to not let DS be weighed at school?

[QueenofKelsingra]

DS is in reception. just had the letter home saying the whole year will be weighed and measured for the NHS.

I don't really know why but I don't want him to have this done. DS is a healthy height and weight (75 and 50 centiles respectively) so I'm not 'scared' I will get some snotty letter stating that he is over/under weight. I just don't like the idea of someone else taking his measurements and making comments/statements about him when I haven't asked for it.

DH thinks I'm making a mountain out of a molehill and that it's no big deal. For some reason I just don't like the idea.

So WIBU to refuse to have him weighed and measured? Anyone else do this and why??

They also have an eye-test carried out in Reception in some schools. Would you object to this too?

Something you may want to consider is whether your child will feel awkward being the only one who isn't being weighed & measured... could he think he's done something wrong or has been forgotten or something?

I objected to that too rollergirl. I take my dc to regular eye tests. None of the school's business.

I think child obesity is such a huge problem that this seemingly-intrusive act of measuring and weighing is an unfortunate by-product of keeping a lid on it. I'd let the school do it, OP.

Obviously they need to weigh everyone PastorOfMuppets or they don't know the range and the problem! If your children are not overweight you could help rather than obstruct.

YANBU. School is for the education of children. It's not for uploading statistical identifiable information into a government database.

Of course eye tests are the schools business- they have helped many a child by picking it up.

MN never ceases to surprise me! Objecting to an eye test certainly does! When I was at school we got weighed, hair checked for nits etc- it made so little impact on us that it wasn't worth a mention at home.

I am glad the school picked up my eye problem which didn't show up at home with smaller rooms.

Well, I didn't grow up in the uk and object to the Big Brother methods.

YABU!

And a bit precious, but your child, your rules. Oh, but your DH doesn't see a problem...

Why are you insisting on seeing it as a slight? It's just a service that they offer. Even if you do sort out your children's eye-tests why wouldn't you see it as a free second opinion? It's not all a conspiracy.

So I assume you wouldn't accept the free school meals either if they were applicable to you?

I wouldn't mind my child's height being measured in school, but not their weight. The latter is such a personal fluctuating thing I think it would do more harm than good to the child for the school to record it (and if there is an issue, surely it is down to the parents and GP to address this?) Conversely, there's nothing than can be done to make a child shorter / taller, so I can understand how this measurement could be used as a staistic without feeling invasive.

You're right I don't.

And no, my KS1 child isn't the only one eating packed lunch. School dinner is disgusting. That's the reason for packed lunches.

I would be fine with this - in fact my daughter had it done at nursery recently as part of a regional health initiative. I'm surprised people have any issue with it really. It's data gathering, it allows the public health autjority to track trends, and implement strategies to address any general issues - it's to improve the health of the nation. Being a "statistic" is no bad thing in this case

I know it's not the same but ds2 was not weighed and measured in year 6, nobody said anything to us

So if you are a bit unhappy with it don't do it

Yanbu. My dd was weighed and I got a letter telling me she was underweight. She is naturally tall and slim. All my dc are. I withdrew her the next time and also my other dc.

The information they gather is basic and doesn't to take into consideration build, metabolism and genetics. It's too blunt an instrument to get correct results. I didn't care for the tone of the letter either which was patronising.

Yanbu I dident have dd weighed at school, as I don't agree with tge whole big brother is watching thing.

YANBU. It's just for NHS stats. Most people will get their child weighed so the odd one missing out won't make much difference.

I would consider letting him get in done in reception OP as they also test their eyesight and hearing as well as measuring height and weight.
If it wasn't for this screening then DS's need for glasses wouldn't have been picked up. I did get a letter stating DS was overweight, even though he wasn't. I'm a paeds nurse and showed the measurement to a paediatrician who i worked with, he laughed and told me to ignore it.
DS won't be getting weighed and measured when he gets to year 6 as he is in a ss and they are exempt. If he was in ms i wouldn't consent as i don't feel its necessary.

"pastor that's sort of how I feel, it's my job to keep an eye on his health."

And presumably part of that is knowing whether his weight is normal? How do you think that public health doctors establish (and continuously monitor) what is "normal"?

Well, it's by the data that comes from this survey. You want the benefits of it, but not to participate in it. You can tear up the latter telling you what his measurements are, if you don't want to know. But if you do want centile charts accurately revalorised, and a chance NHS services will be aligned to what is happening in the population, please do reconsider participating in the data collection that underpins those things (and has done since inception of NHS).