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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fruit at nursery

41 replies

KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:30

DD is 3 and is getting her free place at nursery. At the beginning of term, the parents were asked to bring in fruit so that the children can have it as a snack each day.

On my first day I saw a mum put a bunch of bananas in the bowl as a weeks worth of fruit. Seemed like a good idea as three different people drop DD to nursery in the week so saves the faffing with daily fruit to take in a big bunch of grapes/load of satsumas etc. However, many of the other parents don't bother and I noticed that my big bunch of bananas were gone after day one - they had been shared with the morning and afternoon class (as well as some other bits some other parents had brought). So I took in a batch of satsumas the following day (as the kids hadn't been given given any fruit on day 2 as there wasn't enough to share out) and same again (so no fruit on day 4 as had all been eaten).

I don't have a lot of money and can't afford to keep the kids whose parents don't send fruit in in snacks but at the same time DD comes home starving at 12 if she doesn't get a snack as she has her breakfast around 8. AIBU to think the nursery should have a better policy on this or ask for a contribution and buy the fruit in themselves or something? We give £1 a week contribution anyway so if every parent gave another 20p or 50p then the kids could have fruit daily. First world problem, I know before anyone says it, but just seems a bit of a daft system as is.

OP posts:
ApocalypseThen · 22/01/2013 16:34

It's not unreasonable, probably, but another job you want to give someone at the nursery? Are they stuck for something to do?

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:37

Apocalypse It's a nursery at a school, so they provide fruit for the children for their lunches anyway so wouldn't mean the nursery teachers would have to go to shopping for it themselves!

OP posts:
Emsmaman · 22/01/2013 16:38

What's the issue with just taking in one piece/portion per day for your DD?

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 22/01/2013 16:39

IME those parents who don't bring fruit don't give a contribution either so it's often a no win situation.

Inertia · 22/01/2013 16:40

Shouldn't they be getting free fruit anyway? Our school has a delivery of fruit a couple of times a week to provide for nursery and all the infant classes. There's always more than enough.

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:40

Emsmaman The fruit is shared out so if there's only one banana noone gets any. It's only if there's enough to go round that they all get some.

OP posts:
werewolvesdidit · 22/01/2013 16:41

YANBU, that's annoying and expensive. Definitely have a word with the teachers and suggest your, better, idea.

Sirzy · 22/01/2013 16:42

just send a piece of fruit in each day, at least that way it will still be fresh and you know she will have something there!

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:42

Inertia They do this at the nursery my friend's DD is at too but I guess different places must have different policies. At this school it's only the children who pay for school dinners (so school age not nursery) who get the fruit bought by the school.

OP posts:
hopeful92 · 22/01/2013 16:44

I'm slightly confused by this post. Do you mean that you sent you DC with a whole weeks worth of fruit for them, and the teacher has given it away to other children? I'm be annoyed so if this is the case YANBU.

Could you maybe just send her with one piece of fruit per day to solve the problem? Then you're DC gets a snack every day and your fruit won't be going awol :)

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:44

Sirzy see my answer to Emsmaman. You would think that was sensible but she wouldn't get any if there wasn't enough to go round even if I took it in for her as its shared. It would mean at least say seven parents would need to do the same. Most don't bother.

OP posts:
Emsmaman · 22/01/2013 16:44

oh that is bizarre then! Sorry I thought it meant if there is one banana that you brought in your DD would get it and the others wouldn't.

Then I suggest hanging around your supermarket at closing time and getting the reduced fruit, doesn't matter if it's really ripe if it will be eaten the next day anyway. Sucks that you have to subsidise the other parents but it's not worth your own DD missing out.

FWIW DD gets 3 meals a day and 2 snacks at her nursery and still eats the whole way home. I always have loads of snacks in my bag when I pick her up!

BonaDea · 22/01/2013 16:45

YANBU and I can't believe anyone is suggesting that you are!!

I would probably just speak to the teachers and ask what is going on. You don't have to come across as heavy handed, but just politely ask what they suggest.

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:45

hopeful92 Yes! They all share. It gets put in a bowl and if there isn't enough to go round noone gets any until there is. The fruit the child brings in doesn't get given to that individual child.

OP posts:
Eskarina · 22/01/2013 16:45

That's very weird. We give the children their free fruit and milk at snack time. They don't stay for lunch (does your dd? If she doesn't then she isn't getting the fruit that the gvt pays for for her every day and you need to find out why.) it all sounds wrong to me.

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:47

BonaDea I think I will. She's only been going for a few weeks, so didn't want to come across as a pain so early on but the system seems really silly.

OP posts:
NatashaBee · 22/01/2013 16:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:48

They don't stay for lunch (does your dd? If she doesn't then she isn't getting the fruit that the gvt pays for for her every day and you need to find out why.) it all sounds wrong to me. She leaves at 12. I didn't realise the government payed for fruit. They do give them milk.

OP posts:
Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:49

Natasha In that case they would probably break it up - couple of pieces of orange, half a banana. It's just some days it's literally just two or three parents who remember to bring it in.

OP posts:
Eskarina · 22/01/2013 16:50

If you are in England (sorry I don't know about the rest of the uk) then I believe that the government provides a piece of fruit for every child in primary school under the age of 7. I assume the school needs to be signed up to the scheme but I've never come across a school that wasn't.

LeeCoakley · 22/01/2013 16:51

What's the £1 a week for if not for snacks? But you're right, the nursery should buy the fruit themselves from contributions. If parents won't contribute then it should be assumed that their children don't want fruit. So at the moment you could be bringing in a bunch of bananas and no one gets anything because there isn't enough. Bizarre

TwoKidsAndCounting · 22/01/2013 16:51

YANBU and can't actually believe this goes on, so do I have this correct? Even if you we're to send your DD into nursery with one piece of fruit, she might not get it anyway because the other mums haven't bothered sending any in with their kids? Wow, shocked actually and would be very tempted to move her out of there altogether!

dappleton · 22/01/2013 16:53

no idea what the solution is but DS has just started nursery and takes fruit every day for break time, as do all the children, it's not shared - your DDs nursery operates a very odd system and I'd be pretty mad if I was you.

Original poster
KellyElly · 22/01/2013 16:55

YANBU and can't actually believe this goes on, so do I have this correct? Even if you we're to send your DD into nursery with one piece of fruit, she might not get it anyway because the other mums haven't bothered sending any in with their kids? Wow, shocked actually and would be very tempted to move her out of there altogether! Yes, bizzarre isn't it. It's a good nursery in all other ways but that just seems a bit strange.

Lee I'm what that £1 is for. Certain play stuff I think and I thought it was for the milk as well.

OP posts:
itsatiggerday · 22/01/2013 16:56

Is your DD at nursery for up to 15 hours? If you're not paying anything - ie she's only there for the government funded hours - they are not allowed to charge you anything for her attendance in any form. Ie no fee for putting her name down, and no contribution for fruit. As others have said, there should be free fruit anyway for one portion.