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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to think that wasting eggs in this way is wrong?

185 replies

WillyNilly00 · 07/03/2019 19:50

I'm a TA at a school and today the teacher was telling me about a Russian roulette style game she planned to play with the children before Easter. It involves the children picking 1 of 2 eggs to 'back', then the eggs are dropped to see which is hardboiled, until just 1 child wins. Apparently 10-15 eggs are used.

Now I am against encouraging children to throw eggs at all but aibu to morally object to this game? Surely in this age of encouraging children not to waste anything and teaching them to be environmentally conscious this is inappropriate?

The teacher I work with looked at me like I had 2 heads when I raised this point.

OP posts:
Bookaree · 08/03/2019 03:01

I can't stand food waste, there's a difference between making a cake and just dropping eggs on the floor. We have a small farm which Dh works on all hours, it's really a lot of work to produce food, feed animals etc.

BejamNostalgia · 08/03/2019 03:43

YABVVVU

There have alway been egg based gams at Easter, people blew eggs and painted them or did papier-mâché on them.

I think you were very rude lecturing the teacher and you sound like a po faced killjoy who sucks the joy out of everything. There’s something particularly miserly and unpleasant about wanting to spoil children’s fun to save a waste that will make almost zero impact in the world. If the kids having fun seems like a waste to you then you should probably have a look at your priorities and think about if you’re sucking the joy out of everyone you just because you don’t value joy in other people as much as material wealth and objects.

Ruining good food while people are going hungry is just immoral (see also cake smashes and "sensory play"). Maybe my perspective is different because I have previously been seriously skint

It’s not immoral, The kids not playing that game will not make one tiny bit of difference or cause a hungry to be fed. I’ve been skint too and had food parcels but it hasn’t turned me into a curmudgeonly old git who sucks the joy out of everything.

Reminds me of that BS line mothers always used to trot out in the 80s saying you have to eat all your dinner because there are children starving in Africa.

Anyway, OP, if you’re actually that bothered about it go and stick 2 packets in the food bank and then the whole thing will have actually have got the benefit of some people actually being fed rather than just being an exercise in fun spoiling smug virtue signalling which doesn’t actually change anything or benefit anybody.

BejamNostalgia · 08/03/2019 03:58

This is just one of my biggest, biggest bugbears. It’s just pure meanest and miserliness and I really can’t bear people with those personality traits, they’re the worst. It’s just so hypocritical because it’s depriving someone else of enjoyment just so they can demonstrate their virtue. And they’ve done nothing virtuous, they haven’t sacrificed anything or been selfless, they just make other people sacrifice stuff because they’re mean and then expect to be praised for their miiserliness.

MidniteScribbler · 08/03/2019 04:21

Whilst I'm extremely opposed to food waste, around here everyone has a chook pen on their properties and there's countless wild chooks wandering everywhere. You can't give away fresh free range eggs, everyone has way more than they need.

Rockbird · 08/03/2019 06:15

Is it any different from an over weight person eating them?

Fucking hell, is there anything we don't get blamed for or any opportunity missed to have a dig? I'm fat and can't stand eggs. So there. FFS Hmm

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 08/03/2019 06:39

I’m fat, not because I eat too much though, I have a medical condition I have to take tablets for which have a side affect of weight gain. Love how everyone jumps to conclusion that all fat people eat too much and waste food. Talk about bullying ...

Bumblebeezy · 08/03/2019 07:00

This could easily be done without any of the eggs being wasted. Just drop them into a bowl Hmm

Whynham · 08/03/2019 07:33

When they get to secondary any they burn marshmallows to measure energy is that also food waste?

HeckyPeck · 08/03/2019 09:07

would you rather see a photo of little Tarquin donating his cake to a food bank or a homeless shelter and then have that virtue signalling all over facebook, instead of a toddler having sensory fun and enjoying messy play?

Who wouldn’t rather see homeless people getting to eat rather than a cake being wasted? What an odd question.

GregoryPeckingDuck · 08/03/2019 09:22

It’s wasteful and not necessarily sending the best message but it’s not outright wrong. Wrong is a very strong word.

Pillowaddict · 08/03/2019 09:53

Couldnt they teachnthe same game/lesson of probability using only one egg that's not hardboiled so the others can be eaten later, therefore reducing the waste? I agree it's very unpleasant to.waste food in the knowledge that so many are struggling to feed families. Very smug of posters to suggest this is virtue signalling rather than empathy.

QuirkyQuark · 08/03/2019 10:03

Sorry but in this day and age where we have working poor, parents missing meals to feed their children it's really not acceptable to do this. 15 eggs could make 7 basic omelettes to feed people.

gruffaloschildgonewild · 08/03/2019 14:23

I don't like food waste anyway so it always makes me uncomfortable when I see kids at nursery given food to play with. Food is sacred and not every one has it. It should be treated with respect.

WorraLiberty · 08/03/2019 15:41

Is it any different from an over weight person eating them?

Fucking hell, is there anything we don't get blamed for or any opportunity missed to have a dig? I'm fat and can't stand eggs. So there. FFS Hmm

I think the person who posted that was saying, that eating more food than we need is wasteful in itself.

Xenia · 08/03/2019 15:44

I just can't waste food. It's in built and from my parents who grew up under WWII rationing I suppose.

Port1ajazz · 08/03/2019 17:38

Also to encourage a child to ' back ' an outcome is an introduction to gambling !

newtlover · 08/03/2019 17:58

YANBU and it's horrible to accuse OP of being joyless etc
children can get just as much fun/learn about probability in other ways
what about the child who goes home after this lesson and repeats it with the eggs in the fridge, that were all that was left for dinner?

I think it shows how far we are removed from food production (and it's true cost) that we can countenance such a casual attitude.
I keep hens and trust me if I accidentally break and egg I am mightily pissed off, even if I have a dozen others, because I know what it took to produce.

LuvSmallDogs · 08/03/2019 18:03

DS2’s preschool regularly has a sensory table set up with dry lentils, jelly, rice etc. I shall have to get on to them and his OT about all the food they’re wasting on children’s sensory needs...Hmm

feelingverylazytoday · 08/03/2019 18:07

you sound like a pofaced killjoy who sucks the joy out of everything
You sound weird if you derive joy out of breaking eggs
I do understand there is a long standing tradition in many cultures involving eggs, but there's nothing wrong with questioning traditions and adapting them to meet the needs of our modern society. It's about time all of us in the west stopped wasting so much food and just use what we need.

MissKittyBeaudelais · 08/03/2019 18:11

Yanbu. This is not a good lesson for young kids. Ridiculous with all the waste/starvation and cruelty to animals in this world.

derxa · 08/03/2019 18:11

Well according to many posters I've read they would never eat cakes or anything made by children. It all goes in the bin apparently.

mrsdavys · 08/03/2019 18:14

Well the eggs had been paid for so what they were used for is the choice of whoever paid I.e the school/teacher or whoever.
It’s just a bit of fun

bouncydog · 08/03/2019 18:15

I think it’s unnecessary and teaches children that it is o.k. to waste food partucularly from an ethical perspective. It would be far better to be able to use the broken eggs so cracking them into a bowl would be better. When I was a child my family were on a tight budget so nothing was wasted. I still hold those values and would be very cross if my daughters school had behaved in this manner.

LimeKiwi · 08/03/2019 18:26

DS2’s preschool regularly has a sensory table set up with dry lentils, jelly, rice etc. I shall have to get on to them and his OT about all the food they’re wasting on children’s sensory needs..

Yeah, I think that's a total waste too. Sensory play of smushing your hands through pasta/rice?
Just why?Fair enough a bit of 'sensory' play but does it really need to be food?

JacquettaW · 08/03/2019 18:29

We do a few experiments at school using food, it teaches the students about energy in food and many other things YABU.

I also use eggs to make a mask for my hair every two weeks. As long as the products are being used for something, I don't see a problem

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