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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the public have the society they deserve

160 replies

GoodnightAdeline · 09/06/2024 22:57

Just read yet another post in our town mums’ Facebook group about the ‘lunchbox letter’. In essence a local primary has written to parents asking them to stop putting sweets and other garbage in their kids’ lunch boxes and all hell has broken loose. ‘How dare they tell my what to feed my child’ ‘tell them to fuck off’ ‘we’ll give the kids an eating disorder’ ‘my kid will only eat cheese strings and cola bottles, do they want her to starve’ etc

It was the same with the ‘your child is overweight’ letters, the ‘please send them in with water not Prime’ letters, the ‘please watch them as they cross the road after school because we had a near miss the other day and are getting complaints’ letters.

After a million such posts with defensive, vitriolic replies I’m beginning to think, why bother improving the NHS/dentistry etc? Why bother helping people who won’t help themselves.

YES I KNOW I’M BEING UNREASONABLE but the above mindset just seems so prevalent it depresses me to unreasonableness!

OP posts:
Ponderingwindow · 10/06/2024 00:04

Actually I do think the school is overstepping.

my child’s lunchbox contains items approved by her doctor. It also often contains decoy items that we know she is not going to eat, but they are there to keep the school quiet . She just carries them back and forth every day until they get gross and I replace them with more decoy food.

I need my child, who has a diagnosed eating disorder, to get as many calories during the very stressful lunch period as possible. We worry about nutrition over the day and the week, not at an individual meal. School lunch is about having enough in her belly to let her learn. So it is things like cheese, a biscuit, and some juice. That is what she can manage at school in a chaotic space with a timer telling her she doesn’t eat fast enough.

lawnseed · 09/06/2024 23:59

Thick, stroppy people seem to be taking over the country.

Scarletttulips · 09/06/2024 23:43

The other thing we noticed was on the week school trips where the food was fresh and kids were out all day - their behaviour soon changed when they didn’t have access to fizzy drinks and fast food.

Scarletttulips · 09/06/2024 23:41

Try working in a school and you come up against this type of parent all day long. Always some excuse why little Johnny can’t do XYZ and why him hitting 3 kids at lunch time is because he has anger management issues the parents refuse to get help with.

Delawear · 09/06/2024 23:38

A big tax on ultra processed food and drink would soon sort out people with those attitudes.

Make school lunches healthy, free and mandatory. Cater to specific dietary requirements but no junk and no packed lunches allowed.

nearlylovemyusername · 09/06/2024 23:31

Op, I couldn't agree more with you. What more support can be needed? how is this possible not to know what's good or bad for you? why still try to defend complete lack of responsibility?
Yes, it's not kids fault, but I truly don't believe that state can undo the damage done by parents.

I think if there was more stigma attached to appalling parenting overall it would be much better for society rather than softy-softy-understanding which is equal to enabling it

Marrta · 09/06/2024 23:18

It isn't the kids fault

DoreenonTill8 · 09/06/2024 23:08

There is plenty support and info out there but .people don't want it. They want it to be handed and spoon fed to them.

Original poster
GoodnightAdeline · 09/06/2024 23:08

BobbyBiscuits · 09/06/2024 23:06

I think there should be plenty of support for people to help them know how to be healthy, free gyms, loads of healthy food in schools etc.
The processed food industry is taking over people's eating habits. It's a shame some don't want to be healthy but I think more support is a good thing.

Trust me these people don’t want it.

OP posts:
BobbyBiscuits · 09/06/2024 23:06

I think there should be plenty of support for people to help them know how to be healthy, free gyms, loads of healthy food in schools etc.
The processed food industry is taking over people's eating habits. It's a shame some don't want to be healthy but I think more support is a good thing.