Packed lunch

[B00]

Just wanted to run some thing past you guys as i'm not sure whether to be really annoyed and go into school tomorrow to say something or just to let it go....

My 5 year old has a packed lunch for school, and today I sent her off with a cheese sandwich, a yoghurt, an orange (already cut up for her) and a cake bar type thing. On the way home from school she came out with "I'm not allowed chocolate (the cake bar) as Mrs A...... says it's bad for your teeth"..!! Now I know schools are trying to promote healthy eating etc, and apart from the offending choc bar, I thought I had this pretty well covered with todays dinner.

I'm A-annoyed that the teacher saw fit to *** off my daughters lunch to her and B- not say it to me instead and C- worried that it could cause hang ups regarding food to an impressionable 5 year old.

I mean c'mon, it was one measly chocolate cake bar, nothing serious- right?

Should I go into school tomorrow and tactfully (well try to be tactful) tell the teacher to butt out of what I put in my daughters lunch bag?

Opinions please :-)

[Pottyone]

I've been there with my son's school - they are only allowed fruit as their morning snack. My son eats fruit but is faddy with it and likes his apple chopped up, which means it goes brown, unless covered in lemon juice (yuk). The answer I got was that they had won a healthy eatng bronze award, or something equally trivial, and that the School Council had agreed to the rule of only fruit at break times. This made me laugh as I know at least one kid on the School Council who doesn't eat any fruit! Tho to the school it appears to be very important I really think they should butt out of what we put in our kid's packed lunch. There are no overwieight kids in my son's class, only 1 in the whole year, and that child is still overweight despite the school's rules, plus its none of their business anyway. I like the comment about school dinners having puddings though I will use that one too. If I was you I would say something as it is unfair that they speak to a 5 year old about it. I think they should send a letter home to all parenst so they know what the rules are.

[B00]

well truth be told Red, she said it to me as we were going into the corner shop for a Kinder Egg, rofl.

[redcrx]

pmsl! she may have wanted 2 before the teacher had a word lol

[cazzz1975]

its a policy in all primary schools I think now, any kind of junk (crisps, cakes, chocolate mousse/chocolate desserts ect) are banned. my daughter had school dinners when she was at primary school they only offered fruit at snack times, fizzy drinks were banned, juice or flavoured water was all that was allowed.

of course now she is in secondary school and its a haze of junk food in the dining hall, all the healthy eating policys are out of the window for 95% of the kids

[annie0000]

What annoys me is that the kids like yours or mine that have a healthy lunch with a treat thrown in are the ones that suffer from these rules, the ones that actually need them will have 5 chocolate bars secreted about their person but nothing bad in their lunch box. Let your wee one hide it in her knicker elastic.

[saxy_jag]

Have a look at this: http://www.teenweight...dlunches_bdang006.pdf . It's aimed more at teenagers, but it's prepared by the BDA and states that it's OK to include some chocolate etc. in a packed lunch, as long you maintain a healthy balance.

I wouldn't imagine the theory is much different for a five year old and in any case I'd rather accept the advice of the experts over that of some know-all teacher.

[B00]

lol annie, like your thinking. Sadly, whereas im a sneaky sod and id happily do something like that, my little one loves school so much, the thought of doing anything "bad" there would mortify her.

Thanks saxy, will have a mooch round that site now :-)

[annie0000]

Slight deviation in topic, but did you catch that Jo Frost (Supernanny) thing last week where she was showing the appropriate portion size for an 8 year old? My 8 year old was gobsmacked. a) that she was telling people how to avoid being overweight when she was hardly mrs skinny herself and b) because the portion's were miniscule.

I think she fails to realise that a child actually doesn't need many fewer calories than a woman (not a woman of her dimensions though!) and that 8 year olds come in many sizes and appetites and do differing levels of excercise. My 8 year old is 4 foot 8 and a quarter of a 6 inch pizza wouldn't even touch the sides - especially after swimming about 40 lengths or playing rugby for an hour and a half!!

[B00]

Lol, no annie, didn't see it- though I do like watching them if i remember they're on. And good Lord, 4 foot 8 at 8?? Blimey! That's some height!

i dunno, i guess im just annoyed when there's scruffy kids who go to that school, with pants at half mast, hair all over place and skinny as lats, and i bet nothing is said about their well-being to their parents, they'd more than likely get a punch in their gobs for their troubles if they did. and then there's a cake bar in a 5 year olds butty box they seem to have got their knickers in a twist about.

It's a mad world innit?

[DEN53]

B00 - I would pack a toothbrush and toothpaste in with the cake bar, but then I do love to wind the establishment up (;0 D

[annie0000]

I agree it's a mad world - my school hasn't tried to impose anything yet thank god. Yes he is a tall lad, but my 9 year old is 4 foot 11 so he has a bit of catching up to do. They are both expected to be somewhere between 6'3 and 6'7 when full grown. Neither of them are fat, but due to the swimmimg, rugby and judo are not skinny waifs either. They like to eat and I don't see the problem with it as they are very active, healthy and not overweight for their height.

Sometimes I think they wont be happy until all kids have eating disorders, they should concentrate their efforts where they are needed.

[sophie_1003]

Perhaps they're going for their "Healthy School Award" and in some cases the snacks on offer in the staff room sometimes come under scrutiny as well as children's lunches. What really annoys me about 'healthy eating' is that children (especially younger ones) are taught that sweets and chocolates are bad and fruit is good but what about everything in moderation and a balanced diet?

[annie0000]

is there not some evidence to show that the acid in fruit is equally damaging to their teeth?

[sophie_1003]

yep annie, that's another reason why teaching that fruit=healthy is misleading!

[4getmenot]

I had the best pack lunches at school, mum used to make mini pizzas from half a bread roll, mmmmmm, and I had crisps and chocolate

[ummmm]

4get...My Mum sent us with sugar sandwiches to go with our banana....

[chattykathy]

I think the teacher may have misunderstood the food policy. A cake is allowed as part of a balanced diet and that's why they provide them with a school lunch. I'd ask the teacher for the policy, in fact it should have already been shown to you when your daughter started school. School do have every right to say what they will allow a breaktimes - they have to teach about healthy eating in the curriculum so it wouldn't be good practice to allow chocolate, crisps etc to be eaten every day. As most of the others have said we should eat these things in moderation and view them as special treats. As I'm sure you know there is an obesity problem in the country and schools have to play a part in encouraging healthy eating and physical activity.Have a look at this website to get more information www.schoolsfoodtrust.org.uk - it explains the Government's food standards and gives lots of ideas on packed lunches for parents.

[4getmenot]

eeeeeeeuuuugh

[poodicat]

Boo their are alot of fat teachers out there,lets look at what they eat for Lunch?