to think its a bit tight when parents count a school dinner as THE main meal of the day

[MariahScarey]

all other things being equal (money activities etc)

have a colleague who makes her kids have sandwiches for tea " as they eat at school"

they have money, they can cook - is this laziness?
I know they wont starve or out, but I wouldnt count a tiny school meal that is then burned off as a main meal.

USUAL DISCLAIMERS

Yes there are worse things to worry to about
YEs its none of my business
Yes I am judging

What do you mean by "tight"? And how do you know that the school meal is tiny?

If they have one meal of sandwiches and one meal of sausage and mash does it matter when they do it?

Some people feel that it is "correct" to only have one hot meal a day. I think they are a bit bonkers personally.

I don't see its any different to having a sandwich for lunch and a hot meal for tea.

One cooked meal per day for some children is enough, another in the evening wouldn't be eaten whereas a buttie will be and is fine.

For some people things are that tight that sandwiches are the only option and the hot meal provided at school is a blessing.

YABU.

Who needs two cooked meals a day?

Not seeing a problem tbh

Well, dd6 has school dinner and ds12 has packed lunch. We usually do them a cooked meal, but to be honest, dd doesn;t always want it - as their school meals are very good. I guess it's up to parents though. You know if your children are hungry!

I would reply but you have convienently summed it up for me in your last three lines. Ta for that.

Next.

Never ever crossed my.mind as a Mum. My child has two school lunches (I pay for) and one pudding. His main meal is his tea. Meat, veg, gravy man is my DS and cake custard for afters. I also pay for bread, butter, cereal bars abd savoury snacks.

My child is slim and highly active.

He akways gets his five a day.

I count it as their hot meal of the day, I then decide whether or not I am up to cooking another meal, if not we have toast or soup or sandwiches. Doesn't hurt them.

At DD's school the school meal isn't small. It is a decent sized portion, cooked fresh each day in their own kitchens. She doesn't always want another big meal in the evening. She will often chose to have sandwiches, soup. etc.

YABU

Our school meals are big, include salad and a pudding. I don't think most kids would need more than a sandwich after that.

If money is no object then yes I think it's tight.

The reason being, schools (especially Primary) serve a light lunch. Even if it is a main and a dessert...they're still very small portions compared to what most parents would serve as dinner, due to the fact kids are expected to eat it and then go out to play/do PE.

Also, imo the reason so many kids grow up being unable to cook has little to do with the schools not teaching them...and more to do with them rarely seeing meals prepared and cooked by their parents.

Those people do exist though, don't they?

The ones who, if you go out for lunch, just can't have a hot meal in the evening.

They're probably the same people who insist that one must have roast eat with roast potatoes every Sunday.

And they believe that a meal is not a "proper" meal unless there is an obvious lump of meat in it.

It sounds a bit odd to me, my lot are usually starving by dinner time, regardless of what they had for lunch.

Children don't need that much when you factor in all the snacking which seems to be commonplace these days!!

We aren't a 3 meals a day culture anymore!

A cold dinner doesn't have to be small either.

I could easily make a "sandwich meal" and a "hot meal" where the sandwich meal had more food/calories in it.

DD will stick with pizza/ sandwich or chips for her school dinner as they get a choice these days she gets a proper dinner everyday so I know she gets her veg

I've seen school meals, they are small.

Not seeing a problem either. Unless it is a tiny meal recieved at lunch time.

Hmm hadnt thought of snacking culture.
Mine ( slim active) have school hot meal and a main meal at home. If i gave them a sandwich they would think I had been on the gin.

Schoool dinner blog

Many children have packed lunch for school, and then have a main meal at night at home.
Would this still be seen as "tight"?

With an ever increasing obesity problem in this country,
For most children, the issue is the opposite,
Too many snacks when they get home, as opposed to not enough.
Of course some kids are not provided enough, so its not clear cut....

ah - i don't care about that blog - if her parents were that bothered, they would do her a bloody sandwich!