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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think parents should provide a better pack lunch than this??

209 replies

neverlookback · 04/12/2013 13:12

My dd goes to the local community nursery a couple of mornings a week and when I pick her up at 12 all the kids staying all day have thier pack lunches ready on the tables, today as I'm waiting for dd to come through I noticed someone had sent in a bowl of cold takeaway garlic bread and chips! You could tell it was takeaway there's only 1 in our village!

I'm all for takeaway sometimes but I don't think this is a nice, healthy lunch for any child to have to take to nursery and eat cold or is it just me??

OP posts:
sherazade · 04/12/2013 20:46
  1. How do you know it was cold? Did you taste or touch it?
maybe it had been prewarmed and kept in foil .
  1. a bowl?
Mintyy · 04/12/2013 20:47

If they are profoundly depressed then they need help (if not only to provide their children with better food)

You cannot seriously be arguing that it is ok for children to be malnourished because their carers are depressed?

FunnysInLaJardin · 04/12/2013 20:47

hot chips and garlic bread as part of an evening meal are fine. If there was no protein I would get twitchy, but that is my issue. Cold for lunch the next day is rubbish. Lunch is sandwiches, cheese, fruit etc. Not left over takeaway

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/12/2013 20:47

So being zapped would make it any better? Confused

ConstantCraving · 04/12/2013 20:48

YABU. As Fogsgettingthicker points out, not all children are the same. My DD is being assessed for ASD and is extremely food resistant - not picky, but properly resistant - she won't eat 'good food', junk food or sweets. Her lunch box today consisted of cold fishfingers (a new very welcome addition), 2 yogurts and plain un-buttered bread. No doubt you'd be judging that - I'm just grateful if she eats.

Hulababy · 04/12/2013 20:51

Cold chips sound vile!

It's not a great packed lunch, no matter how you look at it.

Unless the child has specific need or dietary issues, then yes - I think most parents could do a bit better.

Don't care if that is judgy or not.

Cold chips and garlic bread doesn't ever make a decent packed lunch for a young child!

averywoomummy · 04/12/2013 20:53

I don't think there is any excuse for a lunch like this. It's disgusting and I feel sorry for the child.

A semi decent packed lunch is not hard to make. A ham roll, a banana, a few chunks of cheese and a yoghurt would come to less than £1 if brought from a basics/value range.

I would assume that the nursery will be monitoring the child and hopefully would be speaking to the parents.

I find it strange that people are trying to excuse the parents. They clearly had the time and resources to get a takeaway last night but yet they couldn't get decent food for their child.

And to think I feel guilty on the odd occasion I have given DC a jam sandwich!

tinmug · 04/12/2013 20:54

You cannot seriously be arguing that it is ok for children to be malnourished because their carers are depressed?

Um, no, I'm not. Have another read of what I've actually written.

formerbabe · 04/12/2013 20:56

I'm with the op. I actually think that is a disgusting lunch to give a child... I would die of shame to send my child to school/nursery with that.

Mintyy · 04/12/2013 20:58

Well, the possible depression of the parents is the side issue here. The question is whether or not they should give their nursery aged child a better packed lunch. Saying that the parents might be depressed is ... what? why did you say that?

HSMMaCM · 04/12/2013 21:00

DD would have loved that as a lunch when she was little. She was a carb queen. I would always add other things to her lunch though. Maybe it was a one off where the child volunteered to make her own lunch?

TiredDog · 04/12/2013 21:01

YANBU. Having DC is a responsibility and that includes nutrition. This isn't a 'poor' packed lunch, it's a 'I couldn't give a fuck' packed lunch

PasswordProtected · 04/12/2013 21:03

Maybe that is all they had?

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/12/2013 21:05

Well of that's all they had then perhaps te ridiculous amount of money spent on the take away shoulda been spent on some bread/ham fruit and cheese/yogurt.

waltermittymissus · 04/12/2013 21:06

Maybe that is all they had?

Nope, not buying that either!

Because if that's all they had they should have spent the money on decent food and not takeaway!

SaucyJack · 04/12/2013 21:06

Maybe they couldn't get to the shop that day Giles?

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/12/2013 21:07

Yet they made it to the take away?

averywoomummy · 04/12/2013 21:08

If it's a nursery then I'm guessing the child would have been too young to make her own packed lunch. And even if it was what the child wanted as a parent surely it is our responsibility to make sure a packed lunch is healthy. I'm sure my son would choose to have a box full of cake every day but I don't let him have it!

Mintyy · 04/12/2013 21:08

Maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe.

Bottom line is its a poor lunch and nursery should be monitoring.

Madmammy83 · 04/12/2013 21:11

Cold chips make the dog gag, so I definitely wouldn't give them to a child. YABU to think that parents provide a better lunch than that and I don't care if my "judgy pants" are so tight that they cut off the circulation to my tits. Cold chips and Garlic Bread is a disgusting lunch to give a young child.

tinmug · 04/12/2013 21:11

The question is whether or not they should give their nursery aged child a better packed lunch. Saying that the parents might be depressed is ... what? why did you say that?

In response to someone posting that the parent in question gave their child an inadequate lunch because they don't care about the child, or because they are stupid.

SaucyJack · 04/12/2013 21:15

Yet they made it to the take away?

Last time I checked, take-aways tend to come to you..........

volestair · 04/12/2013 21:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gileswithachainsaw · 04/12/2013 21:16

So does tesco/asda/ocado/sainsbury

Thisisaghostlyeuphemism · 04/12/2013 21:17

It's shit. It's lazy.

It's hilarious that increasingly people are being told to mind their own business. (on Mumsnet anyway)

We live in a society. We have to look after/treat/pay for that kid when he's older and got massive issues but no, no, you've got to keep your nose out.