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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DS having school lunch sat on the floor, AIBU?

345 replies

Honeybadgerdontgiveashit · 13/09/2013 17:30

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

OP posts:
Catper33 · 14/09/2013 01:08

At my children's primary school they have no 'dining room/lunch room' and eat their snacks sitting on the floor in their classroom (a designated area) with their teachers on the floor doing the same. Lunch is sitting on the decking (floor) outside their classrooms. Again with the designated supervising teachers doing the same. Never been any problems or issues. It is carefully managed to ensure its all hygienic. Is it really such a big deal?

hufflebottom · 14/09/2013 01:19

why not offer to go in and clean the tables?
suggest raising some money for plastic table cloths
or (god forbid) start teaching the children to wipe the tables down Shock

and yes i know you said he was in yr 1, but dd is 3 and will wipe her table mat after dinner.

it's just a floor, it'll do them good, it won't kill them, they pick up germs etc just by going outside (that is unless you wrap them in a plastic bubble every time you go out), the school won't be happy about it, and if it was me, i would just except it and move on, but asking the school if there was anyway i could help. they're probably stressed enough as it is without parents complaining where their child is eating.

primroseyellow · 14/09/2013 01:20

One very good reason for not allowing children to eat from the floor in a public building: Toxacara.

Charotte31 · 14/09/2013 01:26

It would bother me, a lot! They still have dinner ladies while work work is going on? They could come around and clean the tables after they have used them surely?

geologygirl · 14/09/2013 01:32

Sitting in this way hunched over eating lunch everyday is not good for their posture or digestion. Unacceptable.

hufflebottom · 14/09/2013 01:37

if you're worried about them sitting then ask them to lie down...the romans did....

ThePost · 14/09/2013 01:48

Kids at both schools my DC attend eat lunch sitting on the floor. I really don't see the problem. They don't empty the lunch bags onto the ground before eating!

Bread123 · 14/09/2013 02:02

Have asked whether your children feel demeaned? My 8 year old sees being allowed to eat "on the floor" as a privilege - a rare, usually holiday, treat, only allowed when a friend is here for a picnic or if they are particularly engrossed in a game. Primary children often sit on the floor for teaching, stories, assembly etc. As for hygiene, do you suppose your children are carefully putting their sandwiches on the floor then picking them up again? Find out where the genuine food hygiene risks lie rather than fretting about trivia...

McNewPants2013 · 14/09/2013 02:08

What would frustrate me the most is that my DC always eat at a table indoors, picnics are rare and usually fun because we have foods that we normally wouldn't have.

I don't care about hygiene, it's not good to be sitting on a floor eating lunch 5/7 days a week.

YoniHuman · 14/09/2013 02:22

At my DS school, they all have packed lunches (no school dinners, not mainland UK). They all sit lined up on the floor in the school hall to eat them. Nothing provided, no mats, plastic tablecloths, nada. I am rather Hmm about it and not terribly impressed. When i was at school it was a similar arrangement but we at least sat around plastic tablecloths on the floor.

NiceTabard · 14/09/2013 02:22

8 - yes as an occasional thing - sure
4/5 yo - eating lunch every day on a carpeted floor... presumably not being cleaned until after school hours... I think people who think this will be fine are thinking of older children / or something? Not all children can be trusted not to knock drinks over / spill yoghurt / drop stuff at age 4 or 5. That is normal for that age.

the poor cleaners are going to have a nightmare with this.

NiceTabard · 14/09/2013 02:23

yoni at least the hall has a floor that is easily cleaned!

themaltesefalcon · 14/09/2013 04:04

Are you Russian, OP?

Fairy1303 · 14/09/2013 04:40

Ok, honestly I don't see the problem with this. Genuinely don't get why it would be such a big deal. BUT - I do agree that it seems silly not to just sit at the tables in the classrooms. DDs school do that anyway.

echt · 14/09/2013 05:32

I think it's odd for them not to sit at a table when they're there.

However, at my Australian school of 1200, there are 6 tables outside under shade sails. That's it. The students stand around or sit on the ground. It has to be actually raining before they won't sit on the ground. When waiting for a bus, they sit on the ground.

Australian kids are weird.

LittleBearPad · 14/09/2013 08:42

Given the potential for crumbage etc why not suggest a groundsheet / large mat. Then it can be easily picked up and no germs will touch thr children.

Sitting on the floor is good for your posture. I'm also not sure why a child eating a picnic would have to be hunched over like Bob Crachit. They can still sit up straight and eat.

SanityClause · 14/09/2013 08:54

Why the assumption that the tables are so much cleaner than the floor?

Children go to the loo, and forget to wash hands. Those hands are all over the tables. Not to mention the thread worms which are so prevalent at schools. Those hands which have been busy scratching are then all over the table that you are so keen for them to eat at.

Retropear · 14/09/2013 08:57

Exactly why we were told to spritz with anti bac before and use table cloths.

MadeOfStarDust · 14/09/2013 09:02

Having been a dinner lady in this situation myself......

when do you expect the tables to be cleaned and by whom - the point of mid day staff is to ensure the safety of the kids - when they have finished eating they go out to play - who watches the kids and does first aid whilst they play, or watches out for choking if we are all cleaning tables?

Half of an already depleted workforce has to be outside anyhow - for infants we had one per reception class - one in one out, and 2 for the rest - one in one out - for 200 kids in 8 classrooms.... We therefore put 2 or 3 classes into each classroom- what tables are these kids supposed to sit at - 2 to a chair perhaps..... or do they rotate - and have to clean tables as well as sweep over the floor....

How do you handle allergies? We had a handful of kids with bad allergies to nuts, dairy etc. They ate in the hall with the hot dinner diners. Their work table that they are at all afternoon, could be contaminated with god knows what and a quick spray would not get rid of that.. The kids with allergies did not have to sit on the floor during the school day for obvious reasons.

And as for the "supervisors can't be arsed to wipe tables" comments.... what a horrid thing to say about people who have been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the safety and well being of your child.

Retropear · 14/09/2013 09:32

Errr again table clothes,stagger lunch.Not sure what heinous germs anti ac wouldn't get rid of but hey ho with table clothes it's not an issue.

Soooo not an issue,countless schools manage it.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 14/09/2013 09:38

I agree with HildaOgden

MadeOfStarDust · 14/09/2013 09:43

Allergens are NOT like germs - and some people with shellfish sensitivity are also sensitive to a host of anti bac products... we are NOT allowed to use anti-bac products or bleach etc in our school - I thought that was countrywide? obviously not.

Retropear · 14/09/2013 11:16

Having a child with dust mite and cat allergies I have to say he'd be far more likely to have a reaction on a carpet you can't clean and which collects crap like Velcro than a table you can clean.

Our consultant told us damp dusting is fine to get rid of allergens.She told us to get rid of his bedroom carpet interestingly.

Original poster
Honeybadgerdontgiveashit · 14/09/2013 12:06

Thanks again for your comments, although s

OP posts:
Original poster
Honeybadgerdontgiveashit · 14/09/2013 12:15

Thanks again for your comments, although some of you are clearly spoiling for a fight and need to put the wine down.

It just makes me feel like the school can't be arsed in one way or another. To either stagger lunch, clean a table or change their routine.

They wouldn't expect adults to sit on a floor, and to me children deserve the same respect, clearly some of you don't agree, but thats how I feel.

OP posts: