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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:
threepiecesuite · 19/06/2014 21:44

Took 45 teenagers on a trip this week, bus got caught in traffic and was an hour late for us. Left waiting in the glaring sun with v fractious 15 year olds. No shop, toilet, anything nearby. Was a bit grim. Tried to find then some shade and ask venue staff for water.
I was late for picking my own dd up and had to pay a fine. Wouldn't have appreciated being shouted at any parents in this case.

SummerHatOn · 19/06/2014 21:58

The money may well be eventually coming out of school funds, but one of the teachers will have almost certainly had to pay for the food for everyone on their card. Bet the shouting parents haven't given that a single thought.

FunLovinBunster · 19/06/2014 22:12

If only they'd broken down in Waitrose car park...

Scholes34 · 19/06/2014 22:15

I'm sure the children thought it was the best adventure ever!

Once arrived back at an airport after a holiday and needed foot quickly for the children. Had to go to Burger King, because all the other food was unsuitable - sandwiches full of dressings and mayonnaise and other fancy ingredients the children didn't like. Even if there had been a Tesco or similar close by, I doubt they would have been selling plain cheese or ham sandwiches. Burger King provided me with plain burgers.

Dutch1e · 19/06/2014 22:22

Trapped on a broken down bus with 4 & 5 year olds?

I would have nodded my head in sympathy if they'd let the kids eat each other.

Sarahplane · 19/06/2014 22:28

I think the card and present idea is a great idea.

fluffyfanjo · 19/06/2014 22:30

I reckon the brains of the complainers must be underdeveloped, probably caused by lack of essential nutrients only found in a MD's.

Do the superior, organic knicker hoicking,"My PFB has never set foot in a MD's" brigade really believe that a one off (or even occasional) happy meal will have a determental effect on their little darlings health or long term wellbeing ?

I have seen some pretty ignorant things posted on here in relation to food - FFS there's people who think frozen veg is somehow nutrionally inferiour to fresh,breakfast cereal is "shit in a box" and now the suggestion that an apple would have been preferable alturnative to a hot meal and drink from McDonalds.

And there was me thinking that Mumsnet was the forum of choice for the more intelligent poster...................

ShoeWhore · 19/06/2014 22:35

Well done to those teachers for getting the children fed in a safe environment where they could all sit down and then use the toilet as well. Bought sandwiches are a nightmare with small children ime - too much mayo, too complicated, too much salad etc.

I'm really not a fan of McDs but really - the complainers need to have a long hard look at themselves.

trixymalixy · 19/06/2014 22:45

Seriously? What else could they have done?!?

I can't imagine anywhere would have had enough sandwiches to cater for a bus load of kids at that time. Were they meant to sit them all down to meat and 2 veg somewhere?

McDonald's is fantastic for kids with allergies etc. and at least you would be unlikely to get "I don't like x y z"

Give those teachers a medal FFs. They did the best they could with a rubbish situation.

Aeroflotgirl · 19/06/2014 22:52

Yanbu bloody hell you can't win as a teacher! The children were fed toileted and watered, so what! Some parents are so far up their own arse, if I were there I would have given them a piece of my mind. So they want their child hungry thirsty and uncomfortable Hmm

Aeroflotgirl · 19/06/2014 22:54

Oh tgey should have broken down next to an Organic Vegan cafe!

TheBogQueen · 19/06/2014 22:54

Aaaaah

Burger King at Palma airport. Happy memories

hmc · 19/06/2014 23:02

Lemming like unthinking tendency to dismiss McD's in a follow the crowd way - nothing much wrong with it as an occasional part of a balanced diet

Notso · 19/06/2014 23:03

Grin at Dutch1e

This thread is so funny, I know now I live in a different world to everyone else on Mumsnet DC's school has a Macdonalds day every year. No parent has ever batted an eye lid.

MrsMaturin · 19/06/2014 23:14

I quite often approach teachers on trips to say how well the kids are doing etc. Nothing beats the look on their face when they assume you're about to complain to them and then you say something nice :) It's such hard work and such a lot of responsibility.

In this case Macdonalds was a perfectly acceptable solution and I think the shouting parents should wind their necks in. Just what their tired and hot kids needed - mum/dad mouthing off about their food.

kali110 · 19/06/2014 23:20

I would be grateful. Those shouters should be ashamed of themselves.

greeneggsandjam · 19/06/2014 23:23

What a bunch of twits.

Whathaveiforgottentoday · 19/06/2014 23:26

Very sensible decision by the teachers and the shouty parents are nutters.

Tired hungry kids on a broken down bus- solution is herding them into a contained space with food. Perfect.

What do they think will happen to their child if they eat 1 happy meal?

Secondary school trips generally stop off at mcdonalds (sadly - i love to go somewhere else but I always get outvoted.)

Original poster
azteccamera · 19/06/2014 23:28

So it seems most other parents on here, in the same situation, would also be grateful! I agree they should be ashamed of themselves, I do wish I had the forethought and guts at the time to speak up in support of the teachers at the time Blush

Will be doing card/money for meal/present and letting them know how grateful we were.

Interesting about the contents of a Tesco BLT vs a McDonalds! I will be bringing that up in front of the offending parties when the opportunity presents itself.

There is an event at school tomorrow afternoon that involves buying cakes, ice cream etc. I can guarantee the child won't be denied a cupcake or two. Not that there's anything wrong with a cupcake, it's just that on the odd occasion, emergency or not, there's nothing wrong with a happy meal either.

OP posts:
manicinsomniac · 19/06/2014 23:29

YANBU! I'm a passionate McDonalds hater (I'd go so far as to say I'm terrified of the place!) but I would be incredibly grateful to the school in these circumstances.

If I'd got off that hot bus after nearly 12 hours with 4 and 5 year olds and been shouted at for trying to do my best for the children I'd probably have cried!

I bet the kids loved it. I do a weekend residential every term with a group of 7 - 13 year olds (boarding school) and it doesn't matter how exciting the activities I plan are (and I've done some good ones - zoo, theatre, high ropes, camping, beach, bowling, climbing, theme parks, iceskating, cinema, shopping etc) the highlight and essential of each and every trip is always stopping at a Mcdonalds on the way home for Sunday night tea. I've offered every alternative going (I may even have tried some not so subtle brainwashing!) Makes no difference - that crap is the nectar of the Gods as far as kids are concerned.

Pixel · 20/06/2014 00:16

Lemming like unthinking tendency to dismiss McD's in a follow the crowd way - nothing much wrong with it as an occasional part of a balanced diet
Funnily enough I tend to think the lemmings are the people who buy into the advertising hype that a disgusting processed burger in a dry tasteless bun is a 'treat' because you get a little toy in the box with it and it's got the word 'happy' in the name.

I'm well aware 'one burger won't hurt' and I've already said I would have fully supported and been grateful to the teachers in this case if I was one of the parents, so I'm a bit put out by the attacks on people like me who don't find the idea of a trip to the magical McDonalds as thrilling as some others obviously do. I'm pretty sure my kids don't feel neglected as a result and McDonalds won't miss my few quid!

NinjaLeprechaun · 20/06/2014 05:38

I went on an overnight trip with my daughter's class when she was in 6th grade. I have no idea what they had for dinner, I was still recovering from the migraine caused by 3 hours on a bus full of 11 and 12 year old kids.
Teachers are magic like wizards.

Honestly, I think I did something wrong when raising my daughter the freak - she'd rather eat sushi than McDonald's. She didn't get that from me, I can't even stomach the thought.
I ate at McD's the other week, for the first time in years. It. Was. So. Good!

Springcleanish · 20/06/2014 05:45

Whilst the money will be claimed back from the school, it's likely that the teachers paid for those meals out of their own pocket at the time. Meaning that they well may be short of money for a few days until the finance is sorted. They did the best thing they could under the circumstances and still get grief.

afterthought · 20/06/2014 06:00

I've had to do this before but it was secondary so a different reaction. In any situation I always think 'if I had my own child and was in this situation, what would I do?'. I know my expectations will be different to other people's and some people won't be happy with my choices. However, my priority is always the safety of the children. The children were much safer in a McD's than they would have been sat on a bus (I would never leave children in a broken down vehicle in case of an accident), and they were fed, given drinks and the chance to use the toilet. Imagine if they had come back hungry, thirsty and in 'wet' clothes - the teachers would be accused of neglect!

Incidentally, where I work McDonalds is often the only incentive to getting some of the children on the more educational but less exciting trips!

DogCalledRudis · 20/06/2014 06:12

Mcdonalds is always nice for children. Those parents are twats