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AIBU?

To tell my foreign students they can't have two packets of crisps in their lunch?

120 replies

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 08:34

Well I said they could but that I wouldn't go shopping again before weds so if they run out they won't have any more...

two rolls with cheese and ham, a packet of crisps, piece of fruit, juice carton and a chocolate biscuit bar is plenty, surely? I already went shopping yesterday to buy extra biscuits as they didn't like the ones I had, and enough crisps to last til shopping day. This might be a petty one but I'm not sure what is fair, not having teenagers. If it's two packets today then it will be two packets every day til they leave...they have pocket money too if they get hungry during the day and eat all their lunch...

OP posts:

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GwendolenHarleth · 23/07/2011 08:43

Two packets of crisps is too much. What about a yogurt and a packet of crisps instead?

nannyl · 23/07/2011 08:51

YANBU

Esta3GG · 23/07/2011 08:53

Depends on the size of the packet of crisps. The cheapo multi pack things from the supermarkets are mainly air with about 4 crisps in them.

TanteRose · 23/07/2011 08:54

YANBU - just say no!

blueshoes · 23/07/2011 09:05

My last aupair (ok, so not foreign student, but just out of her teens) would eat crisps and chocolate instead of joining us at meals. Their eating habits at this age can be appalling.

I would not even give crisps with meals. That is not part of a meal, just a somewhat odd British thing to eat crisps with meals. Now my rules for aupairs make it very clear all crisps, chocolates and snacks are for their own account ie they can buy it out of the pocket money if they want. They can eat it all day if they had their way.

MumblingRagDoll · 23/07/2011 09:18

If they are teenagers then the packed lunch you're giving isnt enough.

Are they Italian? They may be used to huge cooked lunches at home....even at school....2 rolls and some crisps and choc is crap imo.

They need a banana and some more protein in there.

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 09:25

The lunch I give them is what I was told to. I wouldn't put crisps in by choice. But they do have fruit, they don't like bananas so it's apples or oranges. Maybe I could put in two apples? I'm curious to know what wouldn't be a crap packed lunch? Bearing in mind i'm working on a budget. I don't buy crap ingredients, no processed cheese, proper pepperoni, crisps seem normal sized! What would you provide? They get a proper breakfast with toast, yoghurt and cereal, and a good cooked dinner with biscuits and fruit for pudding, and they can always help themselves to toast...

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PandaG · 23/07/2011 09:32

how about a piece of flapjack or a cereal bar as well, to fill them up. Homemade flapjack is pretty cheap to do. " pieces of fruit too maybe? 2 packs of crisps suggests to me they are eating one as a snack, so including something else for a snack (ie flapjack or extra fruit) might help.

Sewmuchtodo · 23/07/2011 09:45

Only include something else as a snack if that is your job to do so. If not they have money for snacks, shopping etc and are more than capable of buying a flapjack, ice cream or treat.

My DB went on a foreign exchange trip last year and they were given a set lunch every day. It was not great and a bit cheap but they took it politely and got anything else they needed with their own spending money.

BluddyMoFo · 23/07/2011 09:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bandwithering · 23/07/2011 09:57

Well, that'd be too much fat so I'd say no on those grounds.

What they buy with their pocket money is not something you can control though.

It's not 'meanness'. If I sent my kids to France or Spain I wouldn't want the mothers giving them two bags of crisps.

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 09:59

Well that's the thing - we have to provide a good three meals a day plus petrol to drop and pick up - plus their daily showers, leaving lights on and things plugged in, I don't resent what they cost of course but the payment isn't huge...and they do have their own money for spends so I kind of thought they should buy extra snacks themselves? They do have some biscuits and cereal bars in their room that they brought with them which they could pack if they wanted extra. My mum does it and goes waaaay over the top, buying steak and what have you, she says she spends £10 a day on them - I said we never cost you £10 a day! She feels bad if they don't have meat in every dinner whereas I do it about 4 in 7 (I'm vegetarian)

I've just checked the fridge and realised I've over bought on DS's fromage frais so they can have one of them and that should do!

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EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 10:03

When I was that age I had two big sandwiches and a piece of fruit for my packed lunch. The sandwiches were more filling, but I did offer them sliced bread instead of rolls and they prefer the rolls.

I'm going on the guidelines that the agency gave me. The woman actually told me to buy value rolls and cheese to maximise my profit but I can't give them shit!

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Bandwithering · 23/07/2011 10:04

(or the parents)

mrswoodentop · 23/07/2011 10:18

I have friends who have had foreign students and not one has made money put of it.Out of interest how old are they ,there can be a big difference between a 14 year old and a 17 year old appetite.I have to say if my boys were staying with a family in another country I would not expect endless bags of crisps but neither would I expect them to go hungry.
As the mother of 3 boys I can confirm that they do have huge appetites (not sure if you have boys or girls as students)Also most French or Italians will be used to having a main meal at lunchtime with for example unlimited bread,when ds1 stayed in France he said the school lunches were huge and he couldn't believe that they didn't fall asleep after lunch,there would then be a three course meal in the evening at home.
I would add bulk with another roll ,flapjack or cereal bars and maybe a tomato or something if they don't like bananas .

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 10:21

They are 13 yo girls. Do you think a fromage frais added would be enough?

I have made money, because I've had three in at a time for the last three weeks, though one has just left.

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EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 10:26

I did buy yoghurts for their breakfasts but they didn't eat them!

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LineRunner · 23/07/2011 10:27

They need massive sandwiches. Massive. Like 'Scooby Snacks'. Also a tub of pasta salad is nice cold, very filling and cheap (pasta, mayo and tuna is great). And a banana and grapes.

The crisps thing is typical. I buy enough for my teenagers's lunches and suddenly they're gone. So at the end of the end of the week they don't get any. They get extra fruit or crackers!

LineRunner · 23/07/2011 10:28

Sorry I do know about the correct use of apostrophes and the letter 's' but MN brings out the loon in me.

valiumredhead · 23/07/2011 10:28

What linerunner said! HUGE sandwhiches - poor things are probably starving

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/07/2011 10:28

You'll have to change your name OP - MistressofPORTIONS...

Why don't you ask them what they want in their lunches? The amounts may not be enough for them. You buy your DS fromage frais but you didn't buy it for them? They're not guests, they're paying for the priviledge and the 'profit' aspect seems a bit weird to me. It's fine to make a bit 'over' but presumably the students will leave feedback with the organiser and a bit of understanding and flexibility might help.

halcyondays · 23/07/2011 10:32

They're a bit cheeky to tell you they didn't like the biscuits they had. I stayed with a German family as a teenager and wouldn't have dreamed of telling them I didn't like any of the food they'd provided.

That lunch sounds fine, unless the rolls are very small?

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catwoman2011 · 23/07/2011 10:33

If you buy White doorstop bread, it fills them up for longer. The digestive system has to work harder for longer to digest it. Rolls are normally fluffy so they won't fill the gap. 2 packets of crisps are a bit much tbh.

Remember that it isn't the quantity of the food but the amount of time it takes to eat it. Apples are great because they take a little while to eat them but oranges are messy in a packed lunch.

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 10:33

Ok I bought little fromage frais for DS and big yoghurts for them...I didn't think to offer them the fromage frais because they didn't want the yoghurts, it wasn't about not letting them have the nice stuff!

I don't have them to make a 'bit over' - they are a lot of work and I'm doing it for money! They pay lots for the accommodation but not a lot of that comes to us. I want them to be comfortable and have a nice stay but I'm not having them from the goodness of my heart. I do ask them what they would like, but I will ask if they would like an extra roll and a fromage frais from now on.

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EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 23/07/2011 10:34

They are normal sized rolls, not massive but not tiny...

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