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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

McDonalds and a school trip...

236 replies

azteccamera · 19/06/2014 19:04

Truly wondering about this situation.

Long, hot day. School trip. Reception class so 4 & 5 year olds. Left at 8.30 this morning. Due back at 4pm. Finally arrived back at 6.45pm after the bus broke down on the way home. The school were communicating by text all the way through the afternoon keeping us updated.

We've just picked up the children to be told they have been fed... McDonalds. Personally, I don't mind, better that she is fed, watered and it was next to where they had broken down. Bear in mind they were waiting in a hot bus with no aircon for a replacement coach.

However other parents were shouting at the head teacher,for everyone to hear. Apparently no one ever feeds her children mcdonalds. They've never had it. Thinks it's a disgrace. Some of the dads were also agreeing.

Would you mind? Allergies and food intolerances and preferences accounted for, would you be angry enough to shout at the teachers about it?

OP posts:
Penguin0fMadagascar · 19/06/2014 19:22

Honestly I wonder what the shouty ones would rather the teachers had done? It might not be the best food in the world, but it's quick, and usually easy to get to from a major road, and for the kids it probably turned a miserable delay into an exciting diversion - especially since the meals come with toys and there's usually colouring pages and crayons to play with. Poor teachers.

Original poster
azteccamera · 19/06/2014 19:25

Sorry perhaps not a proper AIBU. Didn't think the shouting at a teacher was on regardless, I mainly wondered if many others felt it was unreasonable for the school to feed them McDonalds.

Out of around 30 parents there were two shouters and 4 or 5 obviously disgruntled or agreeing with the shouters.

Agree they the teachers couldn't win either way. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for them and they put a lot of time into planning it.

The McDonalds is coming out of school funds.

OP posts:
usualsuspectt · 19/06/2014 19:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Waltonswatcher · 19/06/2014 19:27

I'd applaud the school for using common sense .
If any parents complained I'd make sure they had to spend two hours on a hot bus packed with kids .
And I loathe the place .

JonSnowsPout · 19/06/2014 19:27

Good on the teacher s
Had they come back grumpy,tired and hungry the same parents would of whinged

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 19/06/2014 19:28

Id be saying "do I owe you any money for her tea? Thank god you broke down near a service station, bet you will need a big glass of wine when you get home!"

ikeaismylocal · 19/06/2014 19:28

I think the shouty parents need to ask themselves the question what is more damaging for my child, a happy meal or seeing their parents being aggressive towards a teacher the child respects?

I bet the kids loved it! The adventure of being broken down with the added bonus of a happy meal, it will probably the school trip they all still remember in year 6;j

Original poster
azteccamera · 19/06/2014 19:30

usualsuspectt, yes really! Is it that unbelievable?

OP posts:
Floggingmolly · 19/06/2014 19:30

My dd's Year 5 class was taken to Westminster Abbey on a school trip a couple of years ago, and they were told not to bother with the usual packed lunch; they'd eat in McDonalds on the way back.
Nobody batted an eyelid. And that was planned.

30ish · 19/06/2014 19:32

Poor teachers, damned if they do and damned if they don't. Some parents need to get a grip.

FishWithABicycle · 19/06/2014 19:34

ffs the bus broke down, the teachers were coping with a coach full of fractious tired overheated hungry young children. I would be falling on my knees in thanks that they sorted out some food and drink, even if they had given a beefburger to my vegetarian child, because it was an unplanned emergency and they did the best they could.

FatherSpodoKomodo · 19/06/2014 19:35

I'd be grateful they'd fed them, meaning I didn't have to. And glad that they'd been near somewhere they were able to feed them. I'd thank them profusely for having to put up with my child and all the others for hours longer than they expected.

Some parents just like to make a fuss though, and nothing schools ever do is right for their precious darling.

CarpetBagger · 19/06/2014 19:35

These were extenuating circs, I loathe macdonalds but even I would have been grateful they had something for god sake.

idiots.

TightyMcTight · 19/06/2014 19:35

I bet the kids would rather have had a trip to Mcdonalds in the first place!

As a teacher who was stuck for 2 HOURS on a school trip with year ones I can say that it is incredibly stressful. Well done to them for feeding the children, probably at the expense of being at home with their own.

LynetteScavo · 19/06/2014 19:36

I think some parents are completely bonkers.

They would prefer their DC were hungry than age a few fish fingers and chips? Idiots.

To make a point that I supported the schools decision, I would take in money to cover the cost of the meal, as well as writing a thank you card to the staff.

LaurieFairyCake · 19/06/2014 19:37

Yet another reason why teachers keep winning OBE's

Having to put up with the mass cuntishness disgruntlement of the general public

I have no idea why they don't lose their rag. I couldn't be a teacher.

TightyMcTight · 19/06/2014 19:38

Actually, thinking about it, why didn't they give parents the option to just go and collect their child. They can't have been that far away on a FS school trip!

MiaowTheCat · 19/06/2014 19:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sidthesausage · 19/06/2014 19:41

Obviously no one should be shouted at but at the same time people re entitled to their opinions. McDonald's is a pile of shite, maybe it would have been better for the kids to have had a banana/flapjack/lump of cheese/oat biscuits and a drink of water to tie them over till they could have tea at home.

Lambzig · 19/06/2014 19:42

I have never eaten McDonald's in my life and neither have my DC. If this happened, I think I really, really wouldn't like that my DC had eaten it, but I would totally accept that it was probably easy to find, easy to get for the whole bus load and easy for the kids to eat in their seats, so would keep my mouth firmly shut. I would be grateful the DC were kept happy and looked after.

ilovesooty · 19/06/2014 19:42

I bet those parents will be the first to moan if those teachers don't find the time to plan and mark for the next day.

Original poster
azteccamera · 19/06/2014 19:42

I like the suggestion of sending in a card and money to cover the meal.They're really lovely teachers who are always organising trips and extras for the children and I appreciate that a lot of the things they must plan in their own time.

I really don't know how teachers put up with it all.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 19/06/2014 19:43

maybe it would have been better for the kids to have had a banana/flapjack/lump of cheese/oat biscuits and a drink of water to tie them over till they could have tea at home

And where were they supposed to magic that up from?

FatalCabbage · 19/06/2014 19:44

yy to thank-you letter possibly bottle of wine for organiser.

McDonald's obviously isn't great, but since I imagine the options were "hmm, big nutritionally balanced baguettes the children will be too tired to eat sensibly if at all for £4 each, plus drinks on top ... or thirty Happy Meals" I think it was perfectly generous. I'd have thought the last leg of the journey was improved by the addition of the toys too.

LOL at hummus and olive stand Grin

fairylightsintheloft · 19/06/2014 19:45

Came back off a three day residential trip once and as it was pissing down the bus pulled up as close as poss to the gate so we could unload the bags under cover. The first kid off grabbed his bag and got in his dad's car. The dad then yelled at the bus driver and us for blocking the gate cos he wanted to get home and couldn't possibly wait the three minutes it was going to take to get 50 bags off the bus. Twunt. Of course the parents were BU but it is this kind of thing that makes teachers less keen to undertake that massive PITA that is organising even modest trips, let alone overseas residentials.