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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we shouldn't have to pay for this school dinner?

119 replies

LittleMissGerardButlerfan · 13/09/2013 15:30

My son has packed lunches, and one day this week he couldn't find his lunch box so they gave him a school dinner. He put it on the rack with the others but at lunchtime the one that was left to take wasn't his.

Then the next day I sent him in a lunch, and he found his full lunch box which he brought home.

We have had a letter from school saying we owe them £1.80 for the school dinner he had!!

We will pay it, but will send in a note saying we sent him with a lunch so weren't expecting to pay for one.

So Aibu to think we shouldn't have to pay for it?

OP posts:
Original poster
LittleMissGerardButlerfan · 13/09/2013 17:35

I live on the same street as the school so could have been there with the lunch within 5 minutes.

I know you all think I'm being unreasonable so I won't send the note, I was always going to pay. I still don't agree with it though.

OP posts:
Original poster
LittleMissGerardButlerfan · 13/09/2013 17:37

Oh and I send in packed lunches as I can't afford school dinners, I wouldn't say I'm skint and can afford the £1.80 but the reason for packed lunches is monetary yes.

OP posts:
MackerelOfFact · 13/09/2013 17:40

No, you shouldn't pay for it. Your DS should take it out of his savings and hopefully next time he'll take better care of his lunch box!

sashh · 13/09/2013 17:46

Then the next day I sent him in a lunch, and he found his full lunch box which he brought home.

Translation - I liked the look of the school dinner and told the staff I couldn't find my lunch so I could have the same dinner as my friends

MissStrawberry · 13/09/2013 17:53

SPB - I was going on what the OP had said. Of course, your suggestion could have happened as well.

judgejudithjudy · 13/09/2013 17:54

yes because the school have nothing else to do but phone every childs parent that has lost their lunch waiting for permission to give them a meal!!! what if you didnt answer? said no? what would they do with the child whilst trying to contact you? you are being so unreasonable its unreal! do you think the whole school staff should run around after your one dc & fuck the rest of the kids over £1.80?! seriously op get in the real world!

SPBisResisting · 13/09/2013 17:55

|Ah OK. You stated it as fact. Many people on this thread seem to accept it as an impossibility that another child should have picked up the OP's son's lunchbox. Fine, and they may be right. I just wish I knew why it is impossible as it seems fairly plausible to me.

BoozyBear · 13/09/2013 17:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blissx · 13/09/2013 17:59

Spot on, sashh, happens more often than people think.

I feel sorry for the school; it seems they can't do anything right. Judging by the majority of the posters, most parents would be quite put out having to prepare another lunch and deliver it to the school and so would prefer the school to deal with it. There will always be other parents for whom this will not be acceptable, so whatever they do, will get a parental complaint, eventually. Which will probably make them change thie policy and start oissing off the other parents and so on. Makes me depressed this forum , sometimes.

MissStrawberry · 13/09/2013 17:59

Well at lunch time one lunch box was left so it wasn't taken then returned so that child must have gone without/had a school meal/gone home early then.

vtechjazz · 13/09/2013 18:06

Make him an emergency packed lunch with tinned foods, dehydrated 'astronaut' meals, and other long shelf life items: have the staff put this in the safe. Make sure the staff have regular drills on getting out this emergency lunch so they are always ready to avoid the awful situation of you incurring a £1.80 cost.

judgejudithjudy · 13/09/2013 18:14

seriously inti pmsl - yes, because the school is rolling in it over ops £1.80! seriously, if they do that, how many dc will "lose" their lunch for a freebie?! how stoopid!

i would be made up if the school went out of their way to feed my dc if they had lost their lunch.

judgejudithjudy · 13/09/2013 18:15

pmsl vtech - very well put :-)

Minnieisthedevilmouse · 13/09/2013 18:17

Actually, I AGREE with op.

It would have been courteous had the school phoned and said c has lost his lunch. We can arrange one or you can come in? Have ours and cost £1.80.

Might be perfect world stuff, but would have been nice.

LindyHemming · 13/09/2013 18:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BrianTheMole · 13/09/2013 18:19

Well you know, the money must be a bit of an issue for the op if she's complaining about £1.80. If you're really skint then every penny counts.
How old is dc op? Is he old enough to take responsibility for his lunchbox?

Minnieisthedevilmouse · 13/09/2013 18:19

Vtech - £1.80 matters to some. 300k on food banks. Your good point was lost in final note of snippyness.

SPBisResisting · 13/09/2013 18:20

I honestly thought there were people out there who were struggling and for whom £1.80 may well be a big chunk of what they have left to feed their family on for the week/month. Seems I am wrong

Turniptwirl · 13/09/2013 18:22

Yabu

but I'm glad you decided in the end to pay and not send a note

If it becomes a regular thing then maybe take it up with your child (is he losing it accidentally-on purpose?) and if he is adamant it's not his fault and he's reliable about not losing other things then maybe have a word with the school. Not if he is the sort of child who loses something every other day though (some kids are just like that, not saying yours is necessarily).

He was fed, you can afford the £1.80 on this occasion as a one off, happy ending right?

dufflefluffle · 13/09/2013 18:22

Gosh, this is a case of too much too free! Where I live children do not get free lunches whatever happens (or even lunches for £1.80), if they forget their lunch the parents might be phoned to see if they could drop up a lunch to the school, failing that the other children share with the hungry pupil! They do not get free school books, medicines or medical care either. If my childrens school provided my child with a lunch and asked me for £1.80 for it I would be delighted to pay - and write a thank you note for being so kind to them.

YABU

judgejudithjudy · 13/09/2013 18:22

so spb what should the school do?? not feed him or give freebies?? maybe not feeding him will teach him a lesson ah?!

SPBisResisting · 13/09/2013 18:23

judge from the way I read the op it seems someone else picked up his lunchbox from the rack where the boxes are all stored. What would you want him to do? (genuine question)

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 13/09/2013 18:23

op if you live so close to school have him home for lunch problem solved.

Tanith · 13/09/2013 18:33

My 4 year old did exactly the same thing on her first day last week - couldn't find her packed lunch so calmly attached herself to the dinner queue instead. I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often, especially with some parents chopping and changing like they seem to.

I fully expected to pay - it's over £2 but she ate it.

SPBisResisting · 13/09/2013 18:34

I too would pay. But I was under the impression there were families who lived on the breadline and would struggle to come up with the money for a last minute lunch. Having sent their child in with a packed lunch that morning. So glad to see I am wrong.