to ask if your DCs school has a healthy lunch box policy and what you think of it?

[NorfolkBroad]

Is it "enforced"? Do you find it annoying and intefering? Does your child eat what you put in their lunchbox? I'm asking as a mum but also as a teacher.

squeaky - not quite. Dinner ladies are walking around and will notice what's in childrens' bags. A child will be gently told that it's against school rules to have crisps, for instance, but it won't be confiscated. If they bring crisps in again, the teacher will mention it to the parent at home time. All parents sign a home/school agreement, which includes agreeing to adhere to the school's healthy eating policy.

It's the principle. If some parents cannot provide it then target them to ensure their children don't end up obese or with CV disease. I'm not saying do nothing, I'm saying I cant stand this 'lets have an unmbrella policy to cover who we need to so as not to make it awkward for anyone'. It's stupidly coy and its crap.

If you are consistently feeding your child crap then you should be told, 'you are feding your child crap .' Rather than let them assume that school has randomly decided to introduce a new rule.

Nooooo its not about being the food police squeaky just trying to get some of the parents a clue that a bag of sweets is not a sensible lunch for a growing child, hence the policy and encouragement for those that need it.

It's like the nits thing. You are no longer even allowed in some schools to send a note home saying someone in class has nits in case you embarrass a parent. FFS! When DD1 had nits I sent a group email to all the other parents in class saing DD1 had a couple of nits when I checked her hair last night. Please give your kids a good check. Surely that's the sensible approach. I'd be very annoyed if a teacher spotted head lice in one of my kids and didn't tell me because some crazy person has deemed this a bad thing.

Actually I don't think it's helpful to have rules without a proper explanation of why certain things have been banned (or limited to only one day a week, or whatever the rule is).

Take some of the parents who really have no clue whatsoever what should go in a lunch. The kind that send in 5 chocolate bars and nothing else. If you just say "no chocolate" and don't give examples of the kind of thing that is a balanced healthy diet they are going to be just as clueless as before, and probably angry and fed-up. They're certainly not going to learn anything that can be used at breakfast and dinner time as well.

but loving schools have policies on all sorts of stuff from racism to sport, drugs ed, sex ed, behaviour, they are aimed at all like the school rules so everyone knows how that school works and what its values are and can be brought out when needed to remind parents what the school says. no good just having random targeting whenever school feels like it as parents will just say wtf I didnt know this wasn't allowed / discouraged. none of these are introduced randomly a school should consult parents and kids before anything new is introduced.

at the head lice example though, that does seem a bit strange and counterproductive.

I agree Weasel, I think both rules and explanations are necessary .I can just imagine using that at work Loving you are feeding your child cap.That would go down like a lead ballot.

Balloon obviously

< snork> loving your phone naughtymummy 'lead ballot '

Yes but you cannot compare this to policies on sport or sex-ed. They are part of the curriculum, this is to catch the one or two numpties who send their kids to school with a box of pringles and a can of coke for lunch.

As has been said on this thread quite a few times, the reason schools have this policy is because some children aren't being sent in with a balanced, nutritious meal. But why not just tell those parents that they need to provide a balanced meal rather than telling other parents that do, that the occassional treat they include is unacceptable?

But you can catch nuts, you can't catch bad nutrition in quite the same way...

But that's the crux of it , is it not???? Some parents are feeding their children crap. Why not come out and say it rather than penalise others unnecessarily. I do not need policing but such a system sees it as easier to introduce a system that affects my children rather than be honest and upfront with those that need the guidance.

actually the point of the policy is to ensure that the school is doing all it can to ensure that its pupils are as healthy as possible within their doors, not to catch people out. it would spell out what is acceptable to the school which could be no crisps for snacks as rubbish is an issue in the playground attracting vermin, or crisps only on friday as we want to encourage healthy choices, a policy is not about telling people what to do its abouth telling people what the school will do to ensure the wellbeing of its pupils. health is part of the curriculum, hence PE, healthy eating is part of the science curriculum so this just follows on from that.

Yes you can catch nits so why not ask the parent whose child has nits to pop in after school and tell them? Why all this crap about how it's wouldn't be fair so school just ignore it and so it speads around the class? It's nonsense! Tell the parent and then expect/demand they take action. I check twice weekly and sort it out if neccessary. That is what should be expected but instead you get all this bollocks about causing embarrassment to parents.

catching nuts... sorry

It depends what they want to ban though doesn't it?

Say they just ban chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks. That's really no loss to any packed lunch, because even the kids on high calorie diets will have plenty of options.

I think it is when anything sweet (so also cereal bars, flapjack, cake etc) get banned but school lunches are allowed these things or when those crappy processed dried fruit things etc are allowed even though they are arguably less healthy that parents get really peed off.

I don't really get why people are bothered that their DCs occasional treat is stopped, other than just a general feeling of not liking to be told what to do. It really doesn't bother me.

if you don't need policing how is policy telling you what the school would like everyone to follow going to affect your children... you are doing it anyway so surely it makes it easier to keep doing it especially if your kids see everyone else with the same healthy choices. those not adhereing will be being taken to one side in some way and offered support, advice, etc

I have no issue with schools banning crisps or saying crisps only on a Friday if the only reason is to adopt a policy that encourages health. I would want to see this adopted in every single school though even the ones where every single child has a healthy lunchbox. My problem is that this isnt the case is it? These policies are adopted by the schools that have problems with kids coming to school with crap to eat. Therefore, the policy is really to ensure that a small minority of kids get a slightly better meal each day rather than a standard health policy.

that's what I meant stepaway.

I find it a bit of a cheek, seeing as the school's breakfast club serves white toast and Frosties, yet I am 'banned' from putting a biscuit in their lunchbox once a week, but hey ho. I can't say I lose any sleep over it....

So the school has to draw a line in the sand.Say well loving dcs have a generally good diet so its ok for them to have organic vegetable crisp, but x is overweight she can't have his skips and Mars bar. Such a policy sweets is unworkable and unfair , better to say no crisp or chocolate

no these policies are in schools whatever goes on, its part of the healthy schools award that huge numbers of schools have achieved in all areas of UK, huge numbers of schools got this award by doing many of the things described earlier not just in Healthy eating but in PSHE, PE, and emotional health as well. (until gov't cut funds)

I don't like it because of the reasoning behind it. I don't like it because the real reason has nothing to do with a school policy but everything to do with ensuring that a small minority of children eat better. My problem is that is someone else is feeding their child crap and school are concerned then take it up with them, don't introduce a whole school policy just to 'catch them'.