Jam sandwiches at wraparound care

One doesn't just "close the thread"

What’s the difference between a jam sandwich or jam on toast - which would have been a perfectly normal post school snack in our house.

Rather have cheap jam than cheap ham (might put that on a placard)

Our sons after school club was like this, we just sent an additional pack up each day that he had, well, not a whole pack up, but some real food bits he could eat, rather than their offer of asda smart price jam and smart price bread and some tinned fruit cocktail for pudding.

Its a bit of jam, not crack cocaine!

Flouncers corner is that way —————>

YABU to talk to a 4 year old about a 'balanced diet'

WTF!!!

The way I see it, your options are...

1. Suck it up, carry on as you are.
2. Ensure she has a savoury breakfast, savoury lunch (is this a school dinner too?) and suck it up
3. Send an alternative
4. Discuss with her and maybe reach a compromise of jam one/two days and ham/cheese the others
5. Find alternative childcare arrangements that fit in with your dietary preferences

A jam sandwich is totally fine.
They need something with carbs and sugar mid afternoon to give them the energy boost till dinner.
A traditional afternoon tea is sandwiches, cake etc.
For me it’s not a snack but a necessary small meal for a child.

Then you provide your own food.

If no one else has a problem with this then why are you making such as fuss about a jam sandwich? Your child has just started there. I expect many kids have been attending a lot longer.

You're being "that parent".

If what a service offers isn't to your liking you make changes to what you do. You don't make everyone else change to please you.

Pack a snack, that you approve of, in her bag and tell her to just eat that.

Alternatively find a different after school option.

I think it’s more pick your battles, I’d suspect the cost is relatively cheap for WAC , when you factor in wages, insurance the budget for food is minimal… if you complain enough the cost will just go up to reflect the cost increase of food

Why don’t you find and pay for a school that meets your strict criteria?

Eating a jam sandwich is not the end of the world. You are very lucky she has a asc to attend so many never opened after covid or are full or don't take year r children. Take the rough with the smooth.

Wrapcare programmes don’t usually have access to school kitchens, so what you’re describing here is pretty standard, even at private schools.

I make Jam for my kids and it’s not full of ultra processed nonsense so maybe they make the jam too or buy the healthier ones in the store. It may be run by the school but it’s not school, it’s after school club, the school is not forcing you to use it so I feel you’re unreasonable to email thrice about this. You either pack an after school snack for your child or you find an alternative. If they have to start providing healthier snacks, they’ll need to put up the fees which many parents will find harder to pay and those parents are already happy with the current set up just cos of you.

When mine were little I was getting worked up over the lunch box he would eat - this was 20 odd years ago so lunch boxes weren’t policed so much then but I wanted him to eat well.

he would only eat jam sandwiches everyday 5 days a week, my dad pointed out to me, he has a good breakfast and a nice healthy dinner what harm does a little jam at lunch do.

When I was little we lived just up the road for school and we went home for lunch every day for a year or so. We had sugar 70’s cereal for breakfast, cooked lunch sausage and mash stew shepherds pie etc then tea was jam on bread and butter and a slice of cake. 7 of us, and we all grew up healthy and well balanced did t harm us at all

Well I agree with OP. There is enough crap food around and diabetes is a dreadful thing so why give young kids jam of all things. Bet it's white bread too.

My youngest dc also attend a school ran before / after school club that offer jam toast / sandwiches - they only offer a small amount though as a snack to tide DC over to their evening meal at home

Honestly, I dont think its the end of the world but maybe you could request she isn't able to eat a large amount if it prevents her from eating at home

I'm guessing the jam is the "vegan" option. (And many other allergens except wheat and gluten)

Although it’s within the school it will be seperate from the school, ie food and staffing etc.
Ours has a wraparound care and to be honest I’ve never put a thought into what they eat, I’ll ask my kids what they’ve had , as I do with schools dinners. It’s always varied and random (mine hate jam sandwiches!) but sometimes they’ve had nothing to eat as they didn’t want too.
They don’t use school facilities for cooking they buy a Tesco shop in (according to my eldest) and everything is cold. Mine always have a proper dinner when they get home.
Personally a jam sandwich at WAC isn’t a big deal, it’s a fuss over nothing. If you’re not happy go to another provider , if there isn’t one, then honestly pick your battles. School is going to be a long slog if you worry about this type of stuff.

You’re not wrong in a way. I have been fairly unimpressed by the food on offer as ‘tea’ at the after school club where I work. The girls running it are absolutely lovely and the kids are well cared for and happy but the food is crap.
In the grand scheme of things though I would let this one slide. Your child is very little. I’d be glad they’re eating anything at all at school as 4 year olds often don’t. Encourage your child to make better choices but I would just be letting this one go. It’s probably only going to be the case for a short while anyway. She will probably change her preferences as she becomes older and more comfortable.

Ham every day isn't healthy either - its a known carcinogen.

Good grief, you emailed three times about this? 🫠