AIBU - restrictive school snack policy, hungry child

[nemoni]

Our children's school (primary) has a policy of only allowing fruit and vegetables for snacks at school. Completely get the rationale - healthy eating, relatively easy to set parameters, no overly complex education needed around it etc.

The only problem is I have an active child - plays sport (on top of PE etc) 5 days a week and generally on the go. He comes home from school ravenously hungry, grumpy and tired. He's also going through a growth spurt. I'd like to be able to give him more carbohydrates, even protein, during the day as snacks, as I do on weekends, particularly on days he goes to after school sports sessions. I'm not asking for crisps/chocolate/jam sandwiches etc.

School so far saying no, no, no.

I think it's a cop out, it means they get to look like they're promoting healthy eating while not really promoting a balanced diet, kids are scoffing loads of dried fruit, and don't have access to a water fountain during school hours except at lunch. And don't get me started on school dinners.

Am I being unreasonable?! What parameters does your school set? How do they promote and support healthy eating? Thoughts welcome before I book a chat with the headteacher :)

Ah, OK allegretto. I was working from the point of view of a normal UK state school.

Mad.....Two biscuits and a waffle...Hardly white?!

S**te, not whute

Mumzypops afaik- DH is a cm- the only reason for that to be the situation with your cm is because they've not registered as a food business. Their inspector -ofsted or care inspectorate- might then mention they can't provide food at all but it's almost certainly a choice and a lazy one at that.

Iamfriedspam,

It sounds from Mumzy as if her childminder cannot even allow her mindees to eat / drink packed meals on her premises (which sounds very odd - what about e.g. a drink of water?)

Statistically, as far as you know, does that also mean that a child can't eat food brought from elsewhere - e.g. a packed breakfast - into the house and consume it, as Mumzy is suggesting?

how is it nasty, you said you get your kid to show the teacher an apple and then sneak off to eat the crap you've packed.

If you've no respect for reasonable rules, and are encouraging your kid to lie about it then you are storing up not just rotten teeth/fat kids but respect/honesty issues for the future.

Mad.....Two biscuits and a waffle..

It is shite. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but it's no good for him. And if mine had that kind of thing every day I would be worried.

Iamfriedspam.....It's not a point of being determined not to follow the rule. The rule is pretty relaxed, as am i about it. It's not a big deal, lots of kids do it and the teachers aren't that bothered. Cm is not allowed to provide food. When he gets there he has just had breakfast. He doesn't want anything really whilst there, but is hungry by break. A piece of fruit wouldn't sustain him till lunch. Think people in here are going over the top a bit to be honest. He's my child. There is really no problem with him having a more substantial snack at break. As I said earlier, he does lots of sport and needs more than just fruit all the time.

Iamfriedspam....Yes..No good allowed. Drinks yes, but no food. I'm happy with that, and he won't be there much longer anyway.

Food, not good, sorry

It's not more substantial though.

Why do you send your child to a CM who hasn't got the proper registration to feed them? Isn't that a pretty crucial part of caring for them?

Shouting....You spend your life worrying then, I'm fine with it.

Jigglytuff....She doesn't need to feed him thanks. He's only there before and after school. She's a fantastic childminder and we have got round the food issue fine.

Madmags....Never eaten a biscuit yourself?

Think you all need to get over yourselves....Kids need more than fruit all the time.

The thing is, if I were to be genuinely worried about needing a 'substantial' snack, then I'd be sneaking in a cheese sandwich, or something like that.

3 sugary snacks - that's not really more substantial in terms of nutrition or longer-lasting energy than a piece of fruit would be, and probably less than a banana.

The no snacking people are saying it's to not have an unhealthy attitude to food. But forcing people to eat when they are not hungry is also an unhealthy attitude, so forcing breakfast is just as negative re-enforcement of bad eating habits as snacking might be.

A fruit only snack policy is odd (prioritising carbs!) I would guess that for most the need for snacks, especially carbohydrate laden fruit, is due to the kids already being so unfit that they cannot regulate blood sugar and therefore need the carbs to balance the ending of breakfast digestion.

Snacks shouldn't be necessary, but if they are because an individuals hunger response doesn't map well to the school meals, then fruit only is not a good choice.

As many people have said though, it's the inappropriate feeding too many parents do that has caused the schools to bring the policy.

Mumzy I totally get where you're coming from. The UK is only properly geared up to support overweight children and if you have children who are underweight, either from fussy eating or, as I need the case of my DS, ARFID (Avoidant, Restrictive Food intake Disorder) then you have no hope of convincing a lot of people who have been very negative on this thread. Those people are describing what is deemed healthy for a NT child who doesn't eat selectively.

As you know. And as our doctors advise, we just have to get into them what we can when we can.....and go against the healthy advice the majority stick to just to get our children from being tube fed!

Rather than "only fruit" I think a better rule would be to not allow things which have little nutritional value e.g. no fizzy drinks, donuts and crisps.

I can see why most schools wouldn't consider situations like yours since a CM not being able to provide any kind of snack (even one prepared elsewhere) is bizarre in the extreme. I still don't see why he can't have a more substantial breakfast. I eat biscuits as do my DC but I definitely wouldn't send my DC is with biscuits everyday - they also went keep a child filled up as it's just sugar so will spike their bloody sugar which will crash later. Of course the school don't want kids bringing in junk food for break!

But forcing people to eat when they are not hungry is also an unhealthy attitude, so forcing breakfast is just as negative re-enforcement of bad eating habits as snacking might be.

Very true!

Does anybody else have a child that doesn't like bananas??? Since apparently they are the answer to everything. Plus the fact they don't travel well and nobody wants to eat a brown smushed banana.

Shouting....You spend your life worrying then, I'm fine with it.

Clearly!

I'd rather worry than not give a shit!