To think that a busy life is no excuse for not giving your child breakfast?

[exBrightonBell]

Just watched the BBC news about a school which will be giving all its pupils a free breakfast. Amongst the reasons for children not being given breakfast at home was having a busy life. They interviewed a mum who said that their mornings were too late and busy to reliably give the children breakfast, and that she didn't have time to have an argument about it. She seemed to think that this was completely reasonable. AIBU to think that this isn't a reasonable excuse? Poverty and neglect are both reasons why children don't get breakfast at home, but parents being too busy? Really?

[exBrightonBell]

WilsonFrickett, the type of breakfast club that is paid for by parents is a completely different kettle of fish. Parents who use them are providing breakfast for their children. That is a childcare choice which I completely respect. It's sending your child to school at 9am without breakfast because you were too busy that I have a problem with.

[mrsjay]

yanbu but at least the chlldren are getting fed I live near a primary and some of the kids breakfast as they walk past is a packet of crisps , It doesn't take long to pour a bowl of cereal does it,

[NippyDrips]

I feel better now, thanks. I agree that making no provision of food whatsoever in the morning is not on. I couldn't concentrate at work untill lunch time with nothing to eat so couldn't possibly expect my dc to.

[Moominsarescary]

Ds2 has days where he doesn't want breakfast. He always has something though even if it's fruit or yoghurt or a cereal bar as I know full well he would be moaning long before break time that he was starving

[Birdsgottafly]

I assume the LA is which is really not acceptable

No different than what is funded in Surestart etc in terms of healthy eating and courses on health.

It is probably cheaper than putting a few of the children under CAF's etc.

[WorraLiberty]

Ahh thanks for the links Brian

Yes, I have no idea why people are defending their use of breakfast clubs either, that's not what this thread is about and both the title and OP makes it clear

[mrsjay]

Yes, I have no idea why people are defending their use of breakfast clubs either, that's not what this thread is about and both the title and OP makes it clear


that, nobody said anything about breakfast clubs and the users of,

[WilsonFrickett]

I've read the article now. I completely understand why someone on the tv saying they were too busy to feed their kids would get people riled, I really do, it's a disgrace. But so is the fact that so many kids are going to school hungry, and I think it's great the council is doing something about it. Although it's a sticking plaster, isn't it? But the quote that older kids are more likely to have used tobacco or alcohol than seen breakfast in the last week - I mean, come on, that's a fucking disgrace. I know it should be down to parents to fix this but it's the children who are suffering.

[TandB]

I suppose it depends on how old her children are and what was actually said. If they are teenagers who simply can't be bothered to get out of bed in time to pour themselves a bowl of cereal, and if every morning descends into a screaming row because they start moaning that they are hungry the second she tries to get them out of the door, then there may be some merit in saying she doesn't have time to have an argument about it. She may have said something like this and been edited to sound as though she was just a lazy, feckless arse.

If they are three then she really needs to sort herself out. I fairly regularly have an argument with DS1 about the speed which he thinks it is appropriate to eat cereal. DS2 (just turned 1) flatly refuses to eat breakfast until he has enjoyed a leisurely bottle and about 45 minutes civilised digestion time. He therefore gets loaded in the car minus breakfast and gets it at nursery at 8am. By which time he is of course trying to convince everyone he hasn't been fed for a week. I also found out recently that DS1 fairly regularly tells pre-school that he hasn't had breakfast in order to cadge a second one. I only found this out when he finished the box of cereal I took in for the rare occasion when he goes to the early breakfast club, and they asked me for some more!

[Birdsgottafly]

The council has made cutbacks, but not necessarily at the cost of funding this scheme.

The EU gives funding for schemes in deprived areas, that is what has happened.

The cutbacks are down to a change in government.

They are not connected and have nothing to do with each other.

The EU starts various health inititives and stuff around lifestyle, not everything is started by our Government.

[alistron1]

There are many families who can't afford cereal, milk to gone it, bread and cereal bars. There are families who can't afford to make toast or boil an egg because their electricity meter has run out and they can't afford more tokens. There are families whose last loaf of bread might have gone mouldy or something, and they don't have the funds to replace it.

There are a lot of hungry children out there.

[Astley]

Morrisons corn flakes are 19p a box. I refuse to accept anyone with children cannot afford to give their child anything for breakfast.

[NippyDrips]

I wondered about breakfast clubs because some posters said that people should get up earlier to make sure their children didn't leave the house without eating.
Crossed wires on my part.. not that I have a working mum guilt complex or anything.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

I suppose it makes some posters here feel so good about themselves but what of the children that can't/won't eat in the mornings? I was one - and still never eat breakfast. Would you smugly accuse my mother of negliect?

What is this gleeful trouncing all about really? Does it ever do anything useful?

[Birdsgottafly]

It is being extended to areas of London, if you don't think that there is a need to make sure that children can achieve academically by giving them a free breakfast, then email your MP.

Those working with Children and Families, know that there is a need and why.

[Lilithmoon]

NippyDrips... you and me both .

[exBrightonBell]

Lyingwitchinthewardrobe, I'm not trying to trounce anybody or accuse people of neglect. I am trying to understand why it now seems acceptable to send children to school (at normal time, not to a breakfast club) without breakfast. The way the BBC piece presented it was that it is an ok thing to do if your mornings are too busy. I am sure there are many busy parents who do make sure their children eat breakfast so I was surprised at this attitude from the mum they interviewed.

The whole of MN should be shut down if you don't think it's ok to have a discussion!

[alistron1]

If you live on a sink estate where your nearest big supermarket is a bus ride away you won't be able to get those cheap cornflakes. Being poor costs more.

[Astley]

If they drink milk. My DC hardly ever drink milk, so a 4 pint carton from Morrisons costs a £ and lasts all week.

96p a litre is rubbish! If you actually look around you can always get at least 2 litres for a pound. Poundland do it, Doscount Bargains do it and Morrisons do 2.2 litres for a pound as do Asda. I'm sure there are more but I'm just doing the shops near my house.

[LineRunner]

Breakfast Clubs mean that you are making sure your child eats breakfast. That's great. That's the opposite of the problem.

The 'problem' is the lazy-arse parents who do not make any arrangements at all for their child to have any kind of breakfast, not even a cup of hot chocolate or a glass of orange juice; or, if they simply cannot eat first thing, to have a drink and a snack in their bag for first break.

[Astley]

So how would you shop at all? Surely you only need to get the bus once a week, and a box of cornflakes is not exactly backbreakingly heavy is it?!

[SkiBumMum]

FiggyRoll's comment above (18.44) was fairly critical of working parents using breakfast clubs. I assume it triggered the wave of justification posts.

[MrsMelons]

Lying I was the same and never really had breakfast but not because my mum couldn't be bothered. My DCs are the same but I manage to time it on the days they have breakfast at home that it is the last thing they do before brushing their teeth.

I am not sure what the stats are on people who truly cannot afford to give their DCs breakfast but if that is the case then it is truly shocking and there should be something in place to help them.

I am not sure I agree with giving children free breakfast to make up for parents not being bothered but I also do agree that it is unfair on the children that are not being fed properly, why should they suffer. Its actually quite a similar situation to the fact the LA needs to provide toothbrushes at schools as well now.

I did misunderstand the intent of some of the posters like Nippy has said. The OP does not actually make it that clear - it could be perceived that I am too busy on my early work days to feed the DCs as we are out the house so early but it is not the case.

[PorridgeBrain]

FiggyRoll. - I am a working mum who 2 days a week takes her daughter to breakfast club at school and so in your words 'would appear far too busy to give their children a breakfast'.

I am not far too busy to give my child breakfast, I am using a childcare facility available to me (childminder/nursery being alternative options) and working hours that enable me to minimise the number of days I work, thereby maximising the number of days I can be at home to provide breakfast at a decent time in the morning and also so that I don't have to wake her at 6.15 am in order to fit breakfast in at home on the 2 days I am leaving for work at 7.30.

Works for us, generalisations not required.