEM!

With love,

Your daughter.