to think this IS an acceptable lunch for an 8 year old?

[Helenagrace]

I'm helping a friend out today as she has twin 8 year old boys and she's moving house house tomorrow. I've had them since 8.30am and in my text last night I said I'd "drop them back before dinner - about 5.30?"

I've just given them lunch. They were offered: toast (with peanut butter, egg, pate (homemade mackerel) or cheese), oatcakes (with the same options), half a packet of crisps, tomato, cucumber and pepper, fruit and a piece of home-made chocolate and cherry brownie.

Both have had oatcakes with cheese (6 each) plus salad, a hard boiled egg, an orange, crisps and a piece of cake.

My friend rang to see if they were ok and she spoke to one of the boys. Then I get a text from her saying she's coming to pick them up as she "hadn't realised they wouldn't be getting a proper lunch". I sent a text back saying that we were eating our main meal in the evening and I thought they were too and I've just had the reply back "yes but that's not really much of a lunch is it?"

It's a perfectly acceptable lunch in my house. Does anyone want to ring social services and dob me in for starving my children?

[squoosh]

Better a few fish fingers a week than no fish at all.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

Has she collected them yet OP?

I can only assume that she expected you to read her mind and feed them their main meal but who would do that without being asked? If I were you I would have assumed that they would be eating with her because she will be eating something tonight surely, even if it is a take away.

Instead you gave them a great lunch - loads of food. I would have struggled to eat 6 oat cakes plus all the other stuff so I am sure they were fine. It is likely the boy just said oak cakes and crisps or something when she phoned but before going off on one like she has done I would have checked with you first. As I say, I suspect she was expecting a free lunch and now she actually has to think for herself. YANBU obviously.

And no hot food is not essential - cooking it does not make it more filling and nutritious, quite the opposite for some foods in fact.

[Lomaamina]

We had homemade soup and cheese sandwiches for lunch. Yours sounds like a feast! How ungrateful.

[Ifpigscouldfly]

What the fuck is wrong with a fish finger sandwich ?!?

[Purplepoodle]

Did she tell you what she thinks a proper lunch is?

Some days mine would just have a slice of toast and a bit of fruit.

[Taffeta]

In fact we were out at a park today and had lunch in the cafe. I asked the DC if they'd like one of the hot food options and they looked at me like I'd lost the plot.

[Ifpigscouldfly]

I must be a total pig since I could quite easily polish off 6 oat cakes as a snack but I am not an 8 year old and can eat a shocking amount of food.

[cece]

Lunch sounds yummy and should be filling enough for most year olds I would say.

Definitely a "Did you mean to be so rude?" when she picks them up.
I think I would distance myself from her as well.

Oh and fishfinger sandwiches are NOT junk food. They are indeed the King of Foods. Gavel.

[EverythingIsTicketyBoo]

that sounds perfectly acceptable, I would be making sure 'friend' knows they are completely overreacting and perhaps not make any offers of anything childcare in the future.

[Bloodyteenagers]

Two hot meals a day?
What about salads - traditional, couscous, pasta, chickpea, chicken, Caesar, etc? Gazpacho? Mezze? Plus many, many more delicious and nutritious cold meals?
You never eat the above?

[ThePost]

In a naice cafe, that would be called an artisan ploughman's platter followed by homemade dessert and you could charge at least £15 per head. I suggest you whip up an invoice immediately and present it to the ungrateful mother with a flourish and a "DYMTBSR?" when she comes to collect her brood.

[squoosh]

And it would be served on a slate! Maybe you went wrong OP by not serving lunch on a slate?

[Janethegirl]

A cold starter before the main course....maybe. A cold salad would only be eaten with a hot steak or chop. Cold meat and salad - never, unless between 2 slices of bread as a snack with hot soup.

[Ifpigscouldfly]

And now I'm hungry. Thanks.

[ThePost]

Fuck me, I forgot the slate. Please tell me there was at least humous with hand ground chickpeas?

[rookiemater]

Wow all these years I have been offering visiting boys a cheese and ham sarnie with some chopped carrots followed by a yoghurt or a bag of crisps without knowing how rude I was being.

What did she expect- a five course tasting menu ? Is she normally such a rude b*tch so pass remarkable?

[rookiemater]

Ooh yes a slate. What is it about poncy restaurants and slates - can't they afford plates so they have to strip down the roof?

[squoosh]

I think Jane has been transplanted here from Tudor times when people believed raw fruit and vegetables were highly suspect and that eating them would likely lead to an early grave.

[trixymalixy]

Mmm, fish finger sandwiches. Anyone who was ungrateful enough to complain about what their kids had to eat at my house would not be invited back. Nothing wrong with that lunch OP and nothing wrong with fish fingers.

[goodasitgets]

Some people have some weird ideas about food
It's been lovely weather and that's a nice picky type lunch
That's a perfectly acceptable lunch. My standards for feeding people are a) will they eat it and b) are they full after it
If so, job done

[Bananapickle]

Even IF that wasn't what she considers a good lunch (I think it's an amazing lunch personally) you're doing her a massive favour and she should just lump it. Her boys aren't going to fade away even if that isn't as much as they're used to.
Rude is all it is.

[5madthings]

I am going to have to have fishfinger sandwiches for dinner now, with white bread and a bit of ketchup... Food of the gods.

[Marcelinewhyareyousomean]

A rough estimate is about 740 cals:
6 oatcakes 300 cals ( if crackers not Staffordshire)
20g cheese 100 cals
orange 60
crisps 100
brownie 100
egg 80


How is that not a proper lunch?

[Janethegirl]

I have no problems with raw fruit and quite enjoy salad as an accompaniment to a meal, but only cold food of any description as a main meal and I'm just not interested. Unless I'm starving hungry I just wouldn't bother eating it. So if I'm doing the cooking it has to have some hot component. It doesn't mean I wouldn't eat cold stuff if a friend served up such a meal. Fortunately family know my preferences.

[Heathcliff27]

Damn you all, i now want fish fingers!

Cheeky biatch