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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that ds's homework is 'buy 6 slices of chicken and bring into school'

76 replies

zipzap · 05/02/2011 21:23

All very trivial I know but...

Was a bit Hmm by ds1's homework (Y1) - to buy 6 slices of chicken and bring in on a given day of the week. The class is apparently doing healthy eating and they are going to make healthy sandwiches so everybody has been given something to bring in.

This just makes me Hmm on so many different levels. What if I couldn't have afforded it (OK, so I can but they don't necessarily know that) or couldn't get to the shop on the right day? And given that they have specified it is for healthy eating lessons, I'm hardly going to want to buy some pre-processed dodgy chicken slices that I wouldn't usually touch with a bargepole. Which means hunting out some in somewhere like M&S or Waitrose and even then they charge a fortune for bits of 'real' chicken and they still don't taste very nice albeit a bit better than the pre-processed stuff.

which also means going to the shop on mon or tues to buy it, both really busy week nights when ds has his activities and is really pooped and hates going to the shop whereas he's not too bad other nights.

which also means the night before I have to cook a chicken breast and slice it into 6 - and chances are that if they are expecting a pre-processed slice what I send will be all wrong size/shape for the sandwiches. Tuesday nights are always really busy so a bad night for doing extra things like this; I usually get organised and have a simple supper from the freezer or leftovers from day before but don't want to send in defrosted or 2 day old chicken.

DS barely eats chicken as it is; wondering how wrong it would be to send in a pot of hummus instead as ds will eat this by the pot if he can dip it so would be good to get him to eat in sarnies too, which if he tried them at school he just might start to do whereas I can just see that chicken might be a step too far.

would obviously run this past the teacher first but just wondered if I was unreasonable in asking her if it was OK to bring something different in or, if she wants a packet of processed sliced chicken, asking if ds can have the veggie option as I don't like the packet stuff?

Plus the last time they asked for Caribbean fruit to be sent in (all ready prepared and pre-chopped) they didn't actually eat it until a couple of days later by which time I would have thought it was potentially somewhat past it - not so bad with fruit but would be worried about the chicken (especially as when I went to get my box from the pile on the day the fruit was sent in, it was still sitting there and they hadn't got around to putting it in the fridge).

I know, it's trivial, but for some reason it seems to be the straw that has snapped this camel's back and I'm just venting.

OP posts:
Morloth · 06/02/2011 07:09

Meh, I agree it is a bit stupid, but you are waaaaay overthinking this.

Just grab a pack of sliced chicken the next time you are at the shops.

If you want to be posh you can get that roasted sliced chicken breast instead of the packet stuff.

This isn't worth the energy you are expending on it.

Tortington · 06/02/2011 07:13

chicken is really quite expensive and i think the schoolshould really have thought about this more. becuase you see the thing is - the people who cant afford it are more often than not , not going to prane around parading the fact that they are too poor to participate in stuff.

6 slices of chicken is not so cheap

bulby · 06/02/2011 07:43

I also think you are way over thinking it, sounds like a nice activity.......and I'm a veggieSmile

gingernutlover · 06/02/2011 07:47

packet of chunky chicken slices from tesco value range is £1.35 and perfectly fine for sandwiches.

The teacher hasn't done it to piss you off - they have done it so that the children can have a practical science/DT lesson. Get over yourself.

MmeLindt · 06/02/2011 07:53

You are overthinking this.

Ok, so processed chicken is not great, but the idea is to teach the children basic life skills. How to make a sandwich. And a reasonably healthy one at that.

Perhaps someone else is bringing ham or salami.

Get a packet of chicken and stop making excuses.

Bonsoir · 06/02/2011 08:02

I wish primary schools would stop getting so involved in trying to teach children about "healthy eating". Primary schools don't have the facilities to teach children how to cook and primary teachers don't have training in teaching nutrition or cooking, and they end up getting it all very, very wrong.

All a primary school needs to do is provide a cheap, tasty, balanced and healthy lunch that will keep the chldren going through the afternoon.

gingeroots · 06/02/2011 08:47

YANBU - in fact ,apart from posting about it - you must be me .
I would do the buying ,cooking and slicing a decent piece of chicken and would grump away to myself .
( oh ,plus a cool pack to keep it in )

gingernutlover · 06/02/2011 08:48

"All a primary school needs to do is provide a cheap, tasty, balanced and healthy lunch that will keep the chldren going through the afternoon."

I wish it was as simple as that, healthy eating and cooking is part of our Science and DT curriculum and it would be seen as very bad practise to do it all in theory with no practical experience, plus making sandwiches hardly requires specialist training or equipment.

What is wrong with making sandwiches as part of a healthy eating topic anyway? I cannot see how that is an example of schools getting it "very very wrong"? A sandwich is a good example of one meal a day in a balanced diet.

I have however, seen some awful "healthy eating" teaching going on with foods labelled as "bad" and "Good" - but I don't think this is an example of that, this is simply an example of a parent who doesnt see why they should buy a packet of chicken!

Bonsoir · 06/02/2011 08:53

If that's the case, then I think children could make a sandwich at home, for homework. But at school? Madness.

troisgarcons · 06/02/2011 08:56

ds's homework is 'buy 6 slices of chicken and bring into school'

Think outside the box Grin she's far too young for pocketmoney, ergo cannot go and buy anything.

simples

gingernutlover · 06/02/2011 08:59

Why is it madness to make a sandwich at school?

My class of 4 and 5 year olds bake/prepare food at least once a month - they learn a lot from it and really enjoy it. All the other classes in our school do cooking too - not as often but when it compliments a topic they are covering, last week our juniors made mexican wraps, they made and cooked the flatbreads from scratch and chopped and prepared all the other ingredients. Each child brought in one ingredient from home, no one complained, in fact most of the parents were delighted their children were being taught about cooking, food prep and hygiene.

QuintessentialShadows · 06/02/2011 08:59

buy the chicken slices.

Consider this, to some this IS a healthy eating alternative. And if you think about it, you know it is true.

belgo · 06/02/2011 09:05

YABU. I had to bring in the ingredients for home economics classes when I was at school. How is this different?

AuntiePickleBottom · 06/02/2011 09:18

just a thought, but is the teacher planning to get back ups just incase the child is off sick ect.

i would buy it because i would hate the though of the children missing out on a fun activity.

Bloodymary · 06/02/2011 10:56

gingeroots came up with the best idea, re. a cool pack to keep the chicken slices in (be them reformed or whatever).
Then they can talk about the importance of refrigerating certain foods at all times.
Very important if they are learning about healthy eating!!

sparkle12mar08 · 06/02/2011 11:07

I wouldn't do it. For all the reasons mentioned. I'd have a quiet word with the teacher and ask her to explain what part of cheap, nasty, processed chicken slices is healthy, either for the children or the chicken it came from. How she is proposing to keep it cool, and how she expects it to be paid for. Utterly ridiculous idea. There are families for whom buying an extra packet of chicken slices that would actually fit the bill (6 slices of 100% pure chicken not processed in any way can cost upwards of £5 if you actually want proper quality) would simply not be possible in their weekly budget - will the scool reimbusrse those families? I bet not, so why should those families that care about what their children eat have to spend that much on a silly, ill thought out, lazy teaching idea?

sazm · 06/02/2011 11:16

sparkle - the teacher didnt actually ask the child to bring in 'cheap,nasty, processed chicken slices' she asked him to bring in 6 chicken slices.TBH its for a class project, are a bunch of kids going to notice if its 'proper quality'

tesco do various different pre-packed chicken slices,they are under £2,
why cant you take these in?

tbh i like when we are given stuff like this,so long as there is plenty notice given (i buy all my shopping on pay day/pay my bills,there is a possibility i wouldn't have a few spare pounds a day or 2 before our next payday!)

sparkle12mar08 · 06/02/2011 11:24

Because I care about what my children eat. I would never buy processed chicken. I would never serve processed chicken to my family or guests. I would certainly never spend money on sending it in to school to be kept in goodness knows what conditions to be served to my child or his friends. Sorry.

sazm · 06/02/2011 11:32

your telling the op though to ' have a quiet word with the teacher and ask her to explain what part of cheap,nasty,processed chicken slices is healthy' - thats not actually what the teacher asked the child to bring in!she asked for 6 slices of chicken.

if the parents dont have much money they could bring in an 80p pack of processed chicken from tesco,if they have the funds they can bring in organic free range chicken breast,

tbh i dont think its much to ask for,its nice the school are doint practical things with the kids!some dont.

sparkle12mar08 · 06/02/2011 11:37

But why should parents who don't have much money have to spend 80p on a nasty pack of cheap processed plastic? Why should they have to spend a single penny on such crap? Why should the parents who can afford free range prganic chicken breast have to spend that money in the way prescribed by the teacher? It's badly thought out, lazy teaching. And btw, I didn't tell the op to have a word with the teacher. I said I would if it happened to us. There is a difference.

Bogeyface · 06/02/2011 11:38

The word "buy" is important though, as the school probably cant accept unsealed food due to health issues. We cant send home made cakes to school for the cake stall now due to this, we have to send packaged ready made cakes. the same for the kids Xmas parties, everything had to shop bought and sealed.

Bogeyface · 06/02/2011 11:39

I keep doing this!

Meant to add, it would annoy me too because I would feel bound to buy the most expensive stuff rather than the middle of the range stuff I normally buy! But I dont have a problem with the lesson as it stands.

sazm · 06/02/2011 11:46

sparkle - the point is though the teacher didnt ask for cheap nasty processed chicken slices!!!!!she just asked for 6 slices of chicken,
bogeyface - our school doesnt have a problem with homemade cakes/food,neither does our playgroup,usually at our coffee mornings all the 'older ladies' in the village bring the scrummiest cakes down for us to sell,cant imaging they would have much of a response if they stated we had to bring pre-packed cakes in to sell!

olduninBoden · 06/02/2011 11:50

i would be worried about how long its been out of the fridge for?

2muchtodo2littletime · 06/02/2011 11:51

YANBU
If I am doing something like this with my class, I ask for money donations (eg £1) and go and buy the stuff myself. Why should you buy chicken and someone else get a tomato? What if you were vegetarian?

I think this is laziness on the teacher's part