To not let dc have a packed lunch because they qualify for free scho meals

[ClementineKelandra]

Dc have free school meals which is a huge financial help.

The problem is they are always complaining and saying they would prefer a pack lunch because of very long queues and lack of choice.

They act like I'm the most terrible mother ever because I insist they stay on school dinners!

If you tell me iabu I'll let them have their way.

Value bread, value ham etc is not a good alternative to school dinners at all.

'I'm not having a go at op at all, just that I bet she has a tv license, kids have birthday and Christmas presents etc

It's just a question of priorities'

Sure, sure you didn't mean to have a go.

And even that costs more than 4 quid a week.

Sugarmouse, some children wouldn't get any decent food at all without FSM (not referring to anyone here).

Bet she's got net access, too. They could use the library to do homework. You know, the ones that don't exist in a lot of places anymore or only allow you to use the net for 30 mins.

Lyra-

What's wrong with value products?

School dinners are often extremely unhealthy anyway

When I was at school FSM kids could spend their dinner ticket on a can of fizzy drink and a chocolate cookie! Or sausage roll and chips!

Can I just point out, in view of the slightly snotty remarks about feeding a child being a parental responsibility and so on.....yes, obviously it is. But if you're on benefits, free school lunches are counted as income, believe it or not. So you're effectively already paying for FSM's by receiving less benefit money, so it's completely unfair to expect a parent to also be able to afford packed lunches.

Just saying.

In that case ALanna, the op could just opt out of them and get more benefit money to pay for packed lunches couldn't she?

No, it doesn't work like that. If you don't apply, you simply don't get them, you don't get the benefit replaced.

Oh, and OP, yanbu, bit of queuing never killed anyone!

YANBU. They'll just have to hurry and get in and get their food as quickly as they can.

In that case ALanna, the op could just opt out of them and get more benefit money to pay for packed lunches couldn't she?

For goodness sake, it doesn't work like that

It's ok for others to say they should.have them and have no option it must be lovely to be so on the moral high ground but I for one would rather allow.for lunches on our weakly budget and know that.our son had eaten than gone without . Neither of us smoke or drink and we chose not to drink so out.budgets go on packed.lunches .

Have you actually paid any notice on the school menu I would go near half of these so called lunch choices .

OP YNBU.

The thing is OP if you let them have sandwiches they will probably be complaining they want hot dinners next!

Sugarmouse, really? A nice privilege?? I can't help thinking your post was deliberately provocative. When I was a child, we sometimes ate watered down tomato soup for dinner and my parents ate bread. Were it not for fsm, I may have had no lunch. My father became ill at the same time asmy mother had a baby and we literally had no incomings for weeks. If it hadn't been for some donations from neighbours my siblings may have gone without nappies. There was no money to prioritise.

Id love to have lived in your protected, sheltered bubble.

From a professional perspective btw, I can tell you that some families aren't much better off these days, 25+ years later.

Sugarmouse, they do get presents albeit from eBay or charity shops.
I suffer so my dc don't have to.

I buy a big bag if mega cheap porridge oats and I eat that's most days so I don't need proper meals. My underwear has holes in and my winter coat is one I bought from a charity shop about 4 years ago and it was thread bare then!

Don't bite Clementine, you don't have to defend yourself.

It depends really. If they aren't eating , really hate the food and its upsetting them and you could afford to do packed lunches then is say yabu. I think it's mean to force kids to eat stuff they hate just because its free.

BUT if you can't afford to do the lunches then its better than nothing I guess and they will have to suck it up.

YANBU

I refuse to do packed lunches for DS because they are a PITA.

Oh definitely they have school meal option only.
Hope one day all school meals free for everyone... pigs might fly first.
Mine have packed lunch 4 days a week and school dinner on Fridays [fish and chips!]. Can't afford school meals for both all week.

Difficult one OP. Like you my child qualifies for FSM, however he is autistic and it is just much easier and simpler to give him a packed lunch.
I DO claim for the FSM though as even if DS isn't actually eating them his school gets a pupil premium which benefits all the children. I don't get any actual money...a meal is just provided if DS wants one.

I shop carefully and a packed lunch need not be expensive...a pasta salad is very cheap to make for example. It doesn't have to be sandwiches, crisps, chocolate bar etc.

If there is no food left at the end of the queue, complain about that, it's not on.

If the food quality or choice is poor, complain about that.

Fucking hell, FSM are a privilege now???

I had FSM at school. My mother was a lone parent, my father contributed naff all and this was long before the CSA. Be reassured we weren't privileged in the slightest.

Clementine - YANBU. You can't afford to spare the extra money (and food is bloody expensive now) so don't feel bad about sticking to FSM.

Yanbu. Especially as they are teenagers.

We are entitled to fsm. However, all of dd's friends take packed lunch and she would have to eat alone without her friends if she had school dinners and the free packed lunch is very obviously "different" so we decided to let her take packed lunch in. It's possible to do it very cheaply. We do make sure she is offered something else to eat when she gets in though like beans on toast or jacket potato with cheese as she rarely eats much of her lunch. She is 10.