DS having school lunch sat on the floor, AIBU?

[Honeybadgerdontgiveashit]

Long story short, building work as DS school has over run massively during summer holidays. Class rooms and hall remain unfinished.
Fair enough, no surprise, but these things happen.

School dinner pupils are eating in the halls, packed lunch pupils are eating packed lunch sat on the classroom floor.
This could go on until christmas.

His teacher was unable to offer an explanation as to why they could not sit at tables and chairs in the classroom. I suspect just so it saves them wiping them afterwards.

AIBU in thinking this is a bit off? He is in year 1, I'm not usually a germ freak, but this doesn't seem right to me. When I asked his teacher if she would eat her lunch sat on the floor everyday she said Yes! Of course I would and looked at me like I was mad!

Please tell me if I am being unreasonable, as I have PMT, and I am really not sure.

Thanks

[primroseyellow]

YANBU. Unless the school are putting down a clean covering eg wipe clean tablecloth or equivalent it is not acceptable for young children to be eating their food from the floor. Raise with HT suggesting it is a pupil health and safety issue (it sounds like a whole school issue not a class teacher issue) and if that does not work write to chair of govs and LA.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

This is packed lunch though. I really don't get the "demeaning" argument. They will see it as fun.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

annie (a teacher) makes a good point.

"A few minutes" cleaning up, with 30 year 1 children would be a good chunk of the lesson and no time for the teacher to set up resources for the afternoon.

How many of you have dealt with 30 year ones?

[Sparklysilversequins]

They'd soon be asking questions if your child stated at school that he ate his dinner, sitting on the floor and wasn't allowed to sit on a chair at the dining table. This would annoy me no end.

[LittleBearPad]

It's not ideal but he'll sit on the floor for lots of other things at school so picnic lunch isn't a disaster or demeaning (overreaction much!).

If you're that worried give him school dinners - he'll have to go to the hall with the other school dinner people. Problem solved.

[valiumredhead]

It's probably much easier and quicker to clean up afterwards,I see no problem at all.

[LittleBearPad]

And the children won't be eating off the floor. They'll be eating out of lunch boxes which are on the floor.

[Retropear]

Erm I have.

In my school every class ate their lunch in their classroom at their tables from rec.

Wasn't a big deal as it was lunchtime and dinner ladies spritzed the tables(took seconds).

Kind of interested to hear how the environmental health (who can drop in any time)would react.We had to start using anti bac and table cloths as they weren't happy, not sure what they'd make of food eaten on the mankiest corner of the classroom floor.

[Therealamandaclarke]

What did your DS think?
Was he happy?

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

Retro

Yes sorry, didn't mean to dismiss you.

Was a bit annoyed by the (what I see as) overreaction from some people

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

I agree the carpet is probably not that savoury, but they sit on it several times a day anyway, and our eat their breaktime fruit, sitting in a circle chatting

[ICantGoOverItICantGoUnderIt]

I have had to give my class their packed lunches in my classroom due to the packed lunch room being out of action. They ate at the tables and a lunchtime assistant supervised. I keep antibacterial spray and cloths in my classroom so I quickly cleaned up afterwards.

I have also had to give them snack in my classroom, and sometimes as a treat, we all sit on the floor in a circle and have a picnic snack. They love it.

Tbh I think it's harder to clean up on the carpet, they're more likely to gather up their own mess at a table, and explosions or spills can be wiped easily without staining the carpet.

[Therealamandaclarke]

And they are eating off the floor in a way.
For a picnic some kind of ground covering is used. Consideration is given to what's being used for cutlery/ plates etc.
If the surface one eats from isn't important then why bother cleaning dining tables?
Clearing the tables could be part of the lunch routine. If here's enough time for those using the dining room to file in, serve food, eat and file out of a dining room there's enough time to wipe a table after eating a sandwich when those kids aren't even leavibg the classroom.
Surely.
I suppose the teacher gets down there with them for her lunch too?

[Honeybadgerdontgiveashit]

DS was not unhappy, but asked why they were not allowed to sit at the table, as we ask him to when at home.

I understand about circle time etc, but you wouldn't expect the staff to do it would you.

I do get a bit sick of the "teachers have enough to do" that gets trotted out during questions like this, and don't think a few minutes clearing up will cause any major problems, or should be beneath any teacher.

Appreciate all your opinions so thanks.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

I sit on the floor all the time

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

every day - supporting children during talk time on the carpet

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

• and I find it hard to get up

[Therealamandaclarke]

I think I would try and reinforce the "blitz spirit" (I know) of it with him.
Help him continue to see the fun in it and pack a teeny tiny covering or a paper plate etc so it's more hygienic.
Did you ask the teacher why they couldn't eat from the tables or just he?
Not sure I'd want to make a deal about it with the school but I can see why someone might be miffed too.
Schools are funny places.

[LittleBearPad]

And they are eating off the floor in a way.

No they aren't. They are not emptying their lunchboxes on to the floor.

[mammywhite]

I think my children are at the same school,the school as merged with another and had a name change thebuilding work is to extend the school ,my children (reception and year 3) have also been sat on the floor ,I wasn't overly happy but the kids didn't seem to bothered.

[toobreathless]

Am I missing something isn't this just a picnic?

[Therealamandaclarke]

The thing I was thinking is hat school is ALL about rules isn't it?
So if a child was in the dining room and took it upon themselves to sit and eat their lunch on the floor they'd be corrected over it.
The likely "reasoning" behind their being told off would be that it's unhygienic or unsafe or bad for their digestion or messy or poor manners.. Or whatever, to eat from the floor.

[Therealamandaclarke]

Ok littlebear so I guess there's no point in cleaning a table after eating then. Or stopping ppl from putting their outside shoes on a dining table.

[Honeybadgerdontgiveashit]

Toobreathless, what a 4 month picnic??

[LittleBearPad]

Depends whether you throw food all over the table when you eat. If you are able to keep it on the plate then bringing out antibacterial spray etc is over zealous.

Outside shoes on the dining table would be weird but whatever floats your boat.