Where there's muck there's brass

Eager_Elephant

Oh Ruby, I think those of us with children have had this dilemma before.

Personally my brothers and sisters had school dinners everyday - how my parents afforded it I will never know as there were 6 of us:eek: and we actually enjoyed them even 15 years ago.

My children have had school dinners a few times a week since they started primary although now my son is at high school he has packed lunch otherwise he only buys cake and crisps :mad:

My daughter is 8 so quite near in age to some of yours, I will ignore my DS as he is 14 :rotfl:

IN my daughters school once a term we get a menu rota so we sat down and she picked 2 meals per week which she liked and they are the days she has school dinners (surprisingly not Friday for chips as she hates fish :rotfl:). Could you do this with your children, do you know in advance what is on the menu?

I know we are lucky in that the school dinners in this area are brilliant and also my DD's school cook is also her childminder :T. (I have tasted them myself as I sometimes help out in the school kitchens)

On the other days DD helps to make her lunch, so she butters her roll or gets the filling for the roll or a wrap and then she also decides what else she would like.

Typically she has a roll/wrap with either chicken, cheese and pickle (the new favourite) or cheese and cucumber etc, a bag of crisps, a piece of fruit and a cereal bar/choc bar/fairy cake plus a drink.
Obviously the crisps can be omitted for something healthy like bread sticks etc.

Sometimes she has taken leftovers from the night before such as pasta or rice which she will have cold - if she has this she then only has some fruit as it is so filling.

In the summer I have made her boxed salads which go down well.

Could you speak to the children to see what they would like for lunch and within reason make sure it is available and then in the evenings after tea they can help make their lunch for the morning or even in the morning?

I think children like to have some input into their lunch and if they can get into the routine of making lunch themselves with supervision it will help you in the long run.

If they ask for lunchables then make you own version with crackers, sliced ham and chunks of cheese in different pots and then they can make their own :T

I agree with chev (up there I think ^) who said we get too hung up on hot meals, something easy is fine and now it is getting colder do you have a slow cooker which you can use?

DD has requested sweet potato stew for tea tonight so that is what we will have as she only eats with us one night of the week.

I am lucky in that DD goes to a childminder 4 nights a week so she gets fed there while the rest of us don't eat until 6.45ish. On the nights I don't cook cos DH has acupuncture DS has noodles :eek:, relative has noodles or a rice thing and DH has cheese on toast and I have something equally easy but it has not killed us yet :rotfl:

If you want any more help/opinions give us a shout.

RubySewSew

Thank you everybody

I have decided to scrap the school dinners - I think the boys will do almost anything to go back to sandwiches!! I'm going to wait until after half term so that I can try and get some batch cooking done and you're right, occasional school dinners, soups and bread, beans on toast etc won't kill anyone. I think stir frys will be a good option to. Any ideas for quick and nutritious meals would be really appreciated. I have a fussy pescetarian and a grumpy 6 year old! I am going to have to default to jars and freezer food a bit more and the boys are going to have to help out.

Boo to yucky school dinners!!

I am slowly, slowly, slowly starting to feel a bit more in control. My cousin came to help me today with paperwork. We managed to get student loan deferred, debt management plan set up and a rebate! I have emailed council about council tax benefit and also reckon I should be eligible for heating grant and insulation grant. Karma however, was a little bit cruel - locking my cousin out of her car The battery died and the central locking with it. We busted the lock for the boot before eventually having to smash a window. Doesn't seem very fair when she came all this way to help me. And now she has to drive along the M4 in the freezing cold.

I have decided not to pursue the gtp next year for family reasons. And within 12 hours of making that decision I bumped into the PE co-ordinator for the new local academy who has asked me to quote for circus workshops and an afterschool club :)

So lots of training. Bit of cleaning, tidying and decluttering this weekend. Some budgeting, some baking, some lying in bed! Feels like life is starting to get a little bit easier. Perhaps I'm turning the corner?

RubySewSew

Is a little bit pee'd off with the Pauline Quirke Academy who told me that membership for DS2 would be £42.50 a month (a big commitment) and have just received the forms to discover that it is actually £82.50 a month. Presents me with a bit of a dilemma

Eager_Elephant

Just catching up from yesterday - my children love stir fry and the best bit for them is choosing what goes in and then helping to prepare it - I know some of your's won't be able to help too much with sharp knives but they might be able to do mushrooms.

How lovely that your cousin came to help but urgh to the fact her battery died - I am so glad you had someone who you could take to and then helped you with everything.

Hope you have a good weekend.

I think £82.50 per month for someone with no debt is a lot so for someone with debt it is way to much - just think how much stuff you and the boys can do together for that money instead of just one of you having a good time.

I assume it is a drama school - are there not any other's near you?

Lemon_Tree

boy that's one heck of a price rise from conversation to a letter.

Eager_Elephant

Part of me thought maybe it was a cynical business ploy because the parent would think £42.50 pm is not much and would tell the child who would get all exicted and then when the letter arrived the parent would not want to let the child down and would think 'oh another £40 is not much more - I'll let him go' :mad:

But then I checked the website which says children from 4 - 6 only pay £41.25pm as they only get 90 min sessions but 6 - 18 pay £82.50 pm which are 3 hour sessions so maybe the staff member only quoted the lower price or there again maybe my suggestion was correct :rotfl:

Still seems like a lot of money though.

RubySewSew

Eager you are so sweet going away and looking that up The bottom line is though, as you already know, I can't afford it . I think DS2 would really, really benefit from drama school I think it will help with his confidence, self esteem, self management and his co-ordination. I'm going to contact Amaze who support children with special needs to see if they can recommend a different drama school or can offer any discounts. And have a look around for other clubs. As the ex-bf pointed out £82.50 pm is equivalent to a really nice family holiday.

I've managed a really productive weekend, inspired and motivated by my lovely cousin. I had a good old tidy up and declutter. And then today re-arranged both sheds and gave the garden it's autumn tidy up ready for the cold weather. My brother and his girlfriend came over to cook us lunch - the ex-bf helped me out with the heavy work and took a tonne of stuff to the tip. The house looks a bit trashed again now as everything has been dragged through but it should clear up quickly enough. Unearthed a few bits and pieces to for homemade Christmas presents. I need ideas for my Mum's birthday though (on bonfire night). She's taking me and my sister to a spa for the day and is currently paying both of our legal fees so I really think we should do something lovely for her. Ideas on a postcard please!

Swapped a wardrobe for a bottle of wine today. My friend has just separated from her partner and it is one less piece of furniture cluttering up my house now.

This is a bit of an itty bitty update today! Lots of jumbled up thoughts to spill out. And now I'm distracted by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and his new veg programme - something I'm really interested in!

RubySewSew

PS snuggled up under a blanket because I'm NOT turning the heating on yet!!

RubySewSew

Under my blanket again and wondering why I seem to have such bursts of energy and productivity followed by such extended periods of apathy! Grrr! I could kick myself! I've eaten far too much pizza, kitchen is upside down, grass clippings over the carpet, lunches unmade, washing undone, stuff everywhere - ahhhh!!!!

Oh and just realised DS2 is reading this over my shoulder. I forgot one of my kids can read! Might have to abandon this for now and right more later...

RubySewSew

I can probably answer my last question. My antidepressants ran out on Monday and it took me until Friday to pick them up from the doctors. Horrendous withdrawal - over emotional, bizarre dreams, dizziness, feverish, stomach cramps, black outs Took 1 tablet yesterday lunch time and symptoms melted away .

Managed to change all the beds, put away all the laundry, start ploughing through the piles and piles of washing, make a start on the kitchen, tidying bedroom = getting there! I was treated out to a fantastic night of burlesque with the ex-bf and an old friend. Had loads of fun, got to glam up, sleep in my own bed and now am having breakfast made for me :) Proper full English with hash browns yum! yum! And it is sunny and autumnal and beautiful outside. Washing flapping on the line. Some days being in the moment is enough and all of the worries of the world can wait for a while.