Cheese and choc for lunch! HELP!!

**purplejulie** · 23-08-2010, 01:14 PM

Hello!
I have had a new starter today and need some advice. Heres some background first.
The child is 20 months old and her parents moved here 4 months ago from Switzerland.
She speaks no english at all but understands a little.

Heres my "problem"
Her lunchbox today contained a packet of smoked cheese and a terrys choc orange. I was also instructed to give her 2 7oz bottles of formula. One at mid day and the next one is due in about an hour. She didn't touch the first bottle.

She drinks plenty of water and did eat a little bit of sandwich with the other LOs at lunch time.

I try to encourage healthy choices in the childrens lunch boxes and need to approach this with her parents. (I've only had contact with her dad so far)

Has anyone had any similar dilemmas and how did you approach the subject

Jules

**sandy64** · 23-08-2010, 01:33 PM

that sounded nice with a bottle of wine chocalate and cheese lol

but seriously was it a whole terrys choc orange? maybe that was for you? she shouldnt really need that much milk does dad speak english? i no coming from a different country they eat different from us but think maybe a little chat with parents ask for fruit instead of choc and sandwiche with cheese, hopefuly it will work out

**purplejulie** · 23-08-2010, 01:46 PM

Thank you.
It was only a few pieces of choc. Wish it was for me

.
It doesn't seem to be a cultural thing.
I have offered the same things as I have offered the other children and she has at least tried them.
I don't think she has mixed at all with other children. So I'm hoping that as she spends more time with my other LOs she'll try more new foods.

**helenlc** · 23-08-2010, 02:46 PM

Was the arrangement for you to provide lunch or them?

I would perhaps write out a list of what you deem suitable to be in a packed lunch box. Explain that you encourage healthy eating and that the other children do not have chocolate etc in their lunches so you have to be fair to everybody.

**The Juggler** · 23-08-2010, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by helenlc

Was the arrangement for you to provide lunch or them?

I would perhaps write out a list of what you deem suitable to be in a packed lunch box. Explain that you encourage healthy eating and that the other children do not have chocolate etc in their lunches so you have to be fair to everybody.

I agree, if I were allowing parents to provide packed lunches I would have a policy with do's and don'ts for lunch boxes as the schools do.

you can explain why with reference to the EYFS/ECM.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 23-08-2010, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by The Juggler

I agree, if I were allowing parents to provide packed lunches I would have a policy with do's and don'ts for lunch boxes as the schools do.

you can explain why with reference to the EYFS/ECM.

If the parents put in a couple of bits of chocolate what is the difference between this and a 2 finger bar of kit kat or smarties?

If it were a quarter or half an orange I could see the problem

Personally I would tackle the lack of fruit and yoghurt rather than what is bad and build up to leaving the orange in the box when she goes home.

**karensmart4** · 23-08-2010, 03:01 PM

I really can't understand some parents, is it just laziness on their part!!!

I have a little girl I've looked after for almost 3yrs, her lunch boxes are always a bit iffy but last friday she had............a large bag of hula hoops and a large bar of aero...........and that was it!!

I have spoken to Mum and Dad on several occasions but they just say "its what she wanted and we will make sure she has a healthy tea"

**Dragonfly** · 23-08-2010, 04:27 PM

Same as Debbie 26

**love381** · 23-08-2010, 04:57 PM

I look after two children from Slovakia and their lunches were similar at the beginning. It was difficult because of the language barrier, but we eventually got there. Turns out that their family tradition was a very big breakfast in the morning to keep them going ALL day, a few snacks were all that's needed and then a huge meal in the evening (I've heard about some of them and you wouldn't believe it!!) Sometimes it's their family background! x

**watgem** · 23-08-2010, 08:28 PM

I had a similar problem with a family, so I used a whole setting approach so that I didn't single out a particular family so went to the children's centre and picked up some leaflets to put in every child's lunch box, ours has some lovely ones which are simple, and show what a healthy lunch box looks like. In my newsletter I explained that we would be looking at healthy eating as a setting and that I would be setting a good example in my lunchbox and with our snacks. Eventually the parent approached me about what she could include in the lunchbox and it turned out that they only fed him things they knew he liked like hotdog sausages as they didn't realise he would eat fruit at mine or preschool!

**The Juggler** · 23-08-2010, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

If the parents put in a couple of bits of chocolate what is the difference between this and a 2 finger bar of kit kat or smarties?

If it were a quarter or half an orange I could see the problem

Personally I would tackle the lack of fruit and yoghurt rather than what is bad and build up to leaving the orange in the box when she goes home.

sorry Debbie what I meant was do's and dont's of healthy lunchbox i.e. no prob with a small choc etc as long as they have a sandwich or similar (pasta) and some fruit. My rule stays same for packed lunch though, if they don't eat their main food, the treat doesn't get eaten.