Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that I nursery should not really offer Coco Pops for breakfast.

161 replies

SuzysZoo · 01/11/2012 22:36

That's it really. At first nursery they had to offer healthy and sugar free cereals. New nursery and they have coco pops I just found out today. I am a bit surprised as I thought it had to be all healthy eating etc. Does anyone know? The kids love their new nursery - no wonder! They are 3 if that is relevant....

OP posts:
filetheflightoffancy · 02/11/2012 18:13

I agree that there are lots of factors which have contributed to the rise of obesity, I disagree tha sugar is the least of it all.

I also dont get the whole idea that calling something a treat causes eating disorders? What is wrong with bringing up your children to know that there are some foods which are fine and delicious in small amounts but are not for regular every day consumption?

filetheflightoffancy · 02/11/2012 18:18

Yes couthy I agree with you that portion size is important. But the cereal companies are never going to put that kind of info on their cereal because the more cereal they shift the better.

I don't know, but I am assuming that the nutritional info on a box of cookie crisp which is aimed at small kids, is based on 30 not 10 grams?

InNeedOfAPennyForTheGuysBrandy · 02/11/2012 18:19

I said cocp pops is the least not sugar. Sugar in all the processed crap is terrible and part of the problem, but coco pops is just one thing its not poison.

YY to serving sizes

And there is loads of research to say restricting foods and making foods into a treat (IE the treat gives you comfort) is a bad thing to teach your DC and contributes towards eating disorders. I do not wish to teach my DC comfort eating and binge eating I'm more everything in moderation type of parent.

LeeCoakley · 02/11/2012 19:01

These posters who are saying that omelette making and boiled eggs take the same amount of time to make as a bowl of cereal, what ARE you doing? Milking the cow yourself? Grin I could have eaten 3 bowls of cereals by the time the pan or water is hot enough to cook with. Not that I'm saying that cereals are healthier just that they are considered fast food in our house (just behind crisps and biscuits).

VerySmallSqueak · 02/11/2012 19:16

I boil an egg using kettle water so it's already boiling.
12 minutes to go off and do something else,then come back and your hard boiled egg is ready.

PickledFanjoCat · 02/11/2012 19:19

I get up at four in the am
Do some exercise to Beverly callards fitness DVD
Pop out and milk the cows and collect the eggs
Make a nutritious breakfast buffet
Then spend 12 hours working down t'mines

Some of you are soft!

filetheflightoffancy · 02/11/2012 19:33

Of course no one food is responsible for obesity, but coco pops is a perfect example of a food that is deemed to be healthy, when actually it isnt at all.

Everything in moderation is what I am aiming for as well, but surely some foods need to be moderated more than others and that is where we as parents come in?

You dont have to label something as a 'treat' to know that you really enjoy it and it gives you comfort. My tastebuds are what tell me that I enjoy a chocolate bar more than a bowl of broccoli!

In fact when I was a kid nothing was out of bounds for me. We ate copious amounts of crap and always had crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks in the house. Luckily, this was because we had very active hobbies and lifestyles so we burnt it off very quickly and none of us were fat. However, these days I am much less active and I do have trouble with knowing when to stop when it comes to crisps and chocolate (I cannot have anything like that in the house at all as I would eat a whole pack in one go!) and I do wonder if it is because it was never really instilled in me as a child. But obviously that is just my anecdotal experience.

I will reiterate, I am not saying that it is a good idea to ban certain foods because they are 'bad', but it is a good idea for children to be educated about what kinds of things foods contain, and which ones are great to be eaten in large amounts and which ones are for less frequent consumption.

JackThePumpkinKing · 02/11/2012 19:35

Tefal toast and egg and breakfast cooks itself Grin

filetheflightoffancy · 02/11/2012 19:36

Agree that I would never have time to make eggs of any edible description in the morning!

InSPsFanjoNoOneHearsYouScream · 02/11/2012 19:37

They are coco pops not rat poison!

My son has no restrictions on food and neither did I growing. I'm not overweight and I don't binge on sweets and chocolate.

He has also had a McDonald's before 12 o'clock.

JackThePumpkinKing · 02/11/2012 20:10

Yes, and just like McDonalds they're fine to eat sometimes. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach. Everything in moderation (I don't think anybody disagrees with that?)

I wouldn't want DS eating sugary cereals every single morning at nursery though. He has them a couple of times a week, but is always starving by lunctime. Good thing he likes his readybrek :)

Sirzy · 02/11/2012 20:18

DS is nearly 3 and loves egg and soilders for his breakfast. Boil kettle, egg in for 5 minutes toast in toaster hardly time consuming and I would rather get up that bit earlier and do him a decent breakfast than rely on food which mean he is hungry again within the hour.

Things like coco pops are great for occasional use but not for every day IMO.

SuzysZoo · 02/11/2012 21:27

Lots of replies and usual views - thank you. To answer a few questions. They have breakfast at nursery twice a week so I can go to work early. So whilst I could give them breakfast before they go, it really defeats the object of dropping them at breakfast club (plus it would mean half an hour earlier start!). At home I do weetabix or porridge, both with a spoon of syrup on top. Or Shreddies but then no syrup! I try to offer a healthy ish diet at home but biscuits/cake are eaten, although not excessively, eg. biscuit/cake once a day. We even go to Mcdonalds a fair bit! However, I don't think coco pops at nursery is on, so I will have a word when I drop them on Monday. It might be that they only had them for a treat in the half term holiday club. We'll see. I think it's just that I expect nursery to be better than home, much in the same way that I am happy to stick Cbeebies on for an hour or so at home, but I'd be a bit annoyed if they did that at nursery!

OP posts:
FunnysInLaJardin · 02/11/2012 22:35

see I don't get that. If you are happy for them the watch Cbeebies at home, why not at nursery? FWIW mine watch mostly Nick Jnr at home and I would be quite happy for my CM to do the same. Cbeebies is mostly shite apart from Octonaughts!

InNeedOfAPennyForTheGuysBrandy · 02/11/2012 22:44

I don't get that either funny

JackThePumpkinKing · 02/11/2012 22:57

Because you don't pay them to park the kids in front if the telly Confused

FunnysInLaJardin · 02/11/2012 23:00

even so. I pay my CM to provide a home from home environment. Which includes telly IME

PickledFanjoCat · 02/11/2012 23:01

They wouldn't though, it would be a very short time of the day as I do at home and as ds does at nursery. After a full day of crafts and art and walks and painting and sensory time and reading too.

Just as if coco pops are one option at breakfast they are not necessarily pumping them full of them all day.

FunnysInLaJardin · 02/11/2012 23:02

incidentally if you have ever had children you will know that you can't 'park' them in front of the telly. Oddly they have minds of their own and move when they have had enough. Unless of course you deny them telly and then that is a different story

InSPsFanjoNoOneHearsYouScream · 02/11/2012 23:02

I put sugar on my coco pops

Declutterbug · 02/11/2012 23:03

Yeah, I sent my eldest DC to nursery and paid a lot of money for it. There were staff employed to look after them, so I expected him not to watch TV and for them to provide a healthy diet. I would not have been happy about Cocopops.

FunnysInLaJardin · 02/11/2012 23:03

Pickled it's called balance. A concept lost on some

PickledFanjoCat · 02/11/2012 23:04

Kid needs a variety of activities one of which can be tv.

I'm glad I don't work in a nursery me, poor bleeders.

FunnysInLaJardin · 02/11/2012 23:06

I'm glad I like and respect my CM

OldMumsy · 02/11/2012 23:06

Coco poppist!