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View Full Version : lunchbox nightmare.....



Tina O
20-10-2013, 05:05 PM
Why?? Why?? (I despair sometimes......)

In my setting children bring a packed lunch, last week one child who is 22mths old was sent 'popping candy' as part of their lunch :mad:
but when I spoke to mum about it to remind her about my healthy food/sweets policy she looked at me blankly and said, oh is that was it is???

why would you give your child a 'foodstuff' (term used very loosely) if you didn't know what it was.......

Has anyone else ever had 'strange' foodstuff in place of real food?????? :ohdear:

Nicola Carlyle
20-10-2013, 05:24 PM
Depends what you call strange food stuff. My daughter when taking a packed lunch to school for the past 5 years has been told she's weird, strange and silly because she takes a combination of the following;
Wholemeal/granary sandwiches
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Apple
Banana
Tangerines
Oranges
Berries
Peppers
Water
Yoghurt
Cheese cubes
Raisins
And on a Friday a small packet of biscuits

When she has school dinners she always has and eats the vegetable/salad option and again is called a number of names.

Her friends on the other hand have:
White sandwiches with jam/chocolate spread
Packet of crisps
Chocolate biscuit
Chocolate bar
Cheese string
Juice
And they won't have school dinners because they don't serve chips unless it's a Friday.

I just find it strange that parents don't encourage their children to eat healthily in this day and age.

Bumble Beez
20-10-2013, 05:31 PM
Hmmm...it's hard isn't it...
I have got to the point now where I just send what I class as unhealthy foods home again, and after a few days and me mentioning it to parents it gets better.
My boys all have healthy options in their lunches for school and as said before, they get called odd.
DS10 likes raw peppers, celery and cucumber...
DS8 likes rice, cous cous and coleslaw...
And DS4's favourite at the min is salad wraps!!

They all get called names...it's a shame.

Sarah x

Tina O
20-10-2013, 05:42 PM
I do send the 'unhealthy' food back - feel like the lunchtime police checking the boxes before I give them to the kids :D ..... i was just amazed that she didn't even know what the 'popping candy' was......

both my boys have had packed 'healthy' lunches all the way though school.... (I've softened a bit now my 14yr old can have a twix in his lunch! :blush:)

dawn100
20-10-2013, 05:50 PM
I provide all meals so have never been sent anything unhealthy but I did have a parent of an 18mth old mindee say how McDonald's is a nutritious balanced meal that's why their child eats there often twice a week, and their favourite is cheeseburger fries and coke - my jaw almost hit the floor and another favourite is Pizza Hut! My own children do have McDonald, Pizza Hut, KFC etc but not on a weekly basis as an occasional treat!

Bumble Beez
20-10-2013, 05:51 PM
i was just amazed that she didn't even know what the 'popping candy' was......

That is shocking....maybe try sending home a leaflet about what would be good choices for a healthy lunch box.
Healthy eating topic?
Lots of chatting about staying healthy, eating good foods etc, making a healthy packed lunch picture, healthy food word search etc...may help!!

Sarah x

starlight1
20-10-2013, 06:46 PM
I have had alsorts...Cheese dippers in place of sandwiches...

I am struggling with my son at lunchtimes at school as he is eating very little.. So I am going through process of chocolate cheese somedays on sandwiches, dennis the menace, splat marshmellows...Alls sorts of stuff with strict conditions he eats sandwhich and piece of fruit first..

I am swapping him to hot dinners after half term as I think they get a bit more supervision in dinning hall... He eats really well at home.. never have I considered popping candy a food item.

As for McDonalds been a balanced meal..OMG what is his unbalanced meal?

starlight1
20-10-2013, 06:52 PM
Also had Son's friend to tea...I asked him what veg he liked ..He said he doesn't eat fruit or veg. Well My son thought that was hilarious... I did pizza in the end for tea, did a bowl of strawberries an grapes and he did eat some strawberries before buiscuit...He was then hungry ..I said do you like malt bread..Whats that? no he doesn't like rasins..Do you like rice pudding? He didn't know what it was !!!..

bindy
20-10-2013, 07:51 PM
My child is a fussy eater but the food she does eat is very healthy. I cook meals have no lunch boxes so no problems. Seeing the weekly school menu though, my child will be taking a packed lunch. Its pizza, chicken dippers, fish fingers, sausage??? Very cheap food if you ask me, the veggie option is not much better! At least what I give her will be good quality or organic.

lilac_dragon
20-10-2013, 08:51 PM
I've had to send things home too recently.
We have a no sweets/chocolate rule, but one parent last week told me lo had got up late and could I please give him the cereal packed in his lunchbox.
When I opened it, it was chocolate flavoured cereal. Picked up the sandwiches to put in the fridge and just had a quick peek - chocolate spread! Yogourt - white chocolate flavoured mousse.
Incredible!
Looked after this lo for 2 years so not as if parent doesn't know better.
Made him a healthy alternative and sent it all back with a note in the lunchbox and a note about this in the Daily Diary. Spoke to parent on pickup and was told "Well it's not as if he has things like that often, he deserves a treat". When I pointed out that this was my Policy, and apart from that it wasn't fair on the other children, I was told I was being too rigid!

helendee
21-10-2013, 09:03 AM
I will probably be a single voice here but I hate policing children's lunchboxes and in fact I never do. I don't care what Ofsted say it is up to the parents what they give their children to eat in my opinion and I am not going to patronise anyone by giving them a lecture on 'healthy eating'. The goal posts are constantly moved on what is considered to be healthy anyway, for example, white bread contains far more calcium than wholemeal, raisins are full of sugar and stick to the teeth and are not favoured by dentists.

If a child comes to me with a particularly carbs based lunch I just make sure that I give them some veg sticks and cheese or other protein to balance it out.

I hate this nanny state that we currently live in. :angry:

starschildmind
21-10-2013, 09:13 AM
I will probably be a single voice here but I hate policing children's lunchboxes and in fact I never do. I don't care what Ofsted say it is up to the parents what they give their children to eat in my opinion and I am not going to patronise anyone by giving them a lecture on 'healthy eating'. The goal posts are constantly moved on what is considered to be healthy anyway, for example, white bread contains far more calcium than wholemeal, raisins are full of sugar and stick to the teeth and are not favoured by dentists.

If a child comes to me with a particularly carbs based lunch I just make sure that I give them some veg sticks and cheese or other protein to balance it out.

I hate this nanny state that we currently live in. :angry:

Thank goodness for you. After reading all tbe posts i was begining to think im a terrible mother and bad childminder.

My mindees that i do lunch for have a sw and cheeses bit (string, babybell or similar) and cucumber or something.

My daughter has a treat in her lunch box everyday. Party rings , barney bear, etc as well as fruit and yogs cucumber and i give her cheese dippers and a saugeroll instead of a sw as i cant imagine having the same old thing everyday.

She is a very healthy little girl. Never ill and she eats loads of fruit. I think there is only so much fruit a child can have they have to have some rubbish to!!

I must be a terrible cm and mother !!!!!

shortstuff
21-10-2013, 09:27 AM
Thank goodness for you. After reading all tbe posts i was begining to think im a terrible mother and bad childminder.

My mindees that i do lunch for have a sw and cheeses bit (string, babybell or similar) and cucumber or something.

My daughter has a treat in her lunch box everyday. Party rings , barney bear, etc as well as fruit and yogs cucumber and i give her cheese dippers and a saugeroll instead of a sw as i cant imagine having the same old thing everyday.

She is a very healthy little girl. Never ill and she eats loads of fruit. I think there is only so much fruit a child can have they have to have some rubbish to!!

I must be a terrible cm and mother !!!!!

you are not terrible at all.

IMO all individuals need a healthy balance adn also need to know what is healthy and what is not. If we never let children eat unhealthy food stuffs then when they are old enough to make their own choices we run the risk of binge eating all of the banned foods.

DS(6) has a naughty snack a couple of times a week in his lunch box at school but he takes a healthy snack for snack time every day. He will also decline sweets and things if offered as he has already had some this week.

If we dont educate or guide then how are they going to learn? or make choices based on their own knowledge?

Sorry if this goes against the masses but I was not allowed anything like sweets when i was little and as soon as i had any money i would go and spend it all on sweets so i could see what i had been missing. As some of you will imagine this led to massive sugar rushes followed by lows which were awful. Had i been allowed some as a treat every now and again im sure my behaviour would have been different.

loocyloo
21-10-2013, 09:34 AM
I provide all meals and snacks for minded children and so the issue never occurs. I tell parents that we eat healthy meals but do have biscuit/cake/sweets and sometimes we go to Mcds for lunch...Not very often as closest one is 45 mins drive! But if we eat rubbish at one meal then the rest of the day is full of fruit and veg.

My children generally have pack lunches and generally healthy which they prefer. Both take a 'treat' snack on a Friday.

We do healthy eating but I don't worry if we have a day eating rubbish. I do think that restricting treats too much makes them more of a problem in the long run.

dawn100
21-10-2013, 09:55 AM
I agree with the last couple of posts about restricting treats can make them a bigger issue. My own dd has coco pops for breakfast and I see no harm in this as it means she eats a decent amount of breakfast before school. My ds has crisps or cake in his packed lunch but that is with a healthy sandwich yogurt and fruit again I see no harm, they are both very fit and healthy children.
But I provide all meals for my mindees thankfully as I would dread what one particular mindee would bring, the mindees do also have treats like cake and biscuits which all parents know about and are happy with as they are provided with healthy home made meals.

line6
21-10-2013, 09:57 AM
you are not terrible at all. IMO all individuals need a healthy balance adn also need to know what is healthy and what is not. If we never let children eat unhealthy food stuffs then when they are old enough to make their own choices we run the risk of binge eating all of the banned foods. DS(6) has a naughty snack a couple of times a week in his lunch box at school but he takes a healthy snack for snack time every day. He will also decline sweets and things if offered as he has already had some this week. If we dont educate or guide then how are they going to learn? or make choices based on their own knowledge? Sorry if this goes against the masses but I was not allowed anything like sweets when i was little and as soon as i had any money i would go and spend it all on sweets so i could see what i had been missing. As some of you will imagine this led to massive sugar rushes followed by lows which were awful. Had i been allowed some as a treat every now and again im sure my behaviour would have been different.

Yes I agree with this and a few previous posts. It's not my job to tell parents what they can and can't give their child. I will continue to promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle for my mindees but I would let them eat whatever parents gave them. If I am feeding the children they get a reasonably healthy meal but they do get the occasional treat. The same with my children. They are guided and allowed to make choices if appropriate and they don't always just pick the junk food. I agree that a total ban on these things when young can lead to problems when they are making their own decisions.

lisa1968
21-10-2013, 10:34 AM
I agree with some of the other posts on here.
If parents want to give their child a lunchbox full of 'rubbish' then that's up to them-if i took the junk out of them,they'd have nothing to eat!.I care for a 10 year old who regularly brings packets of haribo,crisps and biscuits as well as cans of red bull-and that's just for breakfast! They know its rubbish-but if they're quite happy for him to have that first thing in the morning,then it's not up to me to take it off him!If I sent home uneaten unhealthy stuff all the time,I'd have a war on my hands!

I do have a healthy eating policy-but that only covers the drinks and snacks that I supply.We have chopped fruit,raisins,plain biscuits or wholemeal toast(for the hungry schoolies!!).

karen m
21-10-2013, 10:44 AM
I fully agree on what I provide is a healthy meal but what a child brings in a lunch box is up to their parents

tulip0803
21-10-2013, 01:02 PM
The strangest thing I have had in a packed lunch box was a raw squash - at least it was healthy though!

LO for the last 2 times she has been has come with a packet of angel delight (for me to make!)

loocyloo
21-10-2013, 01:36 PM
The strangest thing I have had in a packed lunch box was a raw squash - at least it was healthy though!

LO for the last 2 times she has been has come with a packet of angel delight (for me to make!)

I used to nanny for a little girl whose most favourite thing in the whole world was a raw courgette, eaten whole! :D

ziggy
21-10-2013, 02:23 PM
I will probably be a single voice here but I hate policing children's lunchboxes and in fact I never do. I don't care what Ofsted say it is up to the parents what they give their children to eat in my opinion and I am not going to patronise anyone by giving them a lecture on 'healthy eating'. The goal posts are constantly moved on what is considered to be healthy anyway, for example, white bread contains far more calcium than wholemeal, raisins are full of sugar and stick to the teeth and are not favoured by dentists.

If a child comes to me with a particularly carbs based lunch I just make sure that I give them some veg sticks and cheese or other protein to balance it out.

I hate this nanny state that we currently live in. :angry:

I totally agree with you, it drives me insane this obsession we seem to have with 'healthy food' these days. And as you say the so called experts give us different info every day.

All mine bring lunch boxes with all sorts in. My only rule is they have to eat at least half sandwich/wrap etc before they have anything else.

tulip0803
21-10-2013, 09:34 PM
Ohhh I forgot about the bag of frozen banana that a Mum mistook for tortellini!:D

sprinkles
22-10-2013, 09:58 AM
I check the lunch box but I don't send anything back - if the parents choose to feed their child that then it's none of my business! The one I have isn't too bad, no sweets, but this week she's had crisps, sandwich and yoghurt. I probably wouldn't give the crisps she gives her, would probably swap for quavers or wotsits as these are a little bit healthier but if she wants to feed her them then it's up to her. She does have fruit for her snack although afternoon snack tends to be those yoghurt covered fruit flakes, not sure how healthy they are but could be worse!

Tinkerbell1979
22-10-2013, 10:40 AM
I will probably be a single voice here but I hate policing children's lunchboxes and in fact I never do. I don't care what Ofsted say it is up to the parents what they give their children to eat in my opinion and I am not going to patronise anyone by giving them a lecture on 'healthy eating'. The goal posts are constantly moved on what is considered to be healthy anyway, for example, white bread contains far more calcium than wholemeal, raisins are full of sugar and stick to the teeth and are not favoured by dentists.

If a child comes to me with a particularly carbs based lunch I just make sure that I give them some veg sticks and cheese or other protein to balance it out.

I hate this nanny state that we currently live in. :angry:



Amen to that !!

clairer
25-10-2013, 09:45 PM
I love the idea of the healthy food leaflet. I had a parent who sent a two year old with a tin of baked beans every day for lunch! Pure laziness.

chriss
26-10-2013, 12:17 AM
I'm not there to police whats in a lunch box, or disrespect the parents on their choices for their child. I really dont like the high horses that a fair few childminders seem to be sitting on, as if they and their families only eat organic or home grown, fine if you do, but please, dont look down on the rest.

tas
26-10-2013, 07:23 AM
I provide the children's meals so don't get lunchboxes
But if I did and thought them unsuitable/unhealthy I wouldn't stop the child having what the parent had provided, I would just let the parent know that little johnny enjoyed his lunch box today and I hope they don't mind but i'd also given him some fruit/veg sticks to balance it out. I would then just offer advice on healthy eating options and hope they took the hint! :rolleyes:

gef918
26-10-2013, 04:46 PM
My mindee brings a packed lunch and it annoys me that there is always crisps in it. However, it's mum's choice. She's aware that they aren't healthy, because we've discussed it. But she wants him to have them - think she feels a little guilty about going to work and leaving him.

I discussed this with my Ofsted inspector at my last inspection and showed her the healthy eating advice and leaflets that I hand out to parents and she was satisfied - got outstanding for the care and wellbeing of the child!

barbarella68
26-10-2013, 07:06 PM
When my son was a baby he was always underweight wouldn't have milk etc I was at hospital all the time because they said he was not thriving,so I was advised to give him cheese,cakes,cream and any other fattening thing I could give him.Now he is over weight and will not eat veg,salad etc I try him every few weeks but its always the same result.I get sick and tired of all this lunch box business it is not up to me to tell the parent what is healthy or not.They are not stupid they know what is healthy and what is not.I think parents have enough to deal with.:(

bluebell3
26-10-2013, 08:43 PM
I' ve got one of each - a son who eats well and will eat any fruit, veg, any sandwich fillings, soups - whatever - and a fussy eater who barely likes fruit or veg - its hard work and we worry about him being hungry at school so we are a bit lenient about what goes in his lunch box but he gets healthy meal in evening. we're persisting with him and he is getting better so it is worth it.

Tina O
27-10-2013, 05:56 PM
Thank you for all the reply's..... it's very interesting reading to see so many different opinions.....

Has anyone got any opinion on the recent news report from 'The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence'

BBC News - Obese children should keep food diaries say guidelines (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24626969). (3 in 10 children between 2 and 15 are overweight etc etc........) I'm not starting a witch hunt or criticizing any parent/working practices I'm just really interested to get the views of people who work with children and on what these so called 'experts' have to say.......

dawn100
28-10-2013, 09:45 AM
I think you have to strike a balance whilst there are children who eat totally inappropriate food and are overweight my fear is that when you make too big of an issue and can end up with children with eating disorders. I remember when eldest ds was in infant school and they had a big drive on eating heathily, my husband popped out to get KFC as a treat for tea my ds burst into tears and didn't want any after we calmed him down he was worried what would happen to him by eating unhealthy food, we then went on to explain how it was ok every now and again to eat unhealthy food but you should aim for mostly healthy food but treats are ok. I think children should be encourage to live more active lifestyles and parents be enouraged to offer healthy snacks. Keeping a food and activity diary is hard work and easy to miss stuff off, I'm having to keep one for my dd (she's not overweight just seeing if it triggers her medical problems). But at the end of the day it's down to parents and just like anything else with parenting some will make more beneficial choices than others but other than giving advice (like the change 4 life leaflets we get from school) I don't see what more can be done.