Extravagant Pack Lunches

This is mumsnet, OP! 😂 What replies were you expecting?

There’s of course nothing wrong with smoked salmon sandwiches, but FWIW I agree with you that all else being equal, it would be a pretty OTT lunch in my neck of the woods.

Nowt at all wrong with a cheese/ham/egg/tuna butty, piece of fruit, packet of crisps (or carrot if you must) and a penguin biscuit.

People have the money though, so, they will spend it how they will. No harm done.

That sounds fine to me. My dc took smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels quite regularly.

Why is a bloody salmon bagel over the top? It’s hardly caviar. Sounds very normal to me…

I give my son smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels and we’re not posh by any means! It’s his absolute fave and he requested it for his first day back at school. He’s 7 so I just wanted him to have something that he loves and I know he’d eat it.

I remember taking cold toast and paté to spread on for a while when i was about ten. It started a brief trend.

@Diadrie I don’t think you meant it this way but I found your post a little judgmental. I think some parents are lucky and their kids eat anything (like my youngest) and others don’t like my eldest and middle child. So the result is that all my kids packed lunches look very very different. It’s hard to get the kids to eat anything remotely healthy in some cases so when you find something they like you just go with it. My eldest is the pickiest of kids really hard and recently (last 4 weeks) he discovered he likes steak. So he’s eating steak at the moment (not every day) even though it’s not the cheapest it’s what he eats (other than processed rubbish) so I’m making the most of it. Could be the case here.

How strange you are @Diadrie

As a TA have you not seen much of the world?

Do you eat mostly processed food?

Quiche loraine perfectly normal as leftover form previous day.
Slamon bagel, so easy, with cream cheese bagel and smoked salmon or salmon from tin yum

STeak will be a left over too, is it dried onions? These are pretty ordinary foods.

What's the problem?

Your post is absurd.

Sounds great! Packed lunches don’t all need to be ultra processed squished ham sandwiches (although of course if that’s what a parent can provide that’s great too). Also how do you know if someone is mortgage free? Do they tell you?

Here’s one for you OP. Many years ago, I saw a poor soul reluctantly take out 3 fromaj frais ( all out of date by weeks) That’s all that was in the lunch box.

Maybe the family had a fancy buffet yesterday and the pack up was leftovers? Waste not…..want not!

Sounds fabulous, lucky kids.

My three kids had sushi (with chopsticks) in their lunchboxes today. I hope they weren’t on the receiving end of any reverse snobbery from their school staff.

Like most people they are probably using leftovers to save waste. Very sensible.

An unlovely thought. The politics of envy is never nice. And they probably can afford to pay for childcare? I am not that keen on my taxes going to subsidise nursery places, either, but that's because I think babies and toddlers are better off at home with their mother (or possibly father).

My DD had smoked salmon sandwiches for the last school term as she refused to eat cheese or ham sandwiches and I wasn't going to let her have Jam ones.

I’ll raise you a lobster cocktail sandwich!
My then 10 year old’s lunch using up left overs from a family celebration buffet, and it was the only day ever the head teacher asked them what was in their packed lunch that day！

Politics of envy? Worry about the kids getting a cheese sandwich and a yoghurt, the ones with extravagant lunches are doing fine.

I mean. I've sent my kids in with smoked salmon, lasagna in a pot, I don't think I've ever done steak as I don't like cold steak sandwiches myself, but they've definitely had olives, and all sorts of 'adult' bits and bobs because they like them and I'm not mucking about with stuff they don't like for lunch..

Would you be happier with a plain cheese sandwich?
DS had a time when he took sushi to school, and then mini hot dogs in buns...he's currently in a cereal bar phase (he has a substantial breakfast at home and eats an, at 2pm albeit late, school lunch).

I wouldn't call that extravagant. Nice healthy lunch. A quiche isn't remotely fancy. Are you jealous that it's nicer than your lunch?

YABU. If the kid is eating it it's obviously their regular diet. I'd much rather see steak and salmon than processed crap like lunchables.

What's acceptable, in your opinion @Diadrie?

@Diadrie Do any of the children bring in a gooseberry and cinnamon yoghurt?

@Diadrie That 5 year old eats better than me, and yet, I bet the parents of that 5 year old expect me to sacrifice my income and pay even more in tax just so they can have "childcare."

I work in a school and I think that’s a lovely packed lunch. A lot better than the food I’ve seen being sent in. Cold chicken nuggets and chips is a regular. I’ve even seen McDonald’s happy meals being sent in with some children.

Do you also judge the fruit shoot, frube, quavers, jam sandwich and cheese string lunch box so harshly? 😂

Exactly….sounds like an excellent lunch,
I think the OP is a begrudger, the child is probably from a well off family with loving parents and the OP is somehow irked by this
OP, I think you are in the wrong job, this sort of think should please you not annoy you if you had the children’s best interest at heart?!?’