Child not eating school dinner

Person_one

McKneff wrote: »

Its all very well having all thus debate but answer me this.


Would any of you honestly eat a plate of something you did not like.


I certainly wouldn't.....

I certainly have!

I would obviously never choose to, but its not unheard of to be served something at a friend's house that's truly dire, or to find that your restaurant meal isn't what you thought it would be, or to go to a wedding and have to grin and bear it when the only food available all day within a 10 mile radius is awful, is it?

Isn't part of growing up and learning manners accepting that sometimes you have to put a brave face on and eat what you're given even if you hate it so as not to offend or hurt the cook's feelings?

I was a fussy child, and just to throw a spanner in the works regarding the various theories and approaches, what 'cured' me was having surgery in my late teens that meant I suddenly had a sense of smell and finally started to enjoy flavour and realise what these foods I hated actually tasted like! So much of taste is actually about the other senses involved.

Person_one

notanewuser wrote: »

Hmmmm! Possibly! Luckily I don't really give a toss. I won't apologise for taking an interest or speaking up when I don't think things are right. And I'm not alone. We'll be rocking the PTA next week.

The Head seems to be open to discussion about things, but DD's teacher can't see beyond her own (narrow) views. That's fine by me, but I'm not about to agree with them, especially when there's plenty of evidence against what she does.

I won't let parental apathy be a barrier either. Just because most people want their children in school ASAP to save them on childcare and don't really care what happens in the classrooms, doesn't mean I don't.

I do think you might be perpetually disappointed if you expect schools to provide care for your child that is as individual, personalised and adapted to her specific personality as the care you as a parent provide. Its just never going to be achievable.

Carmina-Piranha_2

notanewuser wrote: »

The food is cooked on site, and is supposedly "very good". There are things like roasts (hence the gravy issue), lasagne and curry on the menu too, but in the main the foods are very very carb heavy. Given free choice DD would choose chips (obviously) but not waffles, or mash. She'd probably go for rice, would want double salad or veg and I have no idea what she'd choose for "protein" - she's used to proper chicken, steak, 98% sausages etc.

She'd order fish fingers chips and peas from a pub children's menu, but a maximum of once a week. The school will happily give it to her practically daily! And getting her to eat gravy is more important than giving them healthy food?

Once she gets to reception will she have a choice?

I used to work in a school kitchen and the children have the choice of two mains but also have jacket potato or a choice of sandwiches if they prefer. And they are asked if they want gravy or not.

My eldest would have preferred double veg, and sometimes even triple veg instead of the main and the potato but that wasn't an option. So he'd ask for it without gravy, and sometimes the veg would be the only thing he would eat, and that was fine with me. There is a salad cart that they have free access to, and they can choose fruit or yoghurt for pudding if they don't want cake.

mum2one

what I did with DD - as when she was at primary school she was a fuss pot and a half, at one stage I let her have a packed lunch and nearly every night I would see she had only eat a fraction of it.

We went back to school meals, - like others I printed the menu off, went through the choices, at one stage she went back to sandwiches , 1 day/2days/1day - dependant on the meals, - then I "forgot" to pack her lunch... after that she started trying things.

I made sure she knew there was a hot meal at home for her, so if she maybe only eat a pudding, there would be food here.

Shes now at secondary school, where the choice is massive, from meal of the day, pasta bar, noodles bar, jck potato, curry bar, rolls etc - as well as breakfast items, some days she has a bacon roll for break, then ham/cheese roll at lunch, others a full meal.

She is adventurous, - the first time I took her abroad, she was 6, for that fortnight, she only eat spaghetti bolognese, every meal, now she still has her pasta, but she tries other items from the buffet... xx

mumps

notanewuser wrote: »

The Education Secretary said on Radio 4 this week that it was because too many people that are entitled to free school meals weren't claiming them. :whistle:

http://lgbt.libdems.org.uk/en/article/2013/728866/clegg-free-school-meals-boost-attainment-improve-health-and-ensure-every-child-has-a-fair-chance
I think this is what I read. I guess it kills two birds with one stone.

Carmina-Piranha_2

Back to the OP, neither of my children had a school meal until they were aged around 7 or so. I wanted them to be able to go on the week-long school trip at age 8 and be able to use the canteen, but in my opinion that didn't have to start at reception age.

I see your point about children being encouraged to eat different things when they see their peers eating though. I suppose it depends on your child's level of fussiness, how stubborn they will be and how likely it is that they will change their eating habits.

With my eldest child the dietician advised giving him the security of knowing exactly what he would be faced with at lunchtime, so for him it was packed lunch while he was tiny. He would definitely starve rather than try something new.

My youngest would not starve. Perhaps if school dinners had been free when he was little I'd have let him try them at a younger age - not every day though, he'd be enormous if he ate those huge portions every day.

notanewuser

Person_one wrote: »

I do think you might be perpetually disappointed if you expect schools to provide care for your child that is as individual, personalised and adapted to her specific personality as the care you as a parent provide. Its just never going to be achievable.

I don't. I expect them to provide care based on best practice and understanding of child development and education, not based on their own personal views.

The teacher was extremely rude to another parent this afternoon. She's only had children in for 4 hours a day, for 9 days and she's already kicking off. What's she going to be like by half term?!

notanewuser

Carmina-Piranha wrote: »

Once she gets to reception will she have a choice?

I used to work in a school kitchen and the children have the choice of two mains but also have jacket potato or a choice of sandwiches if they prefer. And they are asked if they want gravy or not.

My eldest would have preferred double veg, and sometimes even triple veg instead of the main and the potato but that wasn't an option. So he'd ask for it without gravy, and sometimes the veg would be the only thing he would eat, and that was fine with me. There is a salad cart that they have free access to, and they can choose fruit or yoghurt for pudding if they don't want cake.

No idea. I'd have to ask the specific question to get an answer to that. I've been given the forms to apply for her reception place, but I'm holding back on that for now!

notanewuser

mumps wrote: »

http://lgbt.libdems.org.uk/en/article/2013/728866/clegg-free-school-meals-boost-attainment-improve-health-and-ensure-every-child-has-a-fair-chance
I think this is what I read. I guess it kills two birds with one stone.

I'd rather kill 2 lib dems with 1 stone to be honest!

Carmina-Piranha_2

notanewuser wrote: »

No idea. I'd have to ask the specific question to get an answer to that. I've been given the forms to apply for her reception place, but I'm holding back on that for now!

Our school doesn't have nursery, so all of the children go through the dinner line and get all the same choices