Requesting that children bring their own lunch

[louised]

I have decided to ask all of my parents to send a packed lunch with their children, I have come to this decision as 2 of my mindees start nursery in September, 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon leaving me with a 15 minute window for lunch. This would mean cooking from scratch twice as the child who attends afternoon session would need his meal no later than 11.15 with the other children eating at about 12.45. I am not prepared to do 2 sittings for lunch so am I being unreasonable in requesting packed lunches, bearing in mind I've only just found out that there was such little time between sessions as no-one thought to tell me

[Cammie Doodle]

Our children bring packed lunches and have always done so and it works really well

[cabby]

i've always asked parents to provide a packed lunch, no one has ever had a problem with it

[louised]

Great, I'm definately requesting lunches then, I thought my job would get easier when the mindees went to nursery not harder and i really can't face doing extra cooking.

[helenlc]

When I had my 3 yr old mindee who went to afternoon nursery, we often took packed lunches out with us as by the time we came back from the park or toddler group, it would be time to turn around and go out again.

I am sure they will be fine about it - at the end of the day its because they have ended up with different sessions that you have this dilmea.

If they question it, maybe you could suggest that one or the other changes their session so they both go to the same one?

[louised]

If they question it, maybe you could suggest that one or the other changes their session so they both go to the same one?

No possibility of this happening as both sessions are full and the parents of the mindee attending the morning session don't want an afternoon session and no-one will swap with the afternoon mindee as it seems that morning sessions are more popular.

[CCJD]

It's pretty common practice round here for parents to provide lunches. You have a good reason to change your service - just steel yourself for what your mindee's may bring on some days - some will bring enough to feed the rest of your setting (one of my lo's brings lunch on his pre-school day and comes with a whole sandwich, a tupperware sandwich pot full of chopped fruit, 2 cheesstrings, crisps and 2 fromage frais - he's only 2 and could never each that much), some however will bring the saddest of nutrionally balanced lunches - have heard of one bringing rice cakes with jam in the middle

[mushpea]

I choose to provide lunch because you always get one that provides nothing but cr**p and then the rest that provide healthy and its unfair on the other children who end up without all the 'nice stufff' that the other child has.
do you need to cook for them? could you not make all the lunchs up in the morning for the day then provide them as needed?

[louised]

could you not make all the lunchs up in the morning for the day then provide them as needed?

Of course i could do this but the point is I don't want to, I want to make my life easier and the parents harder and then I might be appreciated a bit more, I'm sick of being a doormat. I know what a hassle it is rushing around in the morning putting a packed lunch together and i'm sure they're not going to like it but from now on it's going to be my way or the highway.

[buildingblocks]

A friend of mine has parents provide everything including snacks and drinks she only provides water. She was graded outstanding.

[twiggy]

I stopped providing lunches last September. I mind a child with lots of different allergies and it was easier and cheaper for her mum to send a packed lunch rather than me check all the ingredients and buy certain brands of food. It makes life easier for me as all I have to do in the mornings now is empty the lunch boxes and put the chilled bits in the fridge.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I used to have parents provide packed lunches but it caused problems with who had what so now I do the lunches instead of a cooked meal.