General Chat

It irritates me to hear that schools can dictate what food children can and cannot take to school. I am very much all for a healthy diet, but there is little point in preventing a child eat sweets in school then stuffing themselves silly in the evening eating junk food. In my opinion nobody has the right to say what a child actually needs or doesn't need... not even parents ... what hypocrites we would be!! How many people only eat what they actually need ..... ? Nobody ... What a boring diet that would be!! We all should have a varied and interesting diet which includes carbohydrate. It is very much up to schools to educate children about healthy living including diets and provide sufficient exercise for children. They even could go as far as advising and suggesting recipe ideas etc. but they should not dictate. Martin

It sounds like we have been lucky with my eldest daughter's infant school. They have adopted the government initiative for fruit/veg provided by the school at first break. The fruit tends to be a bit small, but so are alot of the children! My picky child now has expanded what she will eat through peer pressure. Quite often she comes out of school munching another carrot or something because they have let the kids take from the excess. I have not heard of any restrictions on packed lunches. Birthday sweets are only issued at going home time - gives them a nice sugar high for the parents! Has anyone else had the caterer changed at school since Jamie Olivier did his series? It really seemed to shake things up. Loads of letters home assuring us of how wholesome the meals were from the original suppliers, then the anouncement that another caterer was taking over that would be the best for our kids (with increase in price, naturally!). I suspect they just gave all the meals healthy sounding names instead of kid appeal ones :) Vicky

Crikey Teri ! The school should be reported ! We must wash the fruit and prepare it as requested in the guidelines in the pack..(such as carrots, strawberries etc) Guidelines also state roughly what the amount is going to be for each child, such as 3- 4 strawberries each etc.. Also none of the kids are forced to eat it. If a child dislikes something then they dont put a peice on the plate. Or if they try a peice (as encouraged) and dislike it, it gets thrown away. The children are always encouraged to drink something at these times though. Elaine x

Crikey, didn't expect to provoke this much response! I can see the schools point, but as a few have pointed out, childen shouldn't be brought up thinking that some food is 'bad', and therefore you cannot take away from them the things they are used to having - they would feel punished, but we can introduce other things. Our school did have a fruit and veg scheme in place, for the first part of year 1, but the stuff they were giving them was awful (not much variety either) and a lot of the children got upset telling parents that they were told they had to eat them. My youngest used to stash hers in her bag and bring it home, I got fed up of fetching carrots out of bag, still with tops and tails on and sometimes not washed very well. I questioned thisand was told that was how they arrived at the school, when I asked the head if he would eat a dirty carrot still sprouting green leaves he said no! so why should my 6 year old....... I'm not a whinging mother that the teachers hide from!! (at least I hope not) I just want my childrens school time to be happy......

Just a thought... How many kids who have a choccy bar or simular in their lunch box eat it first?...my kids would eat that and leave most their sarnie. Also the older kids who do not get free snacks, often are old enough not to need snacks. My 10 year old son stopped having snacks at 7. But it was because he felt he never needed them. Also he was hungry enough to eat all his lunch too. At lunchtime, kids also dont get that long to eat...well they do, but most want to finish up and get into the playground. Mine have a sarnie and a packet of chrisps (which is allowed) and a drink....any more than this and it comes home uneaten. They have a good dinner when they come home. And a good breakfast in the morning so they dont need several items for lunch. E x

At our primary we have a healthy free snack time policy . Reception, year one and two have fruit such as apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, cucumber, celery etc are given with a drink. Older pupils may bring in healthy snack such as fruit, veg, dried fruit or cheese. (If the child has dietry problems compromises are met) Its not allowed for pupils to bring in items such as cake, chocolate or sweets for snack time Pupils are encouraged to bring in healthy packed lunches. However many bring in what they like, but sweets are still not allowed to be eaten in school, and the parents will be told if they continue to flout this rule. Birthday sweets are allowed in achool, but these are given to the teacher at the start of the day, and the child hands them out as they que to leave the classroom at the end of the day. The children dont seem to have a problem with all these rules, only a few parents who may moan that little johnny will have a chocolate bar or sweets for snack because they say so, (not as if parents cannot leave chocolate and sweets until after school ..) (After all, it's unfair that little johnny sits there in the playground/classroom chomping on his wonka bar, whilst the other kids shout 'unfair !' ) Elaine x

Happy Birthday Teri, I agree with you. My grandson starts school next week. They only live 3 doors away from school but are not allowed to go home for dinner. (security I expect) but they are allowed a packed lunch which is a good thing as he is a bit of a fussy eater. But he loves fruit (rather have that than crisps or sweeties). we are glad of this as with a packed lunch at least we will know he has eaten. He has been at nursery this past 12 month and every day they got either a piece of fruit or carrot for their break. Perhaps a list of suitable food sent out would make sure that all the children took suitable packed lunches would be an answer. Germaine x

If you're feeding a child a balanced diet, there is nothing wrong with a lunchbox containing a sandwich containing cheese, ham, chicken or peanut butter, plus a chocolate biscuit or bag of crisps and an apple, banana or satsuma. Carbohydrate is a necessary part of a child's diet to give them energy and help see them through the day. Once again, the majority of sensible people are being penalised because of a minority of 'can't be bothereds'. Why should everyone else be dictated to because of inadequate parents? Schools should be encouraging more physical activity to promote a healthy lifestyle, and parents should take more care over what children are given to eat at home when they're toddlers. If you get them used to eating vegetables and fruit when they're small, they may of course develop individual tastes later on, but the chances are there is something they will like. I used to hate being forced to drink school milk when I was little. I've never liked milk, and I used to give my bottle to other children who wanted too, but if the teacher caught me, I was told off. I got milk in milkshakes, batter dishes, puddings, etc, at home - I didn't need it. Now, I don't see why everybody has to be forbidden things and be treated the same because some children are overweight. Some people are naturally a heavier build and 'one size does NOT fit all'. Has Communism really taken such a hold in this country? CB >|<

I am all for healthy eating (says her who is don't practice what she preach) but i object to being dictated to. I think the school should not take these items away from the children at school, but could contact the parent and ask if they would mind not putting choc bars in the childs lunch box. Also to take these off a child in front of other children would embarrass the child. I have to say i would react as you did. Shirley Ann.

I think schools should get on with teaching and let parents do the parenting, as someone has already said, they will be telling us which colour pants to wear next. June xx

Hope you had a great birthday Teri. Our school gives fruit for free everyday to key stage one children but soon as they are in key stage 2 they stop, why? As to healthy food only, thats ok to a point but i have a child who is extremely fussy, born premature, has dyspraxia so in early days of learning to eat had a few problems i would be really stuck with him. Ok he will eat sandwiches and fruit but i would be stuck after that and too much brown bread gives him the diahorrea so it would have to be white. Also my concern is storing the the sandwich boxes in a hot cupboard in a hot classroom its bad enough have warm sandwiches but warm salad etc would not entice kids to eat healthy. Star

Sorry - i am with the school. It isn't making an issue about food, its only you doing that! Why does a child need chocolate in their lunchbox? If you are using the chocolate as a reward for eating everything else then you , agian , are making an issue out of food. What they are tring to do is HELP you as parents to encourage your children to eat healthily- if school dinner were an option now would you have a problem with them giving your child chips everyday? I guess ''probably''. If no-one has chocolate then they aren't going to miss it - if you feel that your child needs that chocolate then meet her at the school gates at the end of the day and eat it going home. They are on your side here, not fighting you! Please dont put your child in the position, that food that you know to be forbidden ,is taken away from her.that isn't fair. She could see that as Punishment for something she hasn't done. Jess

teri hope you had a good birthday! You sound like you give your kids a balanced lunch but trust me not all parents are like you.... I know mine weren't!! I think limiting the amount of junk food kids eat is a sensible thing..... and if they do it right it won't be depriving the child just showing them that there is a time and a place for certain foods!! And we too had to wear a ceratin colour of underwear with our uniform..... especially for sports.... BOTTLE GREEN of all colours!! :O) Pink xx

My old school did! 46 years ago there used to be petticoat inspections in case we were trying to puff out our regulation skirts with frilly net petticoats, and if you were noticed during the inspection, wearing anything other than the regulation grey bloomers, you were straight to the headmistresses' room!!

Teri, Happy Birthday! And I agree with you. It's not for the school to say what children can and can't eat. My son took snack lunches to school which always included a selection of crisps, chocolate, biscuits, cake and fruit. I lost count of the number of battered apples, half-eaten satsumas, etc he brought home, as they weren't allowed to put food rubbish in the school bins, but the other stuff was always eaten. I let him have what he liked for lunch because he had a good, old-fashioned, home-cooked dinner every evening with us, when his Dad came home from work. Dinner in our house always includes plenty of veg or salad and fruit afterwards. He's never put on much weight - 10st 7lb at 5ft 10in tall, he has very good skin, healthy hair and has never had a tooth filled in his 26 years. He eats fruit and vegetables every day now of his own accord. If it was me, I'd tell the school where to get off. Damned cheek! They're there to teach, not to preach. CB >|<

Our school does not permit anyone to bring nuts to school as we have a child who has a severe allergy. Our headteacher has also recently banned the bringing in of sweets to school when a child has a birthday to celebrate. This has caused a bit of a hoohaa, but on the other hand, sweets aren't a necessary part of a child's diet and it is hard to say that a school promotes healthy eating and then allows lots of sugary snacks. last year we took part in a scheme which gave all the infants a piece of fruit or veg each day - apples, carrots, bananas and satsumas. The junior children are allowed to bring in their own piece of fruit and this has been a successful scheme so far. nell

I agree totally Roxanne, but I just think its a shame. When they get to senior school, they mostly operate a canteen system and the 'snack confiscation' won't be done, so its undo-ing all the hard work...... chips with everything I don't want my children growing up thinking that certain foods are 'bad', this will just make them want them all the more (bit like me and chocolate) I have terrible relation with food because of this and hence I have a weight problem, thats not the way I want my girls to go, everything in moderation, surely is better than NO! they need more food education in schools........ starting with the parents

Teri, 1st of all Happy Birthday, and 2nd I'm with you on this one, if we want our kids to eat healthy, then a small treat for eating the pasta, fruit, and othe things is what I call a compromise, and isn't that the grown up way, it is bretter than tan-trums.... Bev

Your children seem to have a very balanced diet, this is not the case with some parents unfortunatley, I think its good idea, obesity is a huge problem these days and if it teaches healthy eating its a good idea, only my opinion. roxanne

Cheers Bec, drop by the welcome in later for a slice of cake and a ride on the tractor x x