To report this

[Blueberrymuffint0p]

Dd has come home from school saying a boy dropped a green bean in the dinner hall. The t.a said 'pick that up or I'll make you eat it like last time'. Boy picked it up and ate it.

Dd has no reason to make this up but she's 6 and could had mis heard /mis interpreted the situation.

Would you report it? Who to?

[silverglitterpisser]

It's these attitudes n fear of looking a fool that stop innocuous-seeming but seriously awful things from being flagged up.


OP, report it or speak to this child's parents. It is probably a misunderstanding by a little one n u might feel sheepish (nobody ever died from sheepishness). But if it's not .... well, am sure that little boy n his parents will b extremely glad u acted. I would want u to if I were his mum that's for sure.

[Whiskwarrior]

Don't become known as one of those parents OP.

Choose your battles wisely. It is hearsay on the part of a 6 year-old. If, indeed, the TA did say that it is down to the parent of the child involved to sort it.

I work in a school. It is amazing how children can misinterpret things they hear, especially the little ones.

[littlejessie]

Lovely piece of sarcasm there - let's not muddy the thread by considering all possibilities eh? Much more fun to round on the OP because let's face it - something like this is soo unlikely. Sometimes I really despair.

[Blueberrymuffint0p]

Adventure-good point,the other child could easily tell their own parents what had happened.

[AdventureBe]

Those in favour of reporting, what do you think will happen? What exactly would you expect the school to do?

School can't discuss the outcome for another child with OP, at most they'll ask the TA what happened, she'll say "sorry no idea what littlemuffin is talking about" and that'll be that.

[littlejessie]

If he's being bullied by an adult at the school (YES, it happens...) he would absolutely need some support with that situation.

[formidable]

All this angst over a green bean? Goodness me.

Just to clarify, my previous post was in reply to littlejessie saying that, even if nothing happened, no harm will be done by reporting it.

My point is, if a TA is reporting for doing nothing wrong, then harm will be done.

[Goldmandra]

Whether the TA had made a child eat something off the floor in the past or not, she shouldn't be threatening to make him eat anything routinely or as a punishment.

I would let the teacher know so that someone can check the lunchtime supervisor's understanding of her role and let her reassure them that she would never consider making a child eat food off the floor.

If your child is six, you have to rely on the word of a six year old regarding anything that happens in school. That isn't to say that you should never raise a concern as a result of something s/he reports to you.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

In answer to your question. No I would not be happy if my dd was was made to eat something off the floor. Think of all the germs on there. Yes I know the floor gets cleaned but even so you can't help getting grit on your feet from outside, and that's besides the bloody point would she allow her own child to eat off a manky floor. Wound she eat off the floor. I highly doubt it. Would mumnetters on here who are saying you're over reacting be best pleased if their child was told to eat off the floor again a big resounding No
Let's also twist things around. The boy goes into school, and says to the TA. Mrs.......... my mummy makes me eat off the floor. She would righty go straight to the Ht and social services would be brought in. So things can't be brushed under the carpet when it is the other way around. And the most concerning bit for me is that. This is obviously not the first time it has happened. Hence the" like last time"statement.

[DeeWe]

My ds would have quite happily eaten it off the floor if he'd picked it up. He wouldn't see the point in wasting it.

[conniedescending]

I think this is an occasion when you just say uh huh that's nice dear

[Whiskwarrior]

Are people actually reading the thread?

Where did lunchtime supervisor come from?

And lighthouse, it wasn't the OP's DD that was told to do anything. She heard a TA (not a lunchtime supervisor) speak to another child.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

I am quite aware that the op was not asking about her own dd but about another child,
But she asked would you (collectively)want the person pulled in for it and yes I would.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Oh and FYI. I never uttered or rather typed the words Lunch time supervisor.

[Klayden]

This thread is hilarious. Why do so many people on MN feel the need to 'report' everything?!

[FaintlyHopeful]

My daughter told me that the art teacher had ripped up another child's work in their face at around the same age. I was sceptical but she was adamant and scared of the teacher as a result.
I did ask the school terms of 'this is what she believes she saw, she may be wrong, but if so, could you reassure her because she is now scared'
Turns out she was right and the child's parent had also spoken to the school. You can ask without being hostile and it's also valid for a child to know that they can misinterpret situations.

[Goldmandra]

I never uttered or rather typed the words Lunch time supervisor.

That was me. Had to attend to RL in the middle of reading the thread and forgot it was a TA not a LS.

Same applies though. I've seen enough crap going on in schools and early years settings not to assume that a TA couldn't possibly have done something just because a decent person wouldn't. Some school staff are vile people who enjoy exerting power over children and need stopping.

Please be aware that I said some, not most or all.

[SmillasSenseOfSnow]

My parents had to go to see the headmaster to get one dinner lady to stop making me eat one particular food that actually made me vomit over my entire school dinner one time, so...

Mind you this was a good 20 years ago.

[withalittlebitofluck]

Op this is a difficult one... One hand 6 year olds mishear things, or the boy may of decided to eat that bean himself- (waste not want not)

Second hand- some adults do bully children which is wrong.
For all anyone knows.. This could be a little piece of a bigger puzzle.
Do you have a good relationship with class teacher? Maybe you could just mention it as a 'it concerned my child' do it lightheartedly and see what happens?

[Nibledbyducks]

I really don't understand the attitude that you should only report if it was about your own child!
The child who it happened to may not tell his parents, or might not have parents who would defend him. Why is it ok not to watch out for others, and why would you not just tell someone what your child saw and heard?

[littlejessie]

Thank the good lord for some of the more recent posters. Sadly people DO behave inappropriately towards young kids sometimes - giving a teacher a heads about what DD has told you isn't the same as making a formal complaint and could well constitute a little part of a bigger picture. If there's nothing to worry about, no harm done.

[Jux]

She's boosting his immune system. Give her flowers.

[DJThreeDog]

1. unless all the other teachers are in on it, or the TA is the only one supervising, unlikely the TA is routinely telling a kids to eat off the floor;
   
   
2. more likely your daughter misheard and the boy just put it in his mouth (I have two, they wouldn't hesitate);
   
   
3. no I wouldn't report for the above reasons.

[Cantbelievethisishappening]

Head, governors, LEA, Ofsted then the police. This is appalling.

[RaskolnikovsGarret]

I hate it on MN when people automatically say a child misunderstood/is making things up. Why can't anyone accept that the OP's DD is telling the truth?