teachers, lunch and eating disorders

[SantanaLopez]

I think I might be UR, but I suffered from bulimia in my teens and I'm hyperaware of weight issues and EDs.

My 6 year old SIL is fairly enchanted by her teacher. She's mentioned a few times now that she only has yoghurt for lunch. I said that I'm sure she has something else too, but she insists that Miss X says she only eats yoghurt because she is always on a diet. Would you worry about that (both about Miss X's health and about the influence on the children)?

[CoffeeTea103]

I can see why it would be concerning but yabu to even approach the teacher about her eating habits.

[SantanaLopez]

There is no way I'm going to approach her None of my business whatsoever. Just a wee niggle in my head.

[Bloodyteenagers]

What is wr

[Bloodyteenagers]

What is wrong with a yogurt for lunch?

[SpringBreaker]

I wouldnt worry about it at all.

My mother survived on ryvitas, polo mints and lettuce leaves for most of my childhood... I on the other hand didnt give a toss about food. It was put in front of me and I ate it. I do however remember my mum telling me that what she ate, and what I ate were two very different things and that children and adults had different rules. Worked for me.

[OnlyOnSundays]

Maybe that is all she has time for!

[threepiecesuite]

I'm a teacher. We get half an hour for lunch. By the time I've dismissed the class, kept disruptive ones behind, set up my next lesson, nipped to the loo, I usually have a quick 5 mins to have a yoghurt or piece of fruit or hsndful of chips on a Friday.
I have my 'lunch' (sandwiches etc) when the children go home at 3 o clock.
I wouldn't say anything to the teacher.

[ladygracie]

I'm a teacher & quite often miss lunch & sometimes the children know this. It's usually because I don't have time or forgot to bring lunch & don't want to buy it. It is maybe a little odd to tell the children that she is always on a diet but not something to worry about I wouldn't have thought.

[Lilaclily]

Yes it's probably a snack & she eats heaps later on

I'd reassure your six year old that her packed lunch is a great lunch for her a six year old with lots of running around to do & learning

[specialsubject]

I go against the flow and say Miss X should not talk about dieting in front of kids.

but i would hope Miss X is just grabbing a snack while she supervises the kids and gets a proper meal at some stage.

[cremedecacao]

YANBU. I am a teacher who has suffered eating disorders in the past and I am very careful about what I say in front of children. If they ask me what I had for lunch I normally lie!!! Children should not grow up surrounded by weight obsessed adults.

[SantanaLopez]

I hadn't considered the timing! But SIL clearly says it's because she's on a diet- she could just say she is busy.

[PassTheCakeitsbeenatough1]

Well why don't you ask her to bring a balanced, 3 course meal in each day so that she can be a better example to your child? Clearly, she is the only adult who eats food around her so this has to be the perfect example otherwise your child will develop an eating disorder at the hands of this careless individual.

And I'd love to be there when you're complaining about your DD's books not being marked up to date, her being bored in lessons because nothing fun has been prepared and her homework not being of a good enough quality to promote further learning. All because this teacher doesn't have enough time in the day to do it all; she's at home preparing a meal good enough for your scrutiny the next day and then spending a full hour eating it in front of your child, rather than doing the usual prep work she has to do. Maybe Miss doesn't want to explain about the time issues she has and the fact it's easier to grab a yoghurt for lunch at the shop that decide on something better. Why would she have to explain this to anyone?

Honestly, teachers get some stick but I have never heard of a parent complaining about what the teacher eats for lunch.

[SantanaLopez]

Firstly, it's not my child, it's my SIL, and secondly, I don't think it's appropriate for a teacher to talk about diets to 6 year olds.

[pudding25]

I am a teacher too. I don't care how busy she is at lunch or how little she eats. She fundamentally should not be telling the kids that she is on a diet! I would not be happy with that at all.
Small children often mimic what their elders do, especially when it is a teacher they love.

[Amaxapax]

I completely agree that she shouldn't say anything about dieting. I was doing the Dukan Diet last year leading up to my wedding, so I had some days when I was eating protein only. I was very careful to always have a big salad for lunch when doing Y11 revision sessions, full of veg and protein. I think it's very important to set a good example regarding healthy food and lifestyle when working with children and teens, particularly girls.

[FleurDeHeadLys]

I would dislike the dieting comment too.

[GoblinLittleOwl]

This is yet another reason why teachers should not undertake unpaid lunch time supervisor roles; it is none of your business, particularly as you are not even the child's parent, as to what she eats or why.

[JapaneseMargaret]

It's not about what she eats or why.

It's about telling an impressionable child that she's always on a diet.

Bit of a difference there, right? The latter is not necessary at all.

[Goblinchild]

Check the facts.
If it's in England and state, the teacher is unlikely to be eating with the children anyway. Check if the teacher has said that she's on a diet to your SIL and that the child has not jumped to conclusions. (MNetter of the future)
I don't eat at lunchtime at all, I have a light tea when I get home and dinner around 8pm. How would the children I teach know that?

[littlesupersparks]

When I was a young teacher I made a throwaway comment about being on a diet (I wasn't really anyway to be honest). I would never do it again after a senior member of staff had a quiet word with me about the consequences. I have had young girls really look up to me - eg when shopping asking their mums 'do you think miss would wear this?' ' I want a scarf just like miss' etc. As with many other things you have a certain responsibility to promote a healthy lifestyle as a teacher. It goes along with being thoughtful about not going on nights out to the same places as kids, keeping social networking professional and not smoking where kids might see you. A comment about a 'diet' was not really appropriate . Yanbu. I would just reiterate to the child that I am sure the teacher follows a 'healthy diet' and that word just means what she eats. She probably eats the rest of her lunch after school when her class has gone home.

[Xihha]

I wouldn't be worried about what the teacher is actually eating but I would be pissed off if the teacher told a child it was because she was on a diet.

My DD is 5 and worships her teacher. Anything her teacher says is automatically more important than anything I say, for example DD hated her glasses and I could not get her to wear them, teacher said they were pretty so DD now loves them and when teacher said salad was tasty eating salad suddenly became cool, so teacher saying I'm on a diet could quite probably lead to DD trying to go on a diet too.

[AmberLeaf]

What she eats is her business, but the 'D' word should not be mentioned.

[farewellfigure]

Yoghurt not a problem, but the comment about dieting is. Could you have a word with a senior member of staff and ask them to mention it to her without bringing you into it?