to think this isn't ok at breakfast club?

[makeitpink]

My children both go to breakfast club Monday to Friday and are there by 8am so that I can get to work on time. They have breakfast there so that they don't have to get up so early at home. I happened to stay a little longer dropping them off yesterday and saw what they are given for 'breakfast' it was 1 piece of (heavily) buttered (Marg) toast and a carton of fruit juice.

AIBU to think this isn't a)enough b)very healthy??? I am prepared to be told that if I don't like it I should give them breakfast at home which is what I'm going to do now but still!! This is supposed to give children a good start to their day no? Also they charge for breakfast so I would expect cereal, yogurt maybe the odd piece of fruit?!

* When I pick my kids up from after school club at 6pm they can barely remember what they did in the afternoon let alone what happened at 8am that morning*

^this^. So true.

YANBU! Our breakfast club is free (but that's because system is different in Wales) - they get juice or milk (both if they ask), unlimited toast (with jam, honey or p'nut butter), cereal, small yoghourt and fruit. We don't do hot breakfasts though.

I'd also expect Mollie Ringwald

Whose Mollie ringwald??

You are right to question. 1 slice of toast and a (sugar filled?) carton of fruit juice is certainly not right. They should be offering better than that. Preferably porridge or weetabix or other non sugary cereal and milk products as well as toast. The kids will not have eaten since 6.30 pm or so the day before - they should by rights be starving. Certainly need to top up energy levels with healthy 'slow burners' like oats before they get to lunch time. Research shows that kids learn better when they a have healthy breakfast to keep them going!

You are not being unreasonable. There should be healthy options whether you pay or not & you are paying a fair bit. We don't have breakfast club at our school but for that money I would expect what most have said is offered; cereals, fruits, toast, milk, water etc. And please don't ever explain to anyone why you need to use a breakfast or afterschool club, you are I'm sure, doing your best & are setting your children a fantastic example that they need to work to get what they want in life. I really hate it when people question working mums!!

Thank you Random!!! I am a bit hormonal and I did cry a bit when I read this!! So
Much guilt around being a working mother.

Good Lord! Don't cry. Just keep on doing what is best for you and your family.

My 7 month old eats more for his breakfast!
That's poor of them isn't it. PP have said confirm with them what they should be offering & pack some bits up in their bags to eat there which seems good advice

I used to help organise a Breakfast Club when I was a secondary school teacher and we had brown and white toast, butter, jam, marmalade, Rice Krispies, cornflakes, Weetabix, and bagels. Kids could also have yoghurt and orange juice if they wanted as well.

My mum helped set up and now run a breakfast club - they have better breakfasts than me! A weekly menu including crumpets, bagels, beans, spaghetti hoops - they have a choice of cereal plus toast everyday - 1 cup of fruit juice and unlimited milk or water. Fruit available too. They also have themed days like toasted tea cakes, waffles, bacon sarnies. It looks lovely

It's irrelevant whether you work or not. At the end of the day it's called"breakfast club" not "one meagre slice of toast and marg club".

My sons school charges £3.50 for 50mins and breakfast consists of a range of cereals, toast, crumpets, muffins etc and they also occasionally do bacon rolls for a treat. A few months ago I discovered that my son was having sweet cereals most mornings and I emailed the head who has now completely reviewed the menu and they now only have sweet cereal as a treat perhaps once a week so its worth investigating further. Check out the school food standards report and use that to back yourself up. In my experience the school were only too willing to help you just need to give them a chance
With regards to portion control as long as the food is healthy then children should be able to have what they want as long as there is not an obesity issue. Children should be encouraged to listen to their bodies which will tell them when they have had enough. There is most definitely nothing wrong with having cereal, toast and fruit as long as the cereal is not high in sugar and the bread preferably wholemeal. As long as children get plenty of exercise and don't sit glued to screens then they wont have a weight problem. Btw my son will sometimes have just half a slice of toast for breakfast and on other days Weetabix with banana followed by toast, I let him be the guide as to how much he needs and he's a healthy weight for his height. Unnecessary portion control due to a parents fear of weight problems could led to eating disorders. Good luck I hope you get it sorted out

Makeitpink most people are working mothers these days. If we weren't working mothers the country would be in even worse financial straits. There was a really interesting report on this produced by the Bank of England a while back. It's the people lounging around in coffee shops for decades not doing much for the economy other than buy Nigella cookbooks who should be feeling guilty, quite frankly.

YANBU at all. My kids' school charges £2.50 for the hour and they get toast (with Marmite or jam), cereal, juice and fruit.

Aw thanks boffin!! I used to work part time and I could take the kids to school etc and give them a good breakfast etc at home. But now I work full time and it seems like everyone has an opinion on how I should be raising my children. Breakfast club/not breakfast club, after school club/nanny/child minder, I'm a bad mum for working etc etc. God the guilt list is endless. And that nothing compared to what I do to myself!!!

YANBU - I work in a school and I think that we offer a very basic breakfast club that includes toast, cereal, fruit, fruit juice and milk, all for the price of £1.50 per child per week.

I would complain if it was my child.

Whose Mollie ringwald??

YABU for not knowing about The Breakfast Club.

There was a really interesting report on this produced by the Bank of England a while back. It's the people lounging around in coffee shops for decades not doing much for the economy other than buy Nigella cookbooks who should be feeling guilty, quite frankly.

Who can do that? What report? Sounds like bollox to me

Or rather bollox wrapped up as a thinly veiled attack on stay at home parents

Judd Nelson would be the coolest at Breakfast Club!

DS goes 8-8.30 and it costs £2.50. He has a choice of toast or cereal. He has Weetabix at home so tends to choose toast. He gets milk and fruit at snack time.

Is that £4.35 a week or a day?

Ahh bless you don't get upset. To be honest I don't think anyone gets it right, we are all just muddling through trying to do what's best but I hate people that attack others on their situations, working or not. I run my own business from home so I kind of have the best of both worlds now, in that can do what I need as & when & be there for drop offs & collections. But I don't forget the horrible days when I had to beg for time off for a play or another day for a rain cancelled sports day or even worse when you can't go. The guilt is constant but I really do think it gives children a good work ethic to see mum going to work. X

Lulu that would be per day per child. And thanks random! Is mums need to stick together working or not!!