Aibu to raise concerns about empty lunchbox stickers?

[Justonemoremouthful]

My DS has been proudly showing me these recently, but aibu to object? I have always told him that he should listen to his tummy and doesn't have to eat everything if he is full. He holds these stickers in the same regard as those given for behaviour, which really irks me! Aibu?

I know when my DS was eating sandwiches there was hardly any supervision and he rarely ate anything or even worse bothered to drink. I personally would reinforce your message. My DS is now swapped to dinners and seems to eat much better but occasionally comes home with a sticker which is a bit laughable as they were hanging round waiting for seconds in the summer.

Surely if you have made the packed lunch you have filled it with food you would like your child to eat? You haven't overpacked it I assume?

What's that got to do with it new

doesn't have any bearing on hunger levels hours later does it.

I can see how much my DC eat as every left over and wrapper is placed back in the lunch box for parents to sort through.

I'd rather have stickers that said 'I ate my veg/fruit' or 'I had great table manners' or even 'I ate a healthy lunch'

If the school has space then perhaps a 'protected lunchtime' would work better, where children have to be sat at the table for 20 minutes or so before being allowed to leave rather than race off at the first opportunity.

Mind you, I wouldn't be the one who wants to supervise that!

Obviously those eating school dinners would struggle to get the 'I are a healthy lunch' sticker as school meals are generally unhealthy white wheat, processed meats/fish, puddings

Yes time is a big issue isn't it. wolfing down your dinner isn't good either.

obviously they can't take hours but all this shift taking and waiting then rushing dinner down hoping to get a sticker is not healthy for their bodies

I would raise this with the school as I don't agree with this, and ask if you can opt out.

It's all very well opting out but that's not very fair to op's ds who clearly values these stickers.
I agree it's wrong but can see why the school are doing it.

Perhaps I ate a good lunch stickers, given to those who ate well, rather than actually finishes their lunch. But that's hard to determine i suppose.

YANBU it's a terrible idea, for the kids that don't "eat well" as much as the kids that do, finishing meals is a horrible hangover to food poverty and rationing (although understandable in that context.)

Food needs to remain about hunger, and the vast majority of people will maintain a healthy weight with just that until either drugs or habit become involved in food choices (e.g. caffeine in chocolate at young ages, alcohol in adulthood, 'clear your plate') encourage over-eating. Such messages are just wrong.

If you're concerned about the amount a child is eating, surely offering more variety of foods to meet what the needs/interest of the child on that day. It's impossible to predict the hunger demands of a child when creating a lunch box many hours before not knowing the activities being done etc.

Giles my point was that most people would fill a lunchbox with food that they would like their child to eat at lunchtime, so a sticker saying that they had eaten all their food would be good news to me!

Obviously people disagree on this thread but I would much rather the school keep an eye on how much of children's lunch is being eaten than I would they not give a shiny shote if the lunch box came back pretty much full.

Some children are always going to get obsessed with stickers and obtaining them. That's why reward charts work. As a parent I would be explaining that it was great if all the lunch was eaten but if the child was feeling a bit under the weather or something it was totally fine to eat just a little bit.

I wouldn't be haranguing the school about it. They can never do right for doing wrong most of the time.

I though research was fairly clear that the best way to get children eating healthily is to have family style meals, with people sitting down together, ideally with an adult or older child on each table, and eating together. Making it communal with a focus on the task at hand - eating - but without it being a goal oriented environment (which both rushing through to go out to play, and eating everything in front of you are).

There's no point swapping one problem (some children hardly eating anything) for another (poorer food habits). Both of the problems have long term issues (poor learning/poor long term health) for the children who are not well served by a simplistic goal oriented approach. People need wholistic solutions not quick fixes.

Your still missing the point new

of course we put in stuff they like and we put in what we feel is the amount they need or are likely go eat.

but there's no pressure go eat it. The volume isn't an achievement. They should be free to eat as much or as little as they need depending on their body.

One day all will be eaten another it may mostly come home. Both is fine if they are listening to their bodies and stopping when full.

and time is also a factor became if they are rushing then they will likely be at more than they need vice they have t had time for it go reach their stomachs properly and send the full signal to their brain as they are eating to fast. which could cause a tummy ache too

excuse typos sure you can get the gist

' They should be free to eat as much or as little as they need depending on their body.'

So parents never coax their children to finish food, always allow them to stop eating when they choose and never worry that their child isn't eating enough?
My mum did this, it worked well for us. We never had to clear our plates, and we didn't have to eat if we weren't hungry.

I really loathe this sticker reward business .
I don't even know why really tbh . I think it's because the expectation should be the base line and then anything over and above that can get applauded . Kids shouldn't be rewarded for the basics . I think it confuses the purpose.
And now they all get a sticker for every flipping thing surely the scheme is devalued ?
My dc have the lunch that I expect them to eat ,there are no bins in the dining hall so the remains come home . I think I'd spot if they weren't eating!
Schools are too controlling and don't credit some of us with basic parenting abilities .

I think unless you have a child who never eats, it's not a good idea to try and coax them to eat more

by all means ask before they start to try a bit of everything but don't ask them. To eat more once they have done that and finished.

my Dds go through phases of eating what looks like nothing. managing a quarter of a Sandwich may be a slice of cucumber and half a yogurt.

others they will be asking for seconds.

With main meals what I tend to do is dish up a really small portion with a bit of everything and then if they want it they can have more. sometimes they do sometimes they don't.

Schools getting the wrong idea again. You don't have to finish all your food if you are full. Proper appetite control eludes a great deal of people in this country and look at the sorry result!

I do get the point I just happen to not feel so strongly about it. I am really happy that my child eats well and if the school wanted to give him a sticker I would be absolutely fine about it.