To think this is a sign of the times we live in.....

[MidWeekSlump]

My daughter today was telling us about her new high school... lots of stories. Then we got to lunch, her friend gets free dinners, when they went to get dinner (which cost my daughter £2), her friend complained as she had to pay 20p extra to add to her lunch as hers is free.

She said her friend started arguing with the dinner ladies about her free dinner and being a single parent family, then went on to say she shouldn't have to pay for the drink.

My daughter said she thought her friend was being silly as it was a lovely meal for only 20p a day if she wants extras....

Am I wrong for feeling sad that my daughters friend at 11 is already pulling the whole "I'm entitled to it" attitude out of the bag????

YANBU. It's no wonder that so many families end up on benefits through generations.

i dont think a child should have to pay for a drink, if they are entitled to free school meals?

AIBU not to completely believe this?

She didn't have to pay for the drink - there was a drink or extra snack option - I think the problem was she wanted the main course, desert, snack and drink. Water is also freely available all day to all children.

do you know anything else about the girl or her situation?

The child could have had water like the rest of the kids, which is surely free in
School?!

Who teaches children entitlement? What a vicious circle!

20p a day adds up, a £1 is alot of money when you are struggling.

FSM ( free school meals) to some families are the only decent meal a child may get, after 6 long weeks with no extra payment for meals i bet money is even more tight.

also 11 year olds have just started high school and maybe the 1st time of dealing with cost of meals (primary tends to have a set menu that children pick from)

I think your OP is a sign of the times we live in

It sounds to me like the school hasn't made it sufficiently clear what a 'free' dinner includes. If this is your DD's 'new' school then the whole system is going to be new and unfamiliar to 11-year-olds so confusion is understandable. It's also stupid and divisive of the school to have this kind of two-tier system of dinners; either dinners are free, or they are paid for at a flat rate.

Yes I know the child very well as she has been with my daughter the entire way through primary school.

And no - I have enough on my plate to not be the type of person who sits on a computer making a life up - so Begonia I do not care if you believe this or not - go back to wondering if the moon landing happened ffs.

What times are we living in then?

I don't think there is anything wrong with children expecting their free school meals to actually be free?

what about the child who receives free-meals (whos circumstances we dont know) who always has to have water and no pudding because her carers havent given her 20p, whilst her friends are all larging it up with pop and pudding and snacks?

solidgoldbrass i agree.

what i feel sad about is that an 11 year knows how dire the family income is.

The school runs a meal deal policy.
A meal of main course, desert and snack
or main course, desert or drink is the options you have.

With teh first you get water as your drink. Seems simple enough.

what solidgold said

what SGB said

OP you don't sound as though you like the kid much

if you have enough on your plate I'm surprised you have time to bring this up. I've obviously spent too much time on boards talking about the US up coming elections so your post sounded so very Republican and almost inflammatory.

i bet the other options are more attractive, and why should school age children have to deal with social exclusion because they can not afford to have the same as there peers.

yes-simple AND stupid and divisive!

I have no problem with the child at all - I just think when other children are being given the £2 and told their options it seems strange that she was insisting on more than was provided in the meal deal and seeing it as her right.
My daughter would have just done as she was told and not argued with the adult.

Even at primary school we only got water with our free school meal. Juice and crisps cost extra. My Mum would never give us the extra 20p and always hated that my friends could buy things I couldn't! I think my 2 get water or squash with theirs (might only be water) but the other drink, which costs extra, is something they are allergic too so no pressure for me to pay for them :-)

Once I went to secondary, our free school meals meant we could spend £x per day, on whatever we wanted from the canteen. So some kids got chips and a drink, others opted for the full meal with free water.

What i feel sad about is that an 11 year knows how dire the family income is

I think 11 year olds are pretty astute. Poorer kids are always more aware of family finances. They need to be

This school's meal policy sounds a complete load of old cock; there is no need to offer extras/no extras variations on a school dinner. All this is going to do is confuse the children and allow certain smug parents to tut and whisper about the common families who don't send their children in with enough dinner money because they've spent it all on fags and flatscreen TVs.

It's not about seeing anything as her right- she is 11, for goodness sake. She has been told her meal is free, and at the till it wasn't. Maybe she felt embarrassed and had to brass it out?

Why do you care, anyway?

It's hardly Broken Britain, is it?

do not argue with adults!

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