Teacher thinks I need to give DS bigger lunch

[HealthyLunchBox]

Name changed for this.

So picked DS aged 5 up from school today and teacher asked for a word.

She said after lunch, they were talking about healthy eating and made healthy wraps as part of the lesson. DS pilled his full of cheese, peppers ect. Huge apparently. When all the kids went out to play he decided to stay in and eat the whole wrap. She said he seemed absolutely ravenous and she found it strange as he had just had lunch. I didn't know what to say so just said okay... Then she said well maybe it's just a growth spurt.

I feel really embarrassed and judged. So this is what he had in his lunch today. Tuna mayo salad sandwich on seeded bread, a big slice of crust less quiche made with broccoli, spinach, cabbage and cheese, a pear and box of raisins.

He did eat all his lunch today but will often come home with stuff uneaten. I dont want to put more food in for it just to be wasted.

Sorry I don't really know why I'm posting. I just feel like a bad parent.

I used to give my then five year old - either a sandwich or a wrap or crackers with cheese and strawberries and a small pot of yoghurt and the teacher asked me to give smaller lunches as DC was taking longer to eat than anyone else! I think your lunch sounds great OP!

I don't understand the making the wraps if they weren't supposed to be eaten.

I'm sure they WERE meant to be eaten.

If they had made the wraps in the morning, no doubt loads of parents would have moaned that their children were too full to eat the packed lunch they'd made. So they made them in the afternoon, even though the children had just eaten lunch. The teacher was surprised as the OP's DS ate the entire wrap, rather than just nibbling at it.

But no. I expect they decided to waste some of their copious school budget on food designed not to be eaten instead and then sat around judging the parents whose children ate the 'healthy food'. That's a way more likely scenario.

Good lord. The teacher was doing what is actually a responsibility of her role. Student welfare.

I know @CakeNinja but apparently it's more important that teachers don't make parents feel 'judged' than that they do anything to check on a child's welfare.

Thanks everyone. Now I've had time to think about it, I know I've over reacted. Sorry I can't reply yot everyone individually, I wasn't expecting so many replies.

I really like and respect this teacher and I can understand why she mentioned it. I think she could have worded it slightly better.

My DS is very unfussy and will eat just about anything. DD on the other hand is the fussiest child I've ever met. I really struggle to get her to eat anything. I do my best to give them a balanced diet. I am happy that DS gets enough food every day. He only eat half of his dinner last night! Maybe because of the wrap?

I didn't want to get into this because I don't want to offend anyone but so many of you have brought, it up so.... I'd never give my kids school dinners. For a start I don't want them having pudding every day. Secondly, they have unlimited bread offered to them, which I don't agree with. DS would stuff himself with bread everyday. School dinners are absolute crap and I don't think they are healthy at all. Sorry if that offends anyone. I'd never judge anyone for giving their kids school dinners but it's just not for us. I do allow them to have it on Fridays as a treat as it's always pizza/fish fingers and chips.

Also a few of you have mentioned the raisins. He doesn't get them everyday. Maybe once a week or once a fortnight. Today he will be having a ham, coleslaw and salad sandwich, a pear, some nuts, some cucumber and some cheese.

He definitely isn't swooping lunch with anyone. He loves his food and definitely wouldn't do that. He has behaviour issues and is watched like a hawk at lunch time so wouldn't get the chance to even if he wanted to. They don't have bins in the lunch hall, they have to bring all rubbish home.

I think that's everything!

Sorry my last post did have paragraphs, but they sometimes seem to disappear when posting on my phone!

I think he just loves his food, especially when he’s made it himself. I also think the teacher was not wrong to mention it. My nephew loves food and asks for snacks a lot. If healthy snacks are offered he’s not as keen.
Sounds like your ds has a good diet but also enjoys eating, especially cheese!

Maybe he just really likes cheese wraps!

I'd be questioning why they let them make wraps if they didn't want them to eat them.

I'd be questioning why they let them make wraps if they didn't want them to eat them.

Let me just repost this which is about 10 posts up the page:

I'm sure they WERE meant to be eaten.

If they had made the wraps in the morning, no doubt loads of parents would have moaned that their children were too full to eat the packed lunch they'd made. So they made them in the afternoon, even though the children had just eaten lunch. The teacher was surprised as the OP's DS ate the entire wrap, rather than just nibbling at it.

But even so, DontMakeMeShushYou, why would they make wraps that they just expected to be ‘nibbled’? What a waste of food.

SoyDora
I think I explained that fairly clearly. Can't make them before lunch so had to make them after lunch when the kids were already full.

Perfectly clear, thank you.
I think making food that they only expect to be nibbled is a waste of food.

A bit of overthinking here surely.

Maybe he just really liked the wrap and so wanted to eat it up. Can totally see one of mine doing that, regardless of whether he was hungry or if it was playtime.

One of my others barely eats anything at lunch because he is so desperate to play. He is very hungry when he gets home but I'm still not sending more food in for him not to eat.

I don't think you can make any assumptions from one child eating something on one day and one comment from a teacher.

Well to be fair, SoyDora I have no more idea than you do whether it was meant to be only nibbled or not. And neither of us have any idea how much food was leftover. The OP did say her DS made a HUGE wrap so perhaps all the other children ate all of their small wraps and the teacher was only surprised as OP's DS ate such an enormous one.

Maybe the children were meant to bring the wraps home to eat. My DD has made similar at school and all the class have brought them home.

Teachers have a duty to notice what could be a hungry/starved child (particularly since Daniel Pelka). A child stuffing food in class could imply they are not getting enough food at home or in their packed lunch.

But, in your case OP it simply sounds like your son was having a hungry day. Nothing to worry about, no need to take it as a slight on your parenting BUT the teacher was right to notice it and mention it.

What does he have for breakfast and dinner?
The point remains he was hungry enough to Eat a huge wrap and forego play with the other kids to do so. So something was up

^This.

My four year old has half a ham sandwich (one slice of bread, 3 slices of ham) some cheese chunks, a squeezeyyogurt, a small tub of mixed berries, some crisps and a bar of soreen. She is a picky eater so I like to over pack. She never eats the bread from her sandwich.

Your sons lunch sounded fine, it's hard being a parent isn't it!