Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think breakfast club should offer more than item?

193 replies

Ellieboolou27 · 21/09/2016 19:58

DD 4 has started reception, I booked her in breakfast club.

They offer either toast (with jam/marmalade) orcereal.
The cereal is multi grain shapes, weetabix, cookie crisp, chocolate boulders, Frosties.
I'm not too impressed by choices of cereal but hey ho, however my dd asked for toast and cereal and they said it's either / or!

Now, I'm not a fuss pot helicopter mum by any means, however I was a bit miffed as it seems quite poor.

My mum runs a breakfast and after school club, she's been doing it for 18 years and she agreed with me that this was poor offerings.

So, would I BU to take it up with the school? They are a "healthy eating" accredited school btw.
My mums clubs offer, fruit, yoghurt, cereal and toast, cereals such as porridge, fruit n fibre, etc, kids also get 2 or 3 choices.

OP posts:
Trifleorbust · 21/09/2016 20:02

How much do you pay?

callycat1 · 21/09/2016 20:02

Toast and cereal is quite a lot isn't it? Or do most people have both?

harderandharder2breathe · 21/09/2016 20:03

Is there a chance they can have one then the other just not both ag the same time to avoid wasting them?

AuntieStella · 21/09/2016 20:05

Who runs the breakfast club? Is if volunteers or a company?

If the former, could you volunteer as a helper and improve things?

callycat1 · 21/09/2016 20:06

Well I am imagining OP works, otherwise why would you send your child to breakfast club!

phillipp · 21/09/2016 20:06

I think it's fairly normal to have toast or cereal for breakfast. Not both.

BodsAuntieFlo · 21/09/2016 20:07

That's a very poor selection especially with the sugar loaded cereals.

Ours offers:-

Wholemeal toast with butter, jam, grated cheese or baked ham
A selection of cereals (porridge, weetabix, shreddies with chopped fresh fruit or without)
Milk, fresh orange or water
One whole piece of seasonal fruit or a small bowl of strawberries.
If children don't like toast they can have extra cereal and vice versa.

I'd raise it with the school tbh.

fastdaytears · 21/09/2016 20:07

They might have meant to have one at a time?

That said, I wouldn't have thought many 4 year olds have both for breakfast? What does she have at home?

stripeyreds0cks · 21/09/2016 20:08

The one near me offers three options, two slices of toast, a bowl of cereal or one slice of toast and a small bowl of cereal. How much does yours charge?

BackforGood · 21/09/2016 20:09

The cereals do seem rather heavy on the sugar, and the choice does seem limited, so yes, I'd raise it with the school.

there are different sorts of breakfast club -how does this one operate ?

WhateverWillBe · 21/09/2016 20:10

My two go to breakfast club but it's the same with ours - they get a bowl of cereal or two slices of toast. That's it. And the portions are the same for the 3 year olds and the 10 year olds.

It's not enough for ds1 and recently he's been having a banana and a bowl of cereal at home at 7.30am and then chooses two slices of toast at breakfast club.

OlennasWimple · 21/09/2016 20:11

DS would have eaten both, DD would be fine with one or the other (though I agree that they could improve their cereal options)

eightbluebirds · 21/09/2016 20:12

My LO is only just 3 and one bowl of cereal isn't enough for him. Sometimes it'll be 2 bowls, or bowl +fruit or bowl + fruit + toast. So I'd be very disappointed at the schools selection tbh. I'd raise it with them.

user1471461166 · 21/09/2016 20:12

I'm almost ashamed to say that I don't even know what my daughter's breakfast club offer...

...what I do know is that she has cereal at home each day and then goes and has toast at breakfast club.

She's not at all overweight, she just loves breakfast! Some kids just do.

I'd ask them if it is that she is only allowed one or if it is just one at a time

Jizzomelette · 21/09/2016 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PassTheCremeEggs · 21/09/2016 20:15

Toast and cereal is quite greedy though isn't it. It isn't really necessary to have both.

I'm not really a breakfast eater but wouldn't have thought greedy to have both? Isn't toast the "pudding" of breakfast after cereal? Grin

I think it sounds a bit of a mean offering for kids that age.

madein1995 · 21/09/2016 20:16

I don't think it's usual to have both really, they'll be having break in a few hours and I don't think kids need different courses at breakfast 😊 that said I wouldn't be happy with the sugar laden cereals and the fact that porridge doesn't feature. I think bowl of cereal or porridge or 2 peices toast is fine, perhaps offer a few bits of banana or apple afterwards. I think they could do a bit of scrambled egg too. Drinks I hope it's not just water - id want milk to be on offer, ideally warm in these cold winter mornings. Don't think kids need to have toast and cereal and a banana and yogurt though op. They need to make sure there's enough to go around too. If one child is particularly hungry afterwards I'd give a few bits of fruit.

WhateverWillBe · 21/09/2016 20:16

I would definitely bring up the cereal options though.

I had an issue a few years back when ds2 started going to breakfast club, aged 3. He told me the lady always helped him put the sugar on his cornflakes Hmm

When I questioned him a bit more, it seemed that there was a bowl of sugar next to the cereals and the staff that were there to help the three year olds had been automatically covering the kids cereal with sugar every day without even asking.

I happened to bump into the HT the next morning just before drop off and I brought it up. She seemed less than impressed and sent a message to me later that day through the class teacher saying sugar would no longer be available as a topper for cereal...I was really impressed with the speed!

PassTheCremeEggs · 21/09/2016 20:17

My post above had a bold fail in the first paragraph...

Idefix · 21/09/2016 20:19

I don't think that both toast and cereal are needed op, what does your dd eat at home? My 17 yr ds only has weetabix for breakfast.

madein1995 · 21/09/2016 20:19

Think it's ridiculous if they're giving juniors the same amount as reception - they should have different size bowls, give maybe the 3 year olds one slice of toast - cut in 4 so they have '4' and give the older 2 slices

selly24 · 21/09/2016 20:21

OP you are def not not not being unreasonable ! I would feel exactly the same! The cereal choices are really poor, way too sugary. I would expect the school to model good choices, not just get in some 'kidz luv em' crap.

I would want some variety and option to try different things for my child. Often kids will eat something elsewhere that they'd shun at home...!
Maybe it is cost thing or are items donates? Definitely raise it with school l/ governors

madein1995 · 21/09/2016 20:21

Sorryl, keep posting but keep thinking of things. I only eat either toast or cereal - Or egg on the toast - and I'm 21, it's been like that for as long as I remember. Maybe some strawberries on my cereal or porridge but not a bowlful

Whatsername17 · 21/09/2016 20:22

My dd is 5 and has a weetabix followed by a banana and small yoghurt. Sometimes it's toast instead of weetabix. She's a skinny thing but likes breakfast! Same for lunch really. She will have a sandwich or wrap, cucumber and tomato sauce. Either a packet of crisps or cheddar and a piece of fruit. She doesn't really snack though so maybe that's why she fuels up? I think cereal and a slice of toast is a reasonable expectation. Dd's nursery used to serve that to 1-4 year old son.

00100001 · 21/09/2016 20:24

A lot of you forget, that the children of Mumsnetters eat HUGE quantities of food, more than adults it ould seem.

Often you have people on here going "My DC has 2x toast, a bowl of porride, 5 bananas, juice and whole edam eveyday for breakfast, otherwise he is starving 30 seconds later"