Snack table at school

Flyboy152

elvis86 wrote: »

Yes! And make yourself the most hated parent amongst the teachers, avoided like the plague at home time and ridiculed in the staff room for your pig-headed, heavy handed attitude and belief that the needs of you and your children should be prioritised over the 29 other children in the class.:cool:

Saying that, I do sympathise with the OP, this snacking table idea seems very strange to me. By all means provide milk and fruit, but surely it would make more sense and instill discipline in the children if these were served at an allocated snack time? The idea of the children sat cross-legged in front of the teacher as she speaks, and being allowed to slope off for a snack whenever they fancy seems really rude, and not behaviour that I would want my child's school to be encouraging.

I just think there are better ways to go about this than going in all guns blazing and making unreasonable demands. At the end of the day, if the school doesn't respond in the way you like, perhaps you have to weigh up whether it warrants moving your child to another school where you do agree with their practices?

But it seems to work, or they wouldn't have it.

melancholly

in one way it's really great that the school is encouraging all the kids to see fruit and veg as snacks in part of everyday eating.... and the kids are clearly eating it so that's one battle won. on the other hand, letting them eat whenever they want seems a bit surprising and not really the best option....

Becles - do they genuinely leave it out all day, or is that what your 4 year old has said? i don't mean to question it but it just really surprising and i know kids aren't necessarily that accurate! presumably they can't just wonder up during activities/lessons? or maybe they just can...? odd.

nottslass_2

JodyBPM wrote: »

I'm probably one of the "affluent" people you refer to, and I must admit, if my children had school lunches, I would only give them cheese/eggs/beans on toast or a sandwich (plus fruit and yoghurt),for dinner. As it is, they take a packed lunch, so I cook them a proper dinner.

Surely children do only need one cooked meal a day? I know some families choose to give their children two cooked meals, but I've always thought it only necessary (and healthier) for them to only have one proper "cooked" meal, and one lighter meal each day.

I agree,one cooked meal a day is enough for any child.

As my DS has schools dinners I certainly don't cook (as my mother would call it) a proper dinner each night, he'll have cheese on toast,omlette or even just a sandwich.

Becles

melancholly wrote: »

in one way it's really great that the school is encouraging all the kids to see fruit and veg as snacks in part of everyday eating.... and the kids are clearly eating it so that's one battle won. on the other hand, letting them eat whenever they want seems a bit surprising and not really the best option....

Becles - do they genuinely leave it out all day, or is that what your 4 year old has said? i don't mean to question it but it just really surprising and i know kids aren't necessarily that accurate! presumably they can't just wonder up during activities/lessons? or maybe they just can...? odd.

Yes - the table is set up with the food on it and they can just wander up whenever they feel like it. It was explained to us at the parents night before the year started, as we have pay £1 a week towards it.

However when it was explained, they just said it was fruit and veg snacks which are healthy and I don't mind her having those.

They never said they put out white bread, bread sticks and cream crackers which is what she is eating most of and it's filling her up with empty calories.

It was better when my boys attended as they had a snack time during the middle of the session, and everyone sat on the carpet and listened to a story while they had their fruit and milk. That way everyone got fed, and there wasn't the temptation to eat all day.

Flyboy152

Becles wrote: »

Yes - the table is set up with the food on it and they can just wander up whenever they feel like it. It was explained to us at the parents night before the year started, as we have pay £1 a week towards it.

However when it was explained, they just said it was fruit and veg snacks which are healthy and I don't mind her having those.

They never said they put out white bread, bread sticks and cream crackers which is what she is eating most of and it's filling her up with empty calories.

It was better when my boys attended as they had a snack time during the middle of the session, and everyone sat on the carpet and listened to a story while they had their fruit and milk. That way everyone got fed, and there wasn't the temptation to eat all day.

Sorry, but what do you consider to be empty calories?

Mupette

I don't think this snack table is doing any good.

It's just promoting grazing on the go, where as, we as parents are trying to teach our children to sit and eat a meal at the table..

Way to go school for undoing our hard work.

elvis86

Flyboy152 wrote: »

But it seems to work, or they wouldn't have it.

I just can't think of one reason why a system whereby the children can get up and wander over to this snack table whenever they please, would be preferable to a designated break-time when each child is issued with milk and fruit etc???

Surely under the current system the teachers cannot monitor who is eating what? Which can lead to problems as in the OP's case where she feels that her child is eating too much (and I completely understand her issue with her daughter filling up on crackers and white bread and subsequently not eating her well balanced evening meal).

If there are underpriviledged kids who are hungry and benefit from food being provided at school, they would still get fed without the table,food would just be provided at a designated time.

Surely this does not prepare the children for later years in school when they will be expected to pay attention during lessons, and chatting and eating is restricted to break/lunch times? It's not brilliant for instilling a sense of discipline, and to be honest I find it quite disrespectful that the teacher can be talking to the class and the children are allowed to wander off for a snack halfway through. I wouldn't want my child to be taught that this was an acceptable way to behave.

andrealm

It does seems a bit odd. I thought most nurseries would have snack time at a sit time and then clear it away. I think I would just give her a smaller lunch before she goes. It may be that she's tired in the evening and doesn't feel like eating much, rather than that she's been eating all the time at nursery.

Personally I wouldn't mind the fact that they are allowed to graze, but I don't understand how they can supervise them all the time at the snack table, especially if they are doing other things like painting.

Becles

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Sorry, but what do you consider to be empty calories?

Foods that are high in calories but are low in nutrients or have no nutrients at all.

White bread and crackers are both high in carbs and don't offer much else. She's filling up on these high carb foods, and then leaving meals such as the roast chicken dinner I mentioned, which is a good mix of unrefined carbs, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Most diet advice says to limit how many refined carbs you eat, so I still can't understand why giving children free access to as much as they want is healthy.

kjmtidea

Oh wow I have never heard of this before, I am glad that my childrens school and playschool don't have this, my lot would just pull up a chair and spend the day there lol.