DS made fun of at school for having Aldi packed lunch!

[bimbabirba]

More of a WYBU.
DS started at a private school last week. He's in YR 6. Everything was going well until we decided to switch to packed lunches because he hated the hot lunches the school provides for £3.50 a meal. Some kids have been noticing that the drinks and snacks in his lunch box are Aldi's and have been saying things like "Ewww... Aldi, that place is horrid! How gross!".
DS is so embarrassed that every morning he tippexes the Aldi brand or he goes over it with a marker pen but they recognise the packaging and still make fun of him!
I can't believe I have to deal with this! WYBU to mention it to his teacher? He's new and I don't want to make it worse by making him unpopular.

I had this done to me, about my lunchbox, and PE trainers by kids who ironically, received free school meals! Also couldn't afford shool trips! How I wish Id made fun of them and their scummy families for being so pathetic that they actually have to scrounge off the taxpayer for a bit of food! LOL

Believe me it has had a huge impact and permanently influenced my political views

I was bullied for this when i was young op so you would think i would say to buy elsewhere, but i dont! These little bullies only find somethingelse to make fun of! Show the slightest sign off weakness and thats it.you give him fancy food and next week it will be his shoes or his bag...
Help him with his confidence and to standup for himself.
Personally if these kids are like that id rather my son didnt fit in with them, i want him to be himself and not a sheep.

Btw i love aldi! Im not a millionaire but can afford to shop elsewhere but i love aldi. Their german meat is amazing. Plus i dont see the need to actually spends loads more money for the same items but for a fancier brand especially when they are not as nice!

Your poor son, thats really sad. Hard to know what route to take really, giving in would signal that its ok to change to fit in, which isnt a helpful message especially when he reaches puberty etc. I was picked on in private school because I didn't have the right stuff/attitude/beliefs as the other kids. So Id pay close attention if I were you, this may be the start of further isolation .
My parents refused to move me and i was a complete loner for years.
Not saying this will definitely happen, things may settle down. But unfortunately you do get pricks at private school too, same as any school.

Years ago my ds was offered a scholarship to an extremely posh school.
As part of the process they are invited to a sleepover at the school before you accept the place.
The following morning he told me jr wanted to go instead to the local comp like all his mates as we would never fit in there. He seemed very determined.
I really think he was right looking back.

I haven't read the whole thread, but from what I have read I am actually quite shocked by the number of replies that advocated giving into these bullies - the DCs doing this will only find something else to pick on you DS for, because that's what bullies do - giving in only serves to make them feel they have power over your DS because their taunts make him change his behaviour, so IME it will only serve to make him more of a target.

It would be different as in some of the replies, if your DS himself already felt uncomfortable about your choices as some posters have commented over the clothes they were made to wear at school - he wasn't, this is out & out peer pressure & a good opportunity to teach your DS a valuable life lesson.

As some have said, show him the differences in prices & the money saved & how much more sensible it is to buy brands that he likes, but are cheaper. Then teach him how ridiculously childish & silly these DCs are being & to nit roll over & give into DCs who actually arent beaving heaither kindly, or very intelkegently, so to grow a back bone & tell them to sod right off, pointing out to them that THEY are tge ones being dilly, because they would rather pay more money for less tasty foods & drinks -

because doing that will empower him far more than giving in ever can.

& I speak from the POV of a DC who was taught that self same lesson myself & it has stood me in good stead in life. So long as I know I am doing the right thing, I never actually give a flying one for anyone else's opinion, I am so glad my DPs & more so my very feisty DGM took that stance as its made me who I am today - the bully's soon backed off when they realised I actually didn't care, so their taunts were like water off a ducks back, if anything the taunts made me look down my nose at them for how silly & ill informed they were.

I also speak from the POV of the parent whose DD had similar taunts, though in her case it was because her packed lunches were too healthy - in a healthy eating school FFS - there will always be something that bullies will pick on, that's just life - the trick is not to be the victim & allow it to bother you - DD laughing back at them for not liking the things she liked & thinking she would care about their opinions on what SHE chose to eat, which also just so happened to be good for her.

Your DSs response should be - yeah, Aldis stuff is great isn't it, I actually like the taste better than - insert brand they have - & my DM is so clever as it saves so much money, which means she can treat me more for Xmas & birthdays - oh what a shame your DPs don't do that.

& yes, if it carries on, do flag it with the teachers, because it is bullying & needs to be watched as it can escalate further - standing up to bullies & laughing it off will have them lose interest & grow some respect for your DS far quicker

Good luck

Typo agogo - even autocorrect can't spell this morning

Sugarmouse1 showing well how children become bullies there. With parents like that what hope do children have.

• A scummy mother relying on the taxpayer to feed her children.

Tell him to say" Well it has been voted 'best supermarket' for the last 2 or 3 years"!

Anyway, most people I know ( and that includes an awful lot of teachers),including myself,do the majority of their shopping in Aldi.

Is it all of the children, or just the "popular" kid that thinks (or has been told by his obviously snobby parents) that Aldi is awful?

OP - you said that everything was going well until you switched to packed lunches. Perhaps that is it, what do the other children do? I really don't know a private school where you can opt in or out, all my DC private schools only had cooked lunches. So, is your DC in the minority, this could be it, perhaps he is sitting there with his little packed lunch and the other children are tucking into their school lunch, not complaining or making a fuss about it. Perhaps your DS told them he didn't like the school lunches and since they are eating it, they decide to then pick on his Aldi juice etc. I don't think any brands will be right, he should have stuck with what the other children are doing.

I was teased for no frills yoghurt by the girl who shared a tracksuit top with her 3 brithers

Is it possible that it is his own insecurity, and that he is worried that his classmates will judge him rather than any overt remarks being made?

I remember being morto as a child when my mum would want to go in to charity shops in town in case any if my classmates saw me in there. If course they never did or at least they never said anything.

Thank you Back2 :)

Another point I forgot to add - if your DS is still insistent on giving into the bullies, then fine, after lots of chats to do otherwise, at this age that is his final choice - but do not give in & buy more expensive stuff & do not give in & do the extra work his new packed lunch needs.

At 10/11 he is MORE than old enough to do that for himself

I'd tippex "you are a cock" onto his cereal bars..

Unfortunately the world is full of cocks and as others have said, the issue isn't the brand but how your son handles jibes, for some kids it's water off the proverbial and for others (my son included), standing out for the wrong reasons is mortifying and he just wants to conform.

Don't change the packaging or the brand, just give him whatever you would normally give him, discourage any tippexing. But if it's becoming an issue that he can't ignore, encourage him to confront in a low key way with some simple "whatever's" or "so what" or "focus on your own lunch little Lord Fountleroy".

Wouldn't raise with school at this stage but keep an eye out to see this doesn't escalate and cross over into other areas. Your son needs to have the confidence to show he isn't bothered by these jibes, it gets boring if there's no reaction or less motivation if there's confident push back.

Obviously for avoidance of doubt the "you are a cock" would be intended for the reader, not your son!!

I was teased for no frills yoghurt by the girl who shared a tracksuit top with her 3 brothers

This speaks volumes & highlights what is usually really behind these jibes -

As the old saying goes - People hate most in others, what they hate about themselves" -

IMHO you can not hammer home to your son strongly enough that bullies are simply very insecure people, desperately trying to deflect the heat off themselves

Were the boys who are teasing him already at the school before this year? Is he one of the new boys there and the other boys teasing him already have their 'group' of friends?

I honestly do think that its really got nothing to do with where the food is from, its just something that they were able to find to pick on him for... If he didn't have a "cool" bag, it could have been that instead. If he takes a fruit shoot bottle, they will most likely comment on that too.... Children can be so mean to each other, I know as ds was subjected to bullying for years.

Yes he is being bullied, how to deal with it is a bit of a sensitive issue. In our case ds did not want me contacting the school as he felt that the bullying would get worse when the bully found out and was punished.. Eventually I had to inform the school and that very same thing happened. ..

I think things started to change once ds stood up to him. He started martial arts that the earlier in that year. Although he knew to never use the new skills in the wrong environment, it gave him the MENTAL power that he needed to stand up to him. In his mind ds knew that he could break his leg in one move (of course he wouldn't, but just knowing that he could gave him the self esteem that he needed).

Bullies thrive on the power it gives them. In hindsight I now feel quite sorry for the boy who bullied him all those years. I since found out he has had a hard upbringing and I saw his father talk to him in the manner he talks to the boy he was bullying....

We have a book called Bullies, Bigmouths and So Called Friends. See if you can get your hands on this book for your ds.

Talk to him openly about this. There is more to this than just the labels on the juice carton, I am very sure. Your ds may want to you be there for him and report it (its always easier for mum to sort it out when you are in a position you don't know how to deal with) or maybe he would rather you didn't and try to stand up to them himself.

My DD is in year six. She has no concept of supermarkets or branding, cheapness or ponciness.
If your son is bing picked on because of lidl I would have serious concerns about the school because of the attitude of the other parents.
10/11 year olds don't have a view about supermarkets unless their parents do.
It's bullying. They just picked a topic.
Bullying plus wanker parents. Not a great school.

It's not a private school thing.
It is a specific school thing.

My DC have ben teased about Lidl foodin their box standard state primary.Children will always find something to tease about though.
Your DS can repack his food if necessary, but don't YOU change anything or you are sending him the message that you have to do what the bullies say.

I feel really sad about this, what vile kids. Just repeating what their delightful parents say presumably.

tbh children often tease about lunch box food it doesn't matter what it is or where it came from MY dd was teased last week for having cherry tomatoes in her lunch I am not sure what you should do about it and if the kids know what Aldi is then they eat ALDI food at home just their parents hide it,

I would also contact the school about it I would be tempted to tell your son to ask the bratlets what he should be having for lunch to be in their gang kids can be so mean,

I remember at primary school a kid bringing food in from Netto, he was known as 'netto basher' from then on. I know it shouldn't matter but kids can be cruel

Put his juice in a sports bottle, yoghurt in a small plastic tub, bread and sandwich fillings can come from wherever as no one will know the difference.

do people really put yoghurt in a plastic tub

when i was younger it was fine fayre (thatbecame sommerfield) if you had finefayre crisps your life was not worth living,