To just not send in a packed lunch?

I think they’re fine for something when you are right there, whereas saying you’ll get a sticker if you finish your sandwich at preschool might not be so encouraging when there are loads of other more exciting things to do there.

@CecilyP It all depends on the child. Mine enjoyed using them at that age.

I think the problem is a complete lack of lunch supervision at the preschool. No one to say try and finish your sandwich before you play. But how l long are the half day sessions anyway. Probably only about 2.5 to 3.5 hours . Do the other children even have packed lunches

With regard to a home reward chart, I think you’re expecting a very high level of ability to defer gratification for a 3 year old!

Is he there for a whole day or just a morning or afternoon only?

If it's half day only why does he need a lunch?

Surely a snack is enough?

If he's there a full day he needs a lunch.

None of their business what you put in the packed lunch, IMO, but crisps are a no-no because DCs will eat them in preference to anything else. Perfectly healthy afaik. When my two/three year old would eat nothing but cottage cheese and crisps my doctor said fine, he'll eat when he is hungry, and my dentist said it was better than sweets. No-one had problems with it. But that was in the dark ages when we did not obsess about what we all ate all the time, of course.

OP if making lunch is such a hassle, why don't you just send them to one where lunch is provided? Problem solved! It may encourage your DC more too as all the children will be sitting down to eat the same thing

Anyone who is saying it's unreasonable to ask them to encourage him to eat is being ridiculous! Of course they should encourage them to eat, they are small children who are easily distracted. My grandson's pre-school they will encourage the children and help them if necessary, any pre-school that isn't doing that is not somewhere I'd want to send children. I would have a word with his keyworker and say you are concerned he is not really eating anything and what could they suggest.

At my dd pre school Afternoon children can eat lunch there or at home

Arrive 1145 eat lunch with kids and learn good eating manners and
Start 1230

Or

Start 1230 having lunch at home

So yes normal to eat lunch as soon as get there if like above

And I agree 100% with @1AngelicFruitCake She's saying the same thing just more concisely that I have!

You're making this all your son's issue when really it's a parenting issue.

I don't get why he has to eat his lunch the minute he's in pre-school, if it's an afternoon session (surely those children who only go for the afternoon eat at home not at pre-school?)

Anyway, whatever the system is....

it's clear that he won't sit still at a table and eat, he gets distracted, so he only eats the food he wants to and leaves the rest.

Can you not see that you need to work on this at home?
You admit he grazes and you don't make him sit at the table.
Does he ever sit down to eat hot food? Or is he up and down, wandering around?

Come on- face up to this. Stop getting bolshie when posters tell you that it's up to you to change his habits at home.

It's no different to sending a child to school not potty trained or unable to dress themselves. If you don't expect him to sit down to eat at home, well, why would he at pre school?

Your other posts show you are rigid in your thinking about lots of stuff.
If you want your child to change, you have to change your parenting style.

Start thinking about rewards for good behaviour and setting some expectations at home that will be carried over into pre-school.

i have taught a few Nursery and Reception children who struggle to ‘keep going’ without the encouragement or spoon feeding you describe. Parents always seem surprised they don’t eat well when asked to eat independently yet they aren’t helped to do so at home. Reception might seem a long time away but he won’t suddenly change unless he’s helped at home.

She isn't entirely daft. We'd report repeated failure to provide a balanced lunch, just not without talking to the parent first.

We had a child who went home straight after our lunch time, and had a "proper lunch" with his parents then. It was agreed he could just bring a healthy snack for while the others were eating if he wanted, but if they'd not discussed that with us it would have been a cause for concern.

Talk to staff, see what they suggest - what does his best friend have, maybe being the same would appeal? Does he eat at snack time? Do they actively encourage/help open things or is it a dinner supervisor situation with too many to oversee (shouldn't be at this age, but I have seen it)?

Talk to preschool. Don’t worry about being ‘that parent’. I think it is normal that you would be concerned about your 3yo not eating. Equally, The adults that are paid to look after him should care about his well-being too and eating is part of this.

My 2yo absolutely loves avocado sushi, his absolute fav. I had never thought of it but his friend was eating it and he tried it. Loves the mushroom one on the tofu envelope thing as well as the Seaweed Salad 🙂

Why go for sushi @Crishell when there’s perfectly good quails eggs to be had?! 😂

I'm just laughing at someone on the first page suggesting to try sushi in their pack up.

Of course you do need to send it. You need to meet with staff to discuss a plan for ensuring he starts to eat it. E g. X amount of sandwich then crisps.

Honestly the fact that you are more concerned about wasting effort trying to feed your child, than about your child not eating at school, makes me wonder what is going on. At 3 it really isn't ok to be going 6-8 hours without food. Rather than not send him with a lunch, maybe bother to try different options and see what he will eat?!

I absolutely love this! That's bloody ingenious!!

My DD was the same, she never ate anything. In the end DMIL suggested buying party bags and putting everything in there all together cut to the same size. So we got those pink and white paper striped bags and every day she had a crustless sandwich (usually ham or sliced chicken) some cubes of mild cheddar cheese, an orange (all peeled and segmented and one of those tiny bags of animal biscuits or mini cookies. Literally everything just went in the bag together - no packaging or wrapping, all cut up. Lo and behold she’d sit there eating from her ‘party bag’ like it was a bag of sweets.

😀

It would be funny if it wasn't a sad situation for these two little ones. Can't fathom the idea that OP thinks not eating at a table at home isn't related.

I've 3 children. Not one educational institution has ever permitted crisps because of healthy eating school status.

Just don't send crisps. My almost 3 year old has never taken crisps I to school, same as my 5 and 7 year old

I'd bet my last pound YOUR MUM gave you a lunch either a school dinner or packed lunch. Every single day.

Asda sell cheap boxes of kids packed lunch items. Go have a look. Makes packed lunch easier tbh

PS You ok hun?

@DragonMama3 but just stating your weight and not height means absolutely nothing !

It illustrates precisely nothing!

Hence, my what is the relevance of just randomly stating your weight.