Nursery withholding pudding

Giiiirl take him out from there eating disorders incoming poor baby if report that somewhere

I've worked in nurseries for a long time. Children are like adults, they don't always like things.

In my current setting, we do a rolling, self serve lunch, where children choose when to go for lunch and what they eat. It's all laid out for them to take separately. Some of our children will choose only to have some bread for lunch, but we try to encourage them to have something. They'll usually eat at the next snack.

The sort of situation you are describing isn't good and is a very out dated practice. I used to hate when EYP's of many years would tell children not to leave the table until they cleared their plate.

I'd definitely be taking this further as it can be traumatising for a child to have this much distress at meal times.

DS’s two UK nurseries both allowed children to serve themselves family-style (obviously children with dietary needs were steered away from things they weren’t allowed). They could choose what they ate, and how much of it. They could also try small amounts of everything to see if they liked it. Lots of small snacks regularly as well (cheese, fruits etc). We went out of our way to choose the most loving and gentle nurseries we could find. DS still speaks very fondly of the last one (he can’t remember the first one).

Your child’s nursery sounds really horrible, honestly. The kind of thing I’d expect from a crappy US daycare (they are not well-regulated), or a particularly bad childminder, not a high-quality UK nursery. I’d pull him out. What was the most recent Ofsted report like, out of interest?

Thats so cruel! I wouldn't work here or send my child, poor kids.

Just awful. It is a child's human right to have access to food. (We had a similar debate with our autistic child, and sought legal advice as their new teacher was forcing them to try chicken which they have never ever ever liked, and was withholding the rest of their meal until they tried a bit.)

Why can't they put the food out so that children have some power over choices?

I would hit the ceiling over this. Awful practice.

So as well as being cruel they are teaching children to eat what they don't want or beyond satiety will be rewarded with more food? Have these people done any training? No wonder we have a childhood obesity problem if this is how some children are being taught about food in their early years. This is dreadful.

Wonder how they make up bottles

Disgusting outdated practices.

I'd wonder what else they are doing that is no longer best practice.

I'd pull him out. And I'd let them know why.

I'd have this investigated. Contact a lawyer and enquire about withholding and removing food as a punishment in a UK education establishment. As far as I know it is not legal practice to do this, I'd see this as punitive and abusive.

This has made me so upset
Please report this asap and make sure you do everything to stop this

You may need to find a new job but please do not let this horrible practise continue

Take him out of there and repot this!

This is a massive safe guarding issue and emotional abuse

Report to ofsted and remove your child

Another thing - drives me nuts that many nurseries do tea at 330

Child isn't really hungry or will snack

But often they need a second tea at home which isn't helpful to the working parent

Why don't they do tea at 430/5

That’s outrageous and completely outdated. I had a fussy child and now he’s a teenager who eats everything. I managed that without traumatising him or withholding food.

When I was 4 I had my tonsils out and was in hospital for 10 days. Mum was with me all day but during the nights I was on my own - horrendous. I did not like plain milk - still don’t - and on the morning of discharge the evil matron bitch told me if I didn’t drink my milk mum wouldn’t come and get me. I’m pretty sure I didn’t drink it but that feeling of powerlessness was awful. That happened once and I’ve never forgotten it. No kid should feel like that.

Abusive. Contact OFSTED

You probably need to leave & remove DC because if they're doing that they'll be doing other outdated practice also.
Owner probably knows already. Report to Ofsted

I've never heard of a nursery or school deliberately throwing good food in the bin.
I think that eating disorders are no longer hidden. People often talk about them more to raise awareness and, quite frankly, I think the norm should never be that food is used as either a reward or a punishment.
Those kids are too young and some might end up being being conditioned due to this if it's a daily thing. Food should not be associated to neither amazing nor terrible feelings as a daily thing.

It's denying basic human right to food actually. And it's poor practice because could encourage eating disordered behaviour. Using food as punishment is a definite no no.

Personally I would secure another job, get DC into another nursery & not look back.
Go to Ofsted with your complaint to boot but get evidence of this practice before you do because they'll deny it.

Report this to ofsted. Wtaf

Horrific.

Trust your instinct. Go above the deputy manager. Very bad practice and will end up causing eating issues if not challenged.

Good luck !

No , food should never be used as punishment.

no wiggle room on that.
im quite shocked , this was part of our training 20 years ago 🤯

disgusting absolutely complain - are parents paying for this? Surely regardless the food is part of the fee anyway.

This is essentially abuse

Leave immediately and report to ofsted. This is abuse.

Absolutely not. Even if he refused to touch his main meal they can’t withhold pudding.

You should report it to the owner, but you need to find another nursery.

There are so many ways to encourage a child to eat this is not one of them.

Is this true? If so as everyone says this is truly awful and against all guidelines. The poor kids.

So often I think parents don't know the half of what goes on at nursery (although not saying many do this! This is extreme - but bet the parents don't know)