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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect the school to try and do something about the ice cream van that parks at school gates at 3pm

28 replies

haychee · 13/07/2007 13:27

I dont suppose there is alot that can be done hes perfectly legal to park in the position he chooses to sell and make his living. But honestly, the amount of parents ive heard moaning about him and the amount of stroppy kids ive seen demanding an ice cream on their exit from school is a bit much. I also get it from my two, they can see some kids are allowed to get one, but he is there every bloomin day. I certainly dont want my kids to eat ice cream every day.
I suppose i shouldnt overly stress out as the summer holidays are upon us now. But i do feel it sholdnt be allowed. Any one else?

OP posts:

aloha · 13/07/2007 13:28

I like ours. If you don't want your children to have an ice cream, don't buy one. Simple!

canmummy · 13/07/2007 13:29

It doesn't bother me in the slightest there being an ice-cream van outside my dc's school. They are allowed one occasionally as a treat and the rest of the time quite happily walk past him. Heard no other complaints either from other mums

Original poster

haychee · 13/07/2007 13:31

This one at our school has only appeared in the last few weeks and he wasnt there last year, i suppose thats why its quite a topic at our school.

OP posts:

magnolia1 · 13/07/2007 13:32

I wish we had one near our school
Would save me trying to get bloody icecream to stay on the cones at home!!

JonesTheSteam · 13/07/2007 13:32

Our head asked the ice-cream van to move on when it stopped outside our school last year.

It didn't bother me particularly TBH.

maisym · 13/07/2007 13:32

I don't think you're being unreasonable haychee - what a hassle to have to get by this van everyday when the kids are tired from a busy day at school.

LowFatMilkshake · 13/07/2007 13:32

Our local school do an 'ice cream friday' and sell ice creams and lollies for 50p to raise funds for the school.

Perhaps you could get the school involved in something like that. It would soon curb the van's market and with the understanding they will get to participate in ice-cream day you could easily say no to the children the rest of the week.

Is there any way you could suggest such a thing?

Kbear · 13/07/2007 13:33

I did say, "ewwww have you seen that man's finger nails, let's get an ice cream at home" - they never asked again! hehe

Hassled · 13/07/2007 13:34

We always have an ice-cream van close to the school over the Summer, but the DCs know that they are allowed ice-creams only on certain days - and I make sure I've "forgotten" my purse on other days. I actually think it's been quite useful in terms of an opportunity for the kids to understand that I'm not a bottomless pit of money.

muppetgirl · 13/07/2007 13:35

Can understand your annoyance but we have one that sits on our retail park outside the supermarket. As I'm pregnant and can;t carry much we now go quite regularly. Ds asked for a bit but now understands we don;t have them all the time. I think it's about how you deal with the situation and your children. I always say to my
ds 'That's great for them, but we can do things differently'.

Original poster

haychee · 13/07/2007 13:35

possibly, lowfat. ill try!

yes it can be quite a task to get past the van without a fight from dc, not what i need or them (a fight i mean). I do let them have one sometimes, like on a friday. But they seem to think that just him being there means i should buy them one!

OP posts:

constancereader · 13/07/2007 13:36

What could the school do about it? If it isn't on school grounds it is out of their control.

muppetgirl · 13/07/2007 13:38

Agree haychee, but that surely is just another lesson in you can't have everything you want, when you want it.

The demands for money for ice-creams, rides outside supermarkets etc are huge but you just have to say. NO. and they have to learn to accept it.

kslatts · 13/07/2007 13:38

Our school does the same as lowfats and make more money over the year selling ice lollies than they do at the school fete.

It wouldn't bother me if an ice-cream van parked outside school, we have one that stops near our house every evening, but I've explained to my dd's they are not allowed one everytime they hear the van, the usually have 1 a week as a treat.

OrmIrian · 13/07/2007 13:39

Can you try agreeing a day on which your kids will get an ice-cream. I buy them one every Tuesday when I have DS#2 with me as well. Apart from that they know they don't stand a chance and don't ask.
.

Original poster

haychee · 13/07/2007 13:39

yes its off the school grounds, but only by a millimetre. All the childrn have to pass it on their way out. Very good retail opportunity for him and bloomin hard work for us mums.
I had considered setting up my own snack van and park next to him (nice idea but would never actually do it) selling carrot sticks, fruit etc etc all packaged in brightly coloured wrappings.

OP posts:

FluffyMummy123 · 13/07/2007 13:39

Message withdrawn

FluffyMummy123 · 13/07/2007 13:40

Message withdrawn

Desiderata · 13/07/2007 13:40

You can't ban ice-cream vans!! Whatever is the world coming to.

There seems to be a culture of avoidance at the moment. If you don't want your dc's to have an ice-cream, just tell them no.

magnolia1 · 13/07/2007 13:42

They have to learn! So maybe we should avoid going past sweet shops or those ride on machines outside the supermarket.

Tell them no, agree a set day when they can and thats all it takes

WigWamBam · 13/07/2007 13:42

Do you really think that children would choose carrot sticks in bright wrappers over an ice-cream??

We have a van which parks outside school too; there are always children having strops because they aren't allowed to have an ice-cream that day. The head teacher complained to him once, as she felt he was undermining the healthy eating message that the school tries to give the children. His response was that if he doesn't park there then someone else will - and he's not moving only to see someone else take his profits.

The fact that some children throw tantrums, or that some people can't say "no" to their kids, isn't the ice-cream man's problem, and it's certainly not the school's responsibility to stop him parking there. You don't have to give in to your children's demands, and it might be a good chance to demonstrate that they can't always get what they want, and that tantrumming won't change your mind!

FluffyMummy123 · 13/07/2007 13:43

Message withdrawn

muppetgirl · 13/07/2007 13:44

Precisely desiderata.

Whe i was younger we lived near a newsagents that sold sweets.

We had to walk past it twice a day....

My mum never demanded the closure of the shop as it was making her life difficult.

She just said. No.

And she meant it.

Original poster

haychee · 13/07/2007 13:45

oh yes i do put my foot down. And, i do set a day when they are allowed one but i think they simply jump on the bandwagon so to speak. They see others are allowed or they see another having a fit because they are not allowed one. Doesnt mean i give in and let them get one. Still bloomin hard work though - maybe it will settle down. But im dreading the 3oclock school run most days because of him.

OP posts:

Desiderata · 13/07/2007 13:46

The ice-cream van is as legitimate a part of childhood memories as Father Christmas.

As are the tantrums when you can't have one!

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