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AIBU?

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

312 replies

Helenagrace · 21/04/2014 14:51

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?

OP posts:
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Helenagrace · 21/04/2014 16:37

Thanks everyone. I knew I wasn't BU!

She dropped some sandwiches off for the boys and then went again. We had a chat about lunch and I explained what they'd eaten and said it was a normal lunch for mine. The issue seems to have been the oatcakes. "They're just crackers" she said "you need bread for a proper lunch". Have I been doing lunch wrong all along Confused Grin?

I've still got the boys and I'm dropping them off in an hour or so. I just noticed that the sandwiches are still in their bags on the table outside while the boys tear around the garden dressed as a bizarre assortment of pirates and medieval knights.

I think we're ok as friends. She's certainly stressed about the move. Maybe she'll go back to normal afterwards Hmm

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EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 21/04/2014 16:38

What a weirdo.

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MoonRover · 21/04/2014 16:39

Can you ask the boy what he said to his mum?

Because it occurs to me he might have been whining and said he had almost no lunch and was hungry so pleeeeaaaase could she come and get them?

It's a perfectly reasonable lunch - either he was a little less than honest or she is rude and ungrateful.

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MoonRover · 21/04/2014 16:40

x posts

she's bonkers
or I've not had a proper lunch in a couple of weeks, which doesn't seem to have killed m.......

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maras2 · 21/04/2014 16:41

Cheeky wagon.I'd have bloody loved that lunch;so would my kids and they're in their 30's.

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Purpleroxy · 21/04/2014 16:42

Don't think the issue is whether the meal is ok or not. It is fine anyway. The issue is the complete lack of appreciation for this substantial favour and rudeness. At 8, the boys should also have some sort of appreciation that you are helping out by looking after them. I would be stepping back from this woman.

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Elfrieda · 21/04/2014 16:42

Pefectly acceptable lunch round our way. How odd.

Jane We can easily go a couple of days here without eating anything hot - or even cooked. Especially in summer when we eat mostly salad. Just another case of horses for courses, I suppose.

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Gileswithachainsaw · 21/04/2014 16:42

Arf at bread for a proper lunch.

Crackers are another source of carbs Confused

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Itsfab · 21/04/2014 16:42

Be sure to hand the sandwiches back to her when they don't eat them as they are full from their decent lunch!!

You "think"? It is up to you if you are. SHE is the rude one!

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tracypenisbeaker · 21/04/2014 16:43

Don't accidently tread on the sandwiches, OP ;)

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squoosh · 21/04/2014 16:43

She dropped sandwiches around? What a weird passive aggressive thing to do!

Tell her that oatcakes release energy slowly and are far healthier than processed white bread which just causes a sugar spike.

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Janethegirl · 21/04/2014 16:44

Elfrieda - you are correct, just very different ways of eating!

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Gileswithachainsaw · 21/04/2014 16:44

I love picky salads in the summer. So do kids!!

Hot/cold/warm, it's all food

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MadBusLady · 21/04/2014 16:44

You need bread for a "proper" lunch? How barking.

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trikken · 21/04/2014 16:45

Sounds lush and a decent lunch to me. I'd have lunch at yours any day Grin

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soaccidentprone · 21/04/2014 16:46

Ds1 stayed at my dm's when he was about 5. I asked him if he had a good time, which he did. But he said nana only gave him a small pizza for tea and he was still hungry. Now ds1 has always eaten a lot, is now 18, 6 foot 1 and weighs 10 1/2 stone, so skinny as anything.

I told my mum this and she was most put out. It was a medium pizza from the local bakers (they were lush) - so not very big, but quite deep with loads of tomato and cheese topping. Dm usually had 1/2 with some salad for her tea, and then the other 1/2 the day after. She thought it was plenty of food for a small boy Smile. He obviously had a different idea, and the way he had portrayed it to me was one of those small frozen pizzas which you used to be able to get in a packet of 10.

So the reality was very different. Which is what I suspect has happened this time.

Now I asked my dm only because she was my dm, and she used to look after ds1 on a regular basis (and wasn't aware of the fact he is a gannet). She also used to look after my dnephew who is 2 years older than ds1, but ds1 eats loads more than dnephew.

No way would I say anything to a friend.

A. The children could be understating what they had been given
B. Even if they hadn't been given much, it wouldn't have been a big deal (it was only one meal)
C. For various reasons, the friend may not have had much food in the house, and I would not want to embarrass her.

Some people are very strange, and some people need to think before talking.

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KurriKurri · 21/04/2014 16:47

You offered them toast - they chose oatcakes- maybe they are fed up with bread everyday! Grin

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BumPotato · 21/04/2014 16:47

If someone was willing to take my kids all day to let me get on with moving house, I wouldn't care if all they had was a bag of crisps for lunch.

Ungrateful madam.

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Chippednailvarnish · 21/04/2014 16:48

Give her the sandwiches back and lie and say they wanted more oatcakes Grin

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breatheslowly · 21/04/2014 16:48

I'd make sure that the boys are reminded that the sandwiches are there, otherwise it'll be "I can't believe I took the time to make and bring round sandwiches and you refused to give them to them".

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SuzzieScotland · 21/04/2014 16:48

They have eaten no meat, might impact their brain development if they don't have meat every meal. And oatcakes sound very pretentious.

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harriet247 · 21/04/2014 16:53

[Grin] at oatcakes being pretentious? Umless they were fortnum mason obvs

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IamInvisible · 21/04/2014 16:53

You're a better woman than me! I would have shoved the sandwiches up her arse sent the boys home with her, the rude cow!

I would have been grateful to you for looking after my DC the day before I moved. Bet she goes to MaccyDs tonight!

I've never cared what they've been fed when they've been to someone else's house, it's not like they are there for every meal!

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zzzzz · 21/04/2014 16:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ouryve · 21/04/2014 16:56

That sounds like a fabulous lunch for a child that age. Filling, a decent amount of protein, some fruit and salad and enough of a pud to make sure there's no gaps left unfilled.

She's being ridiculous.

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