If you’re a parent with young sprogs, chances are you will have had plenty of convos in 2016 at the school gate debating the issue of schools banning birthday cake. This has actually been going on for several years, with a Dorset primary school leading the charge against frosting back in 2011, but more schools are joining the ban each year.

“What has poor, delicious birthday cake ever done to you?”, I hear you cry!

Well I have happy memories of class mates bringing in sweets on their birthday- usually the wealthy ones with immaculately dressed mothers- but I don’t really remember cake being a ‘thing’.

But it seems these days it is the norm for classes of 30+ pupils to bring in birthday cake, which can end up being every week!

It’s the relentless serving up of these cakes that causes disruption to the school schedule while teachers struggle to eat it all. I jest of course, but the fact is that with so much cake going round there is real concern about the sugar levels being consumed and growing obesity in little ones.

Throw allergies into the mix and you’re just asking for a synchronised teacher meltdown.

Defending a local school imposing the ban, the mayor of Blackpool, Peter Callow, said: “I’m sure there will be people in the town who will think it’s overcautious, but the teachers are the people on the frontline and the decision is theirs.”

The frontline?! That’s serious stuff right there.

With teachers increasingly held personally liable for every little incident at school, it leaves them justifiably worried about allergens/contaminants that could be lurking in that delicious piece of homemade cake. Not to mention that I don’t know a single family alive who has a kitchen that would pass a health and safety inspection! That’s the reserve of serious pro cakers like Anges.

And even if your kiddywink trotted into school with their birthday cake accompanied by a full ingredient list, would you really want the teachers stopping their work to comb through the potential hazards?

Of course it’s totally brutal to watch a kid with allergies sit out the good stuff, and I would be furious if my child ate something at school that made them ill, but what’s the solution?

I can’t help but wonder whether schools are overstepping the mark in certain areas and taking over a parent’s duty. Because if my child had allergies, I’d be super hot on educating them on what to look out for so they can take responsibility for it. The same goes for sugar and the big obesity debate. The whole problem is not in having a slice of birthday cake, it’s not understanding moderation and nutrition from an early age.

Sure, I can see how exercising moderation could be tricky for a 7-year-old when there’s a birthday every week, so I think I agree with those that say birthday cake is for parties and social gatherings, not the classroom.

I mean, can you imagine a child coming into class with one of our Frozen themed cakes?!

I totally wouldn’t blame the teachers for confiscating THAT beauty and whisking it off to the staff room. But maybe it’s best ordered for a special birthday party with friends and family?

Everything in moderation, including the good stuff in life!