Cleaning plates

[Soyouare2faced]

DD is 7 and enjoys school , never complains and wants to go. The other day I asked who she had played with during break etc, just making general chit chat, DD told me she didn't get chance to play out at lunch as she was chosen to do jobs, she went to explain that every lunch children are chosen to help with lunch time tasks like ringing the bell to alert each class and help tidy, she said it's disgusting that she has to clean plates, apparently one of the jobs is to scrape other children's leftovers into the bin. AIBU to think this is a shity job to ask of school children and that the lunch time staff should do this??

[Ameliablue]

I think it is a good chore as it makes them think more about food wastage.

[Trifleorbust]

I think they are teaching her that a school is a community, where everyone chips in. YABU.

[Soyouare2faced]

At home I mean

[Soyouare2faced]

HP I never thought of it in that way so thank you.
I can't can't help but think it must have been a shock to DD's system as she doesn't have to do anything else

[Soon2bC]

I remember doing this in my lower school when I was a similar age.
If you volunteered to do the clearing or helped to dry the cutlery you got extra pudding! if it was chocolate cake and mint custard it was worth it to me haha If i was slow I missed playtime but in winter I was ok with that, in summer I was quick and got to play too.

I would definitely check how often and how many she is clearing up after, I understand your unease but I don't think its necessarily a bad thing for her (just very yucky)

[LotsOfShoes]

Hmm I get why you're annoyed about her missing play time so Yanbu on that front. But if it's rare and everyone does it, I think it's fine. And I don't find scraping left overs that bad. It's all fresh food, it's not like she's dealing with old mouldy stuff...thinking of it, I now remember kids having to do sth similar on summer camp and we were all fine.

[Softkitty2]

YABU whats wrong with handling left overs? Its not like she is going to eat it.

[melibu84]

I think the school has a good idea. This sort of thing teaches children responsibility, and that sometimes even the most annoying and disgusting tasks need to get done. :)

[HPandBaconSandwiches]

I think it's a brilliant idea. So long as they all take their turn, it's no bad thing that children realise it's a shitty job but someone has to do it. It may help them appreciate the staff who do all the other cleaning up for them and see the atrocious level of waste after school dinners.

[Soyouare2faced]

I'm all for doing tasks , I was a little peeved that it means no play time but it's not often.
I just hate the idea of dealing with other people's left overs. I don't mind the family's but even I wouldn't want to do a school hall 😷

[Soon2bC]

I think it is ok for her to take her turn to do this, as long as all of the other children take their turn. My personal opinion is that it will give them responsibility and although its a shitty job sometimes we have to do shitty jobs in life but next time she will be ringing the bell and feeling very grown up. I would check how often this happens and confirm they all take part.

(I am a grown up and still hate this task!!!)