Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

to wish children at school didn't bring sweets in for the whole class on the birthday

705 replies

brt100 · 01/06/2014 10:50

Dn seams to always be coming home with sweets, I just think it should be up to the parents to decide on these things, I would be livid. Should the school ban this?

OP posts:
Sirzy · 03/06/2014 21:14

Knitted - DS does the same, I wish I had the same resistance as he does. We were on a cruise last week where he had free access to all sorts of cakes and 'bad' foods - after most meals he picked the fruit salad.

He will say no when he is full or doesn't fancy something, he has learnt self control.

I have never overly restricted what he eats and so far it certainly seems to be working!

Edenviolet · 03/06/2014 21:16

I am also very keen to teach dd2 that no food is 'forbidden' she eats a healthy diet with occasional treats. Her consultant told us that no food should be off limits as diabetics are a high risk for developing eating disorders later on if they feel their diet is restricted due to their condition.

A first after diagnosis dd would try and hide 'treats ' stolen from the cupboard to the point where we had to lock them. We explained to her she could have treats but after lunch or dinner and gave her three special boxes-one for no carb treats when her bg is very high but she's hungry (cheese, cucumber' sugar free jelly etc) one for 'normal treats' eg crackers, biscuits, fruit such as apples etc and one for 'treats' choc, sweets, cake etc. she knows she can choose one if she wants and we adjust her dose. Nothing is forbidden and she now at just four years old can make healthy choices.

ThatBloodyWoman · 03/06/2014 21:16

Sirzy I accept whole school change in lunchbox content and school meals because its good for children.
I accept that bacon went off our menu last year in the interests of not excluding children who do not eat it for religious reasons.
I accept the nut restrictions because of nut allergic children in tbe school.

It's not because I don't like it, its for health reasons.

But presumably my child doesn't count.

Original poster
brt100 · 03/06/2014 21:18

Gosh mums net children seam to buck the trend and many refuse junk food, way more than most adults can.

Maybe they have evolved past the human instinct to crave fat and sugar?

OP posts:
Original poster
brt100 · 03/06/2014 21:19

now at just four years old can make healthy choices.

She's managed to do at 4 what the vast majority of adults are unable to do?

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 03/06/2014 21:20

So brt will your kid go to parties?

Eat a kids meal?
Go to soft play and eat there?
Go on a play date?
Have an ice cream at the beach?

Have birthday party themselves?

Or is it dulls ville til secondary school and he or she has access to chips and candy

Sirzy · 03/06/2014 21:21

dS is 4 and can do it. Perhaps you just have issues with the fact your idea of what works is being proven wrong?

Mckayz · 03/06/2014 21:22

Maybe some children don't like sweets much. Same as I don't like fish, DH doesn't like chocolate etc. Not very hard to understand.

FunnyFoot · 03/06/2014 21:22

So are you going to ask the school to put it to the parents to vote or are you just going to demand an out right ban?

School lunchbox changes - Yes as this is a 5 times a week meal and is part of their daily food intake.

Removing bacon from the menu- Yes as there are plenty of other food choices available.

No Nuts- Yes because this can be fatal to those who have an allergy.

Banning a small packet of sweet at a possible average of once per week- Not really in the same context as the other three and in comparison has a very very low impact on health and well being.

Original poster
brt100 · 03/06/2014 21:23

dulls ville til secondary school and he or she has access to chips and candy

If life without junk food is dull to you then you need to get more happening in your life.

OP posts:
Edenviolet · 03/06/2014 21:23

Yes, she does. She will ask what her bg is and choose an appropriate snack. She understands what is healthy and what is not and enjoys the occasional treat after a meal.

You would be surprised how much a young child can adapt and learn after being diagnosed with something like type 1 diabetes. I am very proud of her and iam confident that growing up she will have a healthy relationship with food.

Original poster
brt100 · 03/06/2014 21:24

you just have issues with the fact your idea of what works is being proven wrong?

I seam to have missed the headlines saying children's health is improving?

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 03/06/2014 21:24

Answer the question.

What will you do at a party? Have your child eat the box while they play pass the parcel and eat the sweets?

FunnyFoot · 03/06/2014 21:25

brt100

I think you owe Hedge an apology for tha very ill informed comment you made regarding her daughters diabetes.

Maybe the reason her daughter can manage it at 4 yo is because Hedge has educated her, spent time parenting her and helping her understand. Maybe some adults didn't have that kind of parenting which has now influenced their adult eating habits.

Gileswithachainsaw · 03/06/2014 21:26

There is no such thing as a bad food. Just a bad diet. Junk sometimes doesn't hurt anyone.

It's more than possible to enjoy a piece of cake with friends and have a balanced diet.

Sirzy · 03/06/2014 21:28

You seem to have issue with the fact that parents who don't go to your extreme lengths to keep their children 'healthy' have children who are perfectly capable of making healthy choices.

What do you imagine, let them have the odd sweet after school and they are going to want to constantly stuff their faces with the things? If you get balance right then there is no need for them to things that any food is something more special, or desirable, they are just foods. Some you can eat more of than others, some you like some you don't but at the end of the day its all food.

Banning things doesn't generally lead to a healthy relationship with food, you only have to read the comments from adults on this thread who have had a very restrictive diet to show that. Most of them have developed issues with food later in life as a result.

Original poster
brt100 · 03/06/2014 21:29

Lol, no such thing as a bad food? If only.

Its more important what you don't eat than what you eat.

OP posts:
FunnyFoot · 03/06/2014 21:31

Sirzy the OP does not have children (as far as I can tell) she started this thread regarding her niece coming out of school with a birthday packet of sweets.

Mckayz · 03/06/2014 21:32

There is no such thing as bad food if it's eaten in moderation. Only you don't understand this. 1 bag of approx 8 sweets every 6 weeks or so is not causing the problem with obesity.

ThatBloodyWoman · 03/06/2014 21:32

I am going to ask for a ban, I make no apology.

As I thought I pointed out,I was saying that I have accepted the other changes -I didn't need you to point out the reasons for them Funny !

Of course a sweets after school ban isn't in the same context as a bacon ban for religious reasons.....Confused

Gileswithachainsaw · 03/06/2014 21:33

Even foods that are good for you would leave you deficient or over weight if you eat too much of them

Just balance things like normal people.

ThatBloodyWoman · 03/06/2014 21:37

I'm talking about a school ban on sweets not a worldwide ban ffs.

FunnyFoot · 03/06/2014 21:39

Then what will be your next course of action if the school refuse?

I read your post as though you were putting the sweets in the same context of the bacon/nut/bad luchbox banning.

Also I never asked you for an apology. Confused

Original poster
brt100 · 03/06/2014 21:39

Even foods that are good for you would leave you deficient or over weight if you eat too much of them

What a stupid pov to encourage junk food.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 03/06/2014 21:40

Its not about encouraging junk food, its about encouraging a healthy attitude towards food. Banning foods isn't the way to encourage that IMO