To think that this is 'health and safety gone mad'?

[melpomene]

My dds went to a holiday/activity club for the day today. The club asked us to provide packed lunches and a morning snack. I made the packed lunches and there wasn't any space left in dd2's lunchbox for an extra snack, so I put a little box of ricecakes in dd1's lunchbox and told the girls that they should share the ricecakes for their morning snack.

At the end of the day, the dds told me that the staff at the club didnt allow dd1 to share the ricecakes with dd2, because "sharing food is not allowed".

We're talking about sisters sharing ricecakes here; it's not as if they were giving peanuts to strangers. And I had given the club a form confirming that they don't have any allergies. I know it's not a big deal and they had a lovely day otherwise, but AIBU to think that this rule is a bit over the top or that, at the very least, I should have been told about the rule in advance?

They are 7 and 5 btw.

If the other children see it being done, they will do it too.

Adults can differentiate between friends and sisters, and ricecakes and peanut butter on crackers - 6 year olds cannot.

They can't bend what is an important rule just for your children'

YANBU

ABsolutely bonkers

YABU.

Other parents who send their kids to the club want them to eat their own lunch, not fill up on other stuff, as otherwise their lunch becomes a waste.

Also to police a largish group of kids is quite hard, hence rules to keep tabs on all that goes on.

It's not really a rule, just courtesy to other kids and parents. You don't take food into school to share at lunchtime do you?

YANBU - crazy!!!

YANBU ridiculous, much too strict for no reason

yes, everyone knows everyone else's allergy status and what's a little anaphylaxis between friends?

But it was just between the two sisters, not everyone in the group...

I can see why you did it and I would have done the same, however, I can also see why they have that rule (these days!) and once children see it happening they will all be at it and a youngster could have an allergy - thank god it wasn't so prevalent in 'my day' as our lunches were always shared :)

So if you had asked 'Was I being unreasonable to have thought this was OK' I would have said YANBU but as you asked 'Do we think it's H&S gone mad' - I'd have to say no YABU :)

Why wasn't anyone allergic to nuts in the 1970's ?

I suppose an adult could take away the rice cakes, divide them into 2, bring them back as 2 portions and hand one to each sister?
Then other children wouldn't see 'sharing'.

It takes longer to type than it would to do.

That's such a shame. Part of the fun of pack lunches is getting to trade with one another.

/but rice cakes