I am so angry with my sons school ....... and their coments on packed lunches!

[snookhams]

We had a letter home from my youngest DS school yesterday with reference to healthy eating. I have for some time been concerned that the Headmaster is going around at lunch time critising the children for contents of their packed lunches - consequently DS often comes home having eaten only 1/2 a sandwich. Don't get me wrong I applaud the school for having healthy eating high on its agenda - what I object to is the comments made to the children about their lunches - DS doesn't make his lunch I do and therefore if the school has a comment to make it should be to me surely. I could understand if my son was overweight, took no exercise and had nothing but bags of crisps in his lunch - none of these apply to him - he is under the local health centre for being underweight for his height and partly due to a problem with his mouth when he was born, that was not corrected until he was almost 2, he is quite a fussy eater. This said we follow a very healthy diet mainly for eldest DS sake so that he can reach his full potential as a swimmer. Almost everything in DS lunchbag is homemade including the bread and contains no additives - yesterday DS was critised for having a bag of unsalted low fat crisps and a chocolate muffin in his lunch - i have previously explained to the head that the muffins have no sugar and actually no chocolate (just some cocoa powder) in them and cornmeal as a flour substitute that is high in carbohydrates but DS was told that he can't have 2 treats in his lunch, consequently he is not eating his lunches and coming home from school hungry........ has anyone elses childs school started acting like this

 

[vicky1bfc]

Lucky no but i would be if they did.

I'm all for healthy eating but what has it got to do with the school.Who do they think they are going round looking whats in childrens lunches.

 

[Minniespal]

I wonder why they have not spoken with you directly instead of speaking with your DS.

Perhaps they should do that and then maybe your DS would eat all of his lunch instead of bringing it home.

 

[snookhams]

I would be far happier had they approached me directly - but even so, how does the saying go ' everything in moderation'!!!

 

[wils]

Grief! Regardless of what they think they shouldn't be putting a child off their dinner and leaving them hungry.

I hope you can sort them out

 

[Ware Bears]

Like you, I would be furious if my DDs school did this.

I am all for healthy eating but a little of what you fancy doesn't do anyone any harm. Its not like you are putting bags of sweets in his lunch-box, is it!

P.S. Slightly off-topic but I know one mum who never let her children eat any crisps/cakes/sweets. Now her kids are older, guess where they are always to be found? Yes, stuffing their faces outside the local sweet shop.

 

[alisonbestford]

DD's school won't let them take cheese strings / strips or Winders (too messy apparently ).
They're also not allowed to take crisps or biscuits for snack time anymore and no fizzy drinks (fair enough on the fizzy pop stance )

For quite a while DD brought food home, uneaten, because she wasn't sure it was 'allowed'!!

DD always used to take a packet of crisps for snack and really struggled at first just having a piece of fruit or veg, provided by the school.
Now I've actually convinced her to eat breakfast, rather than just push it round her plate, things have settled somewhat

 

[carolfoy]

I'd go mad if I were you, that smacks of bullying to me.
My son has been a real fussy eater and his lunchbox consists of the same thing every single day, its the only way I know he'll get a full tum. He has a roll with ham (yes, white!!! so what?) a cereal bar, a yogurt pouch or 'frube tube' and a chocolate cake or biscuit. He's very healthy and is finally up to the right weight for his height.
One of my very dear friends spent about 7 years training to be a dietician, she has been working in a childrens hospital for years and has constantly taught parents and children the right and wrong things to eat. How dismayed was she to have a child who would ONLY eat alphabetti spaghetti for the first 5 years of his life???
I haven't noticed too many kids with ricketts/scurvy around recently, yes there are a few overweight ones but thats due to lack of exercise more than anything else.

 

[angel659]

Hi

I would go mad at the headmaster. How dare he. Yes its good to be thinking healthy, but thats over the top. Honestly the way people go on about it I am not surprised if the next generation are anorexic.

My dd school say no choc, sweets, or fizzy. They do not offer a hot meal at her school and my dd is fussy. Trying to fill her pack lunch bag is hard work. After Easter apparently her school will be offering hot food. I might put Casey onto school dinners. She seems to come home starving. Not everything is eaten. I am still not sure why whethers its her choice or she has a certain time to eat things. More than likely she just wants to play.

 

[UKDEB]

Wouldn't you love to catch the Head in the pub with a pie and a pint?

 

[carolfoy]

Wouldn't you love to catch the Head in the pub with a pie and a pint?

Exactly!!
I'd go out of my way to spy on his own eating habits!!!
Just point out Snookhams that your kid is superfit and healthy, after all he's a champion swimmer and EVERYONE knows that swimming is the best form of exercise! Ask the head if he'd like to race against him.

 

[snookhams]

Wouldn't you love to catch the Head in the pub with a pie and a pint?

I did ask DS if they are allowed to inspect the headmasters lunch - you'll never guess what the answer was

DS takes almost the same every day today he has- a ham sandwich (although have just managed to get him to try wraps as well - but will still only have ham) cherry tomatoes, unsalted crisps, a harvest chewey bar ( it does have choc chips in it but these are the only ones he will eat and they are low in fat), and fresh orange juice. They are only allowed fruit at morning break as well.

 

[KayleeUK]

I would be fuming!!!!!!!

 

[Merylj]

What a cheek - I wonder if the school meals they serve up are hearty and nutritious?
Just last week at my nieces school the Head didn`t approve of a pupils packed lunch and this child was made to have a school dinner.
I agree speak to the parents and not the kids!

 

[Deedee]

I am a lunch time supervisor at a primary school, ok we are all for healthy eating but as long as a child eats enough thats what matters, mind you, you would be surprised what some mothers send for their kids to eat!! All our meals are cooked in our school and i must say our cook in wonderfull we could all sit and eat a meal before the kids come in! but recently we have had inspectors in checking to see what we are serving up. Whats it got to do with them anyway. There is so much pressure on schools its unfair we all blame Jamie Oliver! At the end of the day a child will only eat what it likes and we would rather see that than a child ill through not eating. I would go and see the head and tell him to butt out.

 

[scojos]

i agree, it d be spitting chips too...
we had the same trhing a few months ago, after the jamie oliver debacle, and were told, no fizzy pops, fair enough, no nut products, due to kids with allergies (far enough too, but have you seen the amount of products that contain nut or nut products??) Anyway, no "crap" sorry, am i allowed to say that? My eldest is a footy player, plays in the league along with 7 of his year mates, they are encouraged to eat a high carb low fat diet (scott is on a resticted diet for his adhd anyway). They were criticised for having jaffa cakes! If they are good for premier ship players, why can t the kids eat them? Its all gone around on itself now, and the junk they serve for hot dinners sccares me
I do give my kids healthy food, im a food technology teacher so its a subject very close to my heart, and i would agree with another poster, you should see what some of the kids eat (did food diaries with year 8, some of them only eat takeaways, and i mean every night...
you are a good mother, dont beat yourself up because idiots stand in judgement

tracy

 

[AlanUK]

I'd be fuming I'd probably say something rude to the head and be the first parent 'excluded' from school

 

[mrs-mac]

I think this country has gone mad!!

I understand a good diet is extremely important to our children and thats how we endeavour to feed our kids BUT how dare people who are there to teach our children stand in judgement of what they are eating. That, as parents is our job Like someone previously said 'everything in moderation'!!!

My youngest DS's school wont allow sweets in their lunch boxes which is fine but what really annoys me is when i send an apple, they tell him you havent got time to eat that!! Most days he will return with something left in his lunch box cause the dinner ladies have told him, he's run out of time

l say butt out and let us know whats best for our kids!!!!

 

[mark&sue]

I am so fed up with the way things are going in this country telling us how to run our lives but not punishing the real criminals.

I normally try and ignore any threads to do with schools.

sorry I will try to calm down now.


Susan

 

[pokemon_master]

I would be fuming too, but I don't have kids...

Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a sit down with the head and explain your sons dietry problems. And if that doesn't work, you could always get a docter's note.

Our school is not that health food crazy; I eat lots of junk in my lunchbox and they have never complained or made a fuss. Not even when the healthy eating craze did hit our school!

I hope you do get this all sorted out.