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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Whatsername17 · 21/09/2016 20:25

Tomato slices not tomato sauce^ stupid autocorrect

expatinscotland · 21/09/2016 20:25

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

Greedy?! It's a little kid. She's FOUR! They need food to grow. DD2 is skinny as a whippet and has a bowl of cereal and a piece of toast (she drinks tea but she's nearly 11).

00100001 · 21/09/2016 20:25

Whereas (When we grew up/in reallife) a piece of toast, mayyyybe 2, or one bowl of cereal is all kids have!

43percentburnt · 21/09/2016 20:26

There are so many threads saying schools are criticising parents giving kids cheese etc etc in lunch boxes, or telling parents kids must have x,y and z in their lunch boxes yet some schools think it's okay to serve cookie crisp and frosties for breakfast. I really hope they are not the same schools.

I'd want to know why she is not allowed both. If it's cost that's one thing, if it's due to obesity/over eating I'd struggle not to laugh with their breakfast offering.

Ds enjoys a large breakfast but eats very little dinner - dd is the other way round, neither are overweight- all people are different.

00100001 · 21/09/2016 20:27

as an aside, it would be interesting if the same school's lunchbox policy was "no sweets, crisps, cereal bars, chocolate etc"!

CocktailQueen · 21/09/2016 20:33

My DC eat masses for breakfast! Porridge or other cereal, toast or other bread item (crumpet, potato cake, croissant), fruit juice or smoothie or piece of fruit, plus yoghurt. Dd doesn't have lunch at school til 1.30, and Ds is always starving. So I think your breakfast club offers a poor selection. The cereals are crap and laden with sugar too.

abbsismyhero · 21/09/2016 20:35

my youngest loves breakfast some days we go with it knowing full well he will eat fuck all the rest of the day he will have porridge chocolate brioche fig rolls fruit go to school and have toast or a bagel plus juice for the rest of the day he eats nothing maybe some beans on toast before bed that is it but considering what he ate in the morning im fine with it

although i wouldn't expect the school to go with it he would break them in a week

MumblePuppy · 21/09/2016 20:37

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a Lord, dine like a pauper.

Really not unreasonable to expect that a child will get both toast and cereal.

Load of judge crap about greed.

Backingvocals · 21/09/2016 20:41

Mine offers the children everything - and I have a problem with it in the opposite direction. At home they are allowed cereal or toast, not both (10 and 7) unlike the famous MN kids who eat vast amounts at breakfast and are terribly skinny. Mine actually aren't skinny but eat far less than the typical MN kid it seems!

Anyway, I may have to send mine to breakfast club permanently but I'm worried that they'll eat too much - and like your club, ours has nothing but sugary cereals as opposed to the porridge and sugar-free muesli we have at home.

Sometimes I think I live in a parallel universe to MN where kids eat vast amounts and stay naturally skinny.

AndShesGone · 21/09/2016 20:42

Children should eat as much as they want at breakfast.

Of eggs, fruit, whole grain toast, whole grain cereal, cheese, milk, water.

We shouldn't be regulating breakfast at all.

I realise that's a radical idea but that's how you breed self regulating people with no disordered eating or food issues.

Us adults are all insane about food now. Let's try to not pass it on.

TealGiraffe · 21/09/2016 20:45

At our breakfast club kids get toast / cereal or a combination. We also have little and big bowls as we have tiny 7 yr old dots and massive 11 year olds. Most choose to have a small cereal and 1 slice of toast.

They also have free choice from the fruit bowl, most have a little orange or a cut up apple. (Yes i spoil them and chop it up Grin)

If i had a child asking for more food i would give it them. Obviously within reason, i wouldn't do them 6slices of toast or anything.

paxillin · 21/09/2016 20:45

"Breakfast club" is a bit of a misnomer in many schools. It's often just early morning childcare with some sugary cereal thrown in instead of entertainment.

Skiver123 · 21/09/2016 20:46

Why is that greedy Pass? A bowl of cereal is nothing. I have a bowl of fruit and yoghurt first and then a bowl of weetabix with sunflower seeds and milk. Then scrambled egg or an omelet at 10ish, before lunch at 1ish.

I don't have kids but even I know the they would be starving and there's no protein in that selection whatsoever. Bad choice of cereals too. I bet most kids would choose the chocolate ones or Frosties. There's a massive amount of sugar in those.

TealGiraffe · 21/09/2016 20:46

Also we don't have chocolate cereal! They can choose from shreddies / weetabix / rice crispies / porridge

HeCantBeSerious · 21/09/2016 20:47

I'll ask DC in the morning what happens at breakfast club. (They're free here in Wales which will either mean they can eat loads or that it's limited.)

Bookeatingboy · 21/09/2016 20:48

YANBU... My two 8 year old boys have cereal (porridge, Weetabix, bran flakes) and toast/crumpet/croissant. They are both spot on the BMI marker. They are both very tall for their age though (around 5ft).

They also take a snack into school for mid morning since they don't eat lunch until 1.30pm

CandODad · 21/09/2016 20:51

Selection of cereals, toast. Beans, spaghetti (which I'm amazed at for breakfast)

On Fridays they can have cheesy toast.

They can have whatever they want/as much. But obviously it is guided for the younger ones and to make sure they don't overload.

Muddlingalongalone · 21/09/2016 20:51

DD usually only has one or the other but has been known to have both or neither if she's not been hungry. ( they have snack tables in the classroom so she can have carrot/Toms/fruit mid morning if she's hungry.
I would have an issue with the cereals on offer rather than the either/or option tbh

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 21/09/2016 20:51

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

Children do go without parents working. They don't check your employment status when you sign up!

Tiggles · 21/09/2016 20:52

Our breakfast club is free (Wales) they are either/or. It used to be both a few years ago.
Now my DS2 who really likes breakfast has a bowl of cereal before he goes and toast there.

chibsortig · 21/09/2016 20:53

My kids are ravenous on a morning cereal and toast is nothing for a growing child.
If they've had a 10 hour sleep and possibly haven't eat since 7pm the night before that's 12 hours + without food if they arent eating until they get to breakfast clubs so cereal and toast plus fruit isn't excessive.
I would definitely raise it with the head especially if you are paying for it. It might just be that you are paying for the staff to look after your child and the breakfast is just an added extra you really need to find out and maybe its time the school rethought the breakfast club.

LoadingDishwasher · 21/09/2016 20:57

Some kids eat more in the morning and less during the day. DS1 is like this, he would have a bowl of porridge before going to breakfast club age 5, then would have toast, cereal and fruit. He's not overweight now age 12 and still eats more first thing in the morning than the rest of the day. On the other hand, DS2 is virtually force fed breakfast before leaving the house for school, would happily go having eaten nothing then have a good lunch and dinner. Everyone is different!

leccybill · 21/09/2016 20:57

Ours offers cereal or toast. Plus a bowl of cut up fruit or a frube.

Can't do porridge or eggs as it's just in a classroom with a sink and fridge.

It's £4.50 from 7.50am.

youarenotkiddingme · 21/09/2016 20:59

I wonder if she'd need both if the cereals were proper ones rather than the sweet treat type ones?

Perhaps just ask the breakfast club? You can word it politely. Just ask what they offer as DD says she isn't full enough and you want to work out what she's eating.

YeOldMa · 21/09/2016 20:59

My DGD has just started in Reception. My DD is having a hissy fit at what the schools consider a healthy meal. My DGD has grown up having a range of fresh veg for lunch, a form of healthy protein, decent carbs and fruit for pudding. At school she gets offered things like Cheese and Tomato Pizza, Sausage casserole, biscuits or cake. Even when my DGD asks for something healthy (!) they give jacket potato and baked beans. No decent veg or salad in sight. We've looked at the 3 week menu and it is awful. My daughter might be on a low income but I can see packed lunches coming. I dread to think what my DD might say if DGD was offered that sort of breakfast, OP.

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