To think that packed lunch containing a cold happy meal could be due to poverty?

[blubberball]

I saw on the news the other day, a story about school packed lunches. At one school, they looked in a child's lunchbox, and found a cold happy meal. People have obviously been angered by that, and are accusing the parents of being lazy. The first thought that came to my mind was that they couldn't afford to waste the food from the day before. I know that the particular primary school they looked at is in a very poor area. I just felt sorry for them.

Haven't read all of the thread, but it's nonsense that it's because of poverty; it's lazy parenting, and poor education. Most of these types smoke, have sky tv, expensive mobile phone packages, and several takeaways a month.

noeffing, have rtft. there are plenty who have experienced that poverty. and many more who wade in regardless.

Might not be simply money-poverty. It could also be time-poverty and knowledge-poverty.

Sorry I am replying as I read through.
I agree with someone's point above, I live in a poor area. Nearest supermarket is four miles away. Local shop is at least £2.60 for a crap cheese sandwich.

I'm actually cross the head has shared specific details rather than generic. Every child in school will know who's child it is and it could cause bullying :(

When I first read this I was shocked, all the other things I've read via Facebook etc seem to be defending the parents. Is it really a poverty issue? I don't know a happy meal is quite a lot when you think you could rustle up some tuna and pasta for less. Also is a macdonalds a treat?

Portia so glad to hear that. Best of luck to your DD in her A-levels and to the whole family

Pinot like many posters previously have mentioned (I'd suggest reading back through the thread) that's easier said than done.

Any 'fussy' food such as tuna and pasta requires loads of equipment (cooker and pan to boil pasta in, hot water, bowls, mixing equipment etc. and mayonnaise) which, if you're in a hostel or shelter, is not going to be easy.

It may not be about just money. Maybe some parents are neglectful. Maybe some are too depressed to get out of bed. Maybe the child had to make their own lunch - maybe they're a young carer - and thought it easier to use last night's leftovers.

It's so, so easy to judge without being in the exact same situation.

noeffing, have rtft. there are plenty who have experienced that poverty. and many more who wade in regardless.

People who have come up from poverty can be the most ignorant of others' situations. I did all right for myself, why can't they? They are just LAZY.

That attitude is lazy and ignorant. Have a think on for a minute. Can you really not imagine any situation which might lead to someone having a crap packed lunch? If you are really so dull and lacking in empathy I feel very sorry for you.

Great post, MrsMack.

We're just two MrsMac Dd and myself I seem unable to commit to another man as I'm scared and scarred. Anyway your last post is brilliant and I agree with you.

My son doesn't like sandwiches so he sometimes takes a cold hot dog in a bun for his lunch

I am struggling to see how this is THAT different to a plain ham sandwich TBH

Excuse after excuse after excuse on this thread.

Supermarket too far.
Skint.
Poor mental health.
Special needs or learning difficulties
Chaotic house.
Awkward child wont eat anything else.

IMO none of those are good enough reasons to send a cold fast food takeaway meal for a child's lunch. A child needs a balanced meal to function properly and learn at school. Who knows the how's and whys this happened, buts lot of the excuses being thrown around as possible reasons are a crock of shit.

Supermarket too far
Order a big food shop to your door once a week or month. Get a bus or tram, or taxi if possible. Buy a pull along shopping buggy. Plan ahead and get food in for the week, fortnight or month.*
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Skint Buying shit and expensive takeaway food won't help that.
Nothing wrong with an occasional McDonald's, my kids are partial to a happy meal. But not a cold leftover one the next day. Just wrong. Budget. Buy supermarket value products. Bread, yoghurt, cheese, sandwich spreads and paste, apples, bananas, value yoghurt, all available cheaply if you make the effort to go to the supermarket and plan lunch meals.

Poor mental health I do have sympathy, but you still have children relying on you, it can't become normal to send that kind of meal to school. The child will suffer greatly eating that crap regularly. If the school picks up on something not being right it should be reported. The parent and children should get support. Get help for yourself if you recognise that you are struggling.

Special needs/learning difficulties You are still the adult who needs to make decisions about what is right for the child. You can't send a happy meal to school and say oh well s/he didn't want to eat anything else. You are the adult.

Chaotic house get your shit together and recognise you are the adult and you need to feed your children appropriately. Meal plan. Lunch box plan. Order school meals if putting appropriate food in a box is too much effort.
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Awkward child* you are still the adult who needs to make appropriate choices on behalf of your child.

Some people are just lazy and feckless and can't be bothered to do right by their kids. That is also a possibility here.

We (CP Workers) experienced this often, during a supervised contact, in a Children's Centre.

We also had the Sayers, type put together meal.

It would go against the Parent, because it showed a lack of planning for the child's needs.

It was also outside of the Parents budget.

There can be lots of reasons why prepared food is bought, but rarely, is it because of a Kitchen renovation, or a ill new baby etc.

There can be reasons and they should be taken onboard, but excuses shouldn't be accepted.

Children shouldn't grow up in chaos, it removes their life chances.

I've been poor (absolute poor where both parents were refugees and worked I worked and we still weren't above the breadline & weren't eligible for more than child benefit) - let me tell you right now that the very poor? We. Cook. From. Fucking. Scratch.

Portia I am so sorry to hear that. You seem like you've been through a lot - but glad you're now doing better. Small steps - you're strong

And thanks, gracie - I've been teaching for the best part of a decade, during which I've come across families living in conditions that before I couldn't even begin to imagine. You learn just as much as the kids do.

The list was examples from across the board and was sent to parents as part of a general newsletter , according to the article

All supposition as we don't really know any facts other than just one lunch

As private schools were mentioned my ds goes to a private school and today took:

Cold popcorn chicken (in a wrap that I'm 80% sure will come back uneaten)
Hula Hoops
Fruit snack pot )grapes, apple slices & strawberries
Milkshake
Oasis drink

When he had school lunches he used to eat nothing, to the extent the dinner ladies used to make him a dairylea sandwich as they were so concerned, or he might eat some plain boiled rice. Now he is at secondary he will occasionally buy himself a pasta pot but doesn't have any sauce on his pasta.

I could give him a very mumsnet approved healthy lunch of cream cheese on crusty bread roll or a bagel, cucumber & carrot sticks and fruit but eating that 5 days a week isn't actually going to provide him with much protein or dairy. It will just fill him up with carbs. If I don't provide crisps he just buys them anyway.

That's absolutely dreadful food day in day out!

How can people not understand that??

I'm going to duck for cover with this statement but tomorrow's school dinner is a bap, a burger, and coleslaw (which no one eats) and a pudding. It costs £2.20. The fact the macdonalds meal was cold would put me off and it's not an every day food or a healthy food. But I do think that some people take a moral high ground when the line between this meal and plenty of others is quite thin.

Yes smilingsarahb I agree. I guess that it is a long way from the ideal lunch, but plenty of lunches are! No more outrageous than having jam on toast for breakfast.

I am coming to the conclusion that the real issue isn't that this meal is not nutritious - people have some other problem with it. I think the leftover MD meal has connotations. People are seeing it as "just not the done thing" - unlike e.g. a chicken wrap with mayo (and no veg). The strong reactions on this thread to the leftover MD meal are interesting, and I wonder what they tell us about society. Any anthropologists around with a view on this?

I've been poor (absolute poor where both parents were refugees and worked I worked and we still weren't above the breadline & weren't eligible for more than child benefit) - let me tell you right now that the very poor? We. Cook. From. Fucking. Scratch.

Bully for you. What if you can't afford to Cook From Fucking Scratch as you can't afford the energy costs? What if you can't read well enough to understand a recipe?

Squashytoes - any others while you're at it?

Disabled: Stop being disabled and get off your arse, perhaps?

Mental illness I do sympathise Awwww, do you? That's nice. Your next words show that you don't, nor have any understanding whatsoever.

You've solved a whole heap of problems there squashy. I can't believe nobody has ever thought of any of those superb ideas before! I particularly love the idea that the parents of children with sensory issues around food should just realise that they are the adult, and send their child with cream cheese on a wholemeal seeded bap and two carrot sticks (with hummus) - be damned if they don't eat it and go hungry all day! Some real pearls of wisdom.

We are none of us perfect and writing a post based on assumption is a bit silly.
I tend to want to know facts before giving my opinion.