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Original poster

Lunch at nursery for DS and other things!

35 replies

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 17:48

Need a little rant!
DS's nursery introduced hot meals for lunch back in February. They use a local catering company that specialises in healthy foods. We had an email sent to us which provided lots of detail about how much they promote healthy eating.
We are vegetarians, my DS has been vegetarian since birth, nursery know this and it's on all the forms etc.
In the email nursery sent us it says the company, "cater for all religious beliefs, allergies or intolerances and provide a weekly menu for us."
I've never seen a menu but nursery are usually pretty good at informing us to what DS has had, it's usually pasta or soup. DS is only there 2 days a week so I figured there was never much choice for vegetarians on the menu.
Last week, I had to pick DS up at lunchtime for an appointment. One of the nursery staff asked me if I wanted to take his meal home with us as it was already prepared. I was handed a ready meal from Asda. When I questioned it, the staff member said that this is what DS always has as he is the ony vegetarian. The also let him have the full portion as he's the only one who will eat that meal.
I don't mind ready meals and do give DS them on the odd occasion when things are busy but never the full portion as I'm worried about the salt content.
DH wants to leave it as he doesn't think it's a big deal but I checked out the website of the catering company, the vegetarian options look lovely and I'm disappointed the nursery aren't giving DS what they said they are.
I'm even more annoyed now as have just picked DS up and they threw away 2 of his cloth pants. We've just started potty training him and I know nursery is busy and hectic, I don't expect them to watch him like a hawk but to throw away stuff that can be washed?!
Thanks for listening!

OP posts:

Leftphalange · 04/08/2021 17:53

I would query the vegetarian meals if they have said they would provide them. I would ask for a vegetarian option or if not happy send in a packed lunch, I do this a couple of times a week as one of my sons won't eat some of the meals provided.

What kind of accident was it in the pants? I'd be surprised if it was pee, generally those pants are bagged in a nappy sack and returned to parents for washing. Could it have been explosive poos?

Eileen101 · 04/08/2021 17:54

I wouldn't be happy about that either op. We're veggie and both my kids are given a veggie version of the same that the meat eaters have. I'd have the same concern as you regarding salt content. Ready meals are not nutritious in comparison to 'home cooked' (well, catering company cooked, but my point remains). I'd be very cross.
My kids nursery also just put any pants in a nappy sack and send them home.
I'd be having words with the manager in relation to both things.

oklets · 04/08/2021 17:56

I don't think yabu at all. I think it's quite shocking that they think it's okay to give him a ready meal as standard. I would be really unhappy with that. Like you say, it's okay at home the odd time but it's for you the parent to decide that. I'd also be annoyed about the cloth pants - it's not difficult to stick them into a plastic bag to send home. Again, they shouldn't be making those decisions!

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blahblahblah321 · 04/08/2021 17:58

I'd be very disappointed with that too. I work at a nursery which uses an outside catering company, we have vegetarian/vegan and children who eat Halal and it's never an issue - there is always a home cooked meal for them.

What's happened to the pants?

HalloHello · 04/08/2021 17:58

I would not be happy with my daughter having a ready meal, ever. I wouldn't feed her that at home!

Original poster

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 17:58

It was a poo. I absolutely don't expect them to deal with that but if they could pop the pants into a bag like they do the wet stuff then I can wash it at home.

OP posts:

blahblahblah321 · 04/08/2021 18:02

@youaresunshine

It was a poo. I absolutely don't expect them to deal with that but if they could pop the pants into a bag like they do the wet stuff then I can wash it at home.

Again I'd be disappointed with that! I'd make an attempt to clean the pants (at least try and get the poo out!) and send it home in a nappy bag. Was it binned in error?

BelendaCarlisle · 04/08/2021 18:11

When I worked in a nursery we had the same scenario where a child with a different diet was fed an inferior meal to the other children. I wasn’t allowed to discuss this with the parent directly so I drew their attention to it in a similar way, “hello mum, baby enjoyed his cucumber sandwich again today, I’m surprised he isn’t bored of them yet because he eats them everyday “

Original poster

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 18:11

@blahblahblah321 I was told about it and they said I definitely wouldn't have wanted them back. I just said, "oh, I could have washed them."

OP posts:

Odile13 · 04/08/2021 18:12

I’d be annoyed too. They should be giving DS veggie meals from the same catering company surely. It just seems odd.

Original poster

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 18:15

@BelendaCarlisle that's an interesting perspective. I wonder if it's a smiliar reason.
@Leftphalange thank you, I am going to query it. TBH I am more than happy to send in a packed lunch which might be my way forward.

I have asked them also what they provide for their picnic dinner as I've just realised they never tell me!

OP posts:

Original poster

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 18:18

@Odile13, I've just had a look at the catering website and a sample menu. They only show veggie options for 3 of the 5 days. I'm not really sure what that means but I would assume if they cater for reglious beliefs and intolerances/allergies then they must have a daily veggie option?

OP posts:

HalfTermHalfTerm · 04/08/2021 18:21

The meals thing really isn’t on. If it’s that they can’t only order one portion of the vegetarian option (although I would find that hard to believe) then they should have explained that to you so you could come up with a solution together.

The pants thing is a tricky one. If they were badly soiled (as in he had a full on accident instead of just not quite making it in time) then I can see why they thought it was best to bin them. I imagine they would have been really badly stained?

WaterIsBest · 04/08/2021 18:25

What type of nursery is this?

Private expensive day care?

Original poster

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 18:42

@waterisbest it's a private nursery.

OP posts:

AtleastitsnotMonday · 04/08/2021 18:47

I still there a separate charge for a hot lunch? I wouldn’t be happy with that regardless if I paid separately or it was included but am interested to know what they are charging you for these ready meals!
I’d let the pants things go. Having picked poo out of other children’s pants I can assure you it is not pleasant, and very different from dealing with your own kids dirty pants!

AtleastitsnotMonday · 04/08/2021 18:48

Is there!

Original poster

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 18:48

@halftermhalfterm ds is 3 and a half so unless he's poorly, they are not usually explosive. I'm guessing they had to take the pants off with their hands so I'm not sure why it would be easier to put them in a bin rather than a bag. I wonder if they bagged them to put them in the bin?!

OP posts:

WaterIsBest · 04/08/2021 18:51

I would not be happy about this at all

Can you make an appointment with the manager?

Surely other children who have dietary requirements aren't all given an Asda meal?

Original poster

youaresunshine · 04/08/2021 19:01

@atleastitsnotmonday I won't expect them to pick out the poo! Just drop it in a bag for me to sort. I know pants are cheap but I've just come off mat leave and things are so tight right now. I can't afford to replace them until pay day (I know that sounds so pathetic and not something I particularly want to share with nursery!)

I pay £6 a day for a hot lunch and a picnic tea, so it's not included.

OP posts:

HalfTermHalfTerm · 04/08/2021 19:07

@youaresunshine If they said that you definitely wouldn’t want them back then I guess your son had a full on accident through? I know it’s not very environmentally friendly but I would have bagged and binned them too. It’s not any less unpleasant for the person having to deal with it but I would have assumed that you’d be happy for them to be thrown away.

That might not be the norm for nurseries though. Hopefully now you’ve spoken to them it won’t happen again!

Betsyboo87 · 04/08/2021 19:09

I wouldn’t be happy with this either. If it’s an outsourced catering company then I’d think it’s irrelevant that your DS is the only vegetarian. I would have thought they’d be making meals on large batches for all their clients at once and so they just need to drop one veg portion off for DS. As pp said, make an appointment with the Manager to discuss.

DS had a week of explosive nappies (they had to bath him it was so bad) but I got everything back in a plastic bag. I can’t see how it makes a difference to them if they put it in a bag or the bin.

Tlems · 04/08/2021 19:10

[quote youaresunshine]@atleastitsnotmonday I won't expect them to pick out the poo! Just drop it in a bag for me to sort. I know pants are cheap but I've just come off mat leave and things are so tight right now. I can't afford to replace them until pay day (I know that sounds so pathetic and not something I particularly want to share with nursery!)

I pay £6 a day for a hot lunch and a picnic tea, so it's not included.[/quote]
If money is tight at the minute, definetly say something to get the proper meal or send him in with food for cheaper, they're taking the piss charging you 6quid for a cheap ready meal instead of the catered option!

Anoisagusaris · 04/08/2021 19:14

Is it a kids ready meal or just a regular one? I wouldn’t be impressed at all with an adult one, but would hope (naively perhaps?) that a kids one would be a bit healthier. Still not acceptable though if you are paying for meals.

redsky21 · 04/08/2021 19:22

Just a quick one to say I work in a nursery and it's not always pleasant to have a bag of heavily soiled pants hanging around all day, especially when its warm! We have scented nappy bags but even so, sometimes the whole hallway smells.

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