To refuse DD “poverty” lunch?

[questions3900]

DD is an elite athlete training many hours. We pay for hot school meals at lunch time as she does long hours straight after school. She phoned me to say that it was announced in form today is poverty lunch where they will have a cup of soup to feel the hardship some people go through and the money saved by not providing full hot food options goes straight to charity. DD called to ask if I would bring snacks for on the way to training. I called the school to complain and they have DD given a full normal lunch. DD is livid and embarrassed. AIBU to think as parents we should at least be told if this is planned? If it I had known in advanced I could have prepared food for on the way to training but I rely on the hot food I pay for her to have at school otherwise.

I can't believe schools are still doing these ridiculous lunches. I think it shows a complete lack of understanding of poverty. My cousin's school used to have 'Austerity Days', which was thankfully widely criticised when they chose to publicise it!

I’d be very cross to have paid for a hot lunch and the school decided the money would go to charity without my consent. Not to mention a cup of soup isn’t enough for lunch for a full day of school.

Charity giving is very personal. It’s down to the giver to decide whether they support it it not.

Where did they get the “normal lunch” from if they were just providing soup for everyone else? Did the canteen staff seriously cook and serve a meal for one??

She will not die doing sport on soup.

Probably not, but there are plenty of training regimes where she could easily faint or collapse ‘on soup’.

It depends what her sport is but if she is an athlete who trains for hours every day then I would suspect it is the type of training which would not actually be terribly feasible to do with only cup of soup in you. I mean, somehow I don’t think the OP is talking about a kid going to an hour’s netball practice or a quick cross country run, here.

She’s not doing it on soup, op is bringing food at collection. And she was given a dinner anyway, so it’s all academic now

Agree with others you come across has entitled and privileged. Eating one simple meal shouldn't be an issue. She will survive. I remember doing the 24 hr fast for charity at school.

How is it saving money?

Isnt it about 50 p that actually goes on the food. They other 1.50-2.00 is all about the staff, lighting, gas, electricity etc.

I'm sure all the children in poverty really appreciated not getting a proper dinner and their day to day life being made some kind of event for schools to virtue signal

The moment has passed, let it go

Elite gymnast. 38 hours a week atm

They should give advance notice about things! So they are being unreasonable not giving notice.
Also depends on age, I think primary school is too young to do this but secondary school they are old enough to decide if they want to participate

Personally, I also think trying to teach kids what poverty is like by giving them one small lunch is incredibly patronising to people who really are in poverty and eat like that, or don’t eat at all, every day of their lives. There are better ways of educating kids about poverty.

Agree. One day slightly hungrier than usual (if at all, if they're just filling up on snacks instead) is not the same as day after day after day hungry and worried about your next meal.

You just end up with people who think they know what it's like and on the basis of their distorted view think "it's not that bad, nothing to complain about".

if she is doing hours of strenuous training in any sport she obviously does need way more calories than that, even if just to avoid passing out or having dizzy spells while exercising

That is nonsense. Unless you have diabetes, homeostasis will keep blood sugar stable - you burn stored fat. Many elite athletes practise controlled fasting during training (as opposed to during competitions) because there is evidence that aerobic exercise can be more efficient after a fast. Any calorie deficit can be made up at the end of the day.

I think that is cheeky AF of the school, and not fair on the kids that didn't have breakfast and won't get a proper dinner at home. I'd be livid that they decided to take money I'd paid for something and chose to do something else entirely with it.

I'd be tempted to not pay for a meal and then when they chase it tell them you donated the money to charity. I'd like to see them enforce that.

XXcstatic
I agree.

It was a poorly thought through event with a number of issues attached to it, but a parent calling up and demanding their child (who hasn't asked for this) is singled out, thus embarrassing their child shouldn't be surprised when their DC is unimpressed.

They've had soup for lunch. Through winter I have soup most days. It's a silly amount of drama over one meal.

YANBU

My DS plays sports and eats 4,000 calories a day. Neither of us would be impressed by soup.

Snacks on the way to training is ok but they can’t eat too much or too full to play

This is ridiculous. Eating soup for lunch for one day teaches you fuck all about poverty and you can't take money from other people and give it to charity without asking!

Is this real??

I don't think they've thought it through . There will be some children in school who will only get that one hot meal a day
People don't tend to advertise they are struggling

poverty lunch where they will have a cup of soup to feel the hardship some people go through

I think it's misleading to suggest that having a cup of soup for one day's lunch will enable these children to "feel the hardship some people go through".

For one thing, a cup of soup is a perfectly reasonable lunch (assuming breakfast and dinner are normal meals). If there are children for whom the school lunch is their only decent meal, as pps have said, it's hardly appropriate for them to miss out on it.

For another, again, assuming you are healthy and well-nourished, even missing one meal is hardly representative of being in a situation where you are malnourished or starving in the long term.

The whole idea sounds ill-concieved.

Don’t take this the wrong way OP but you’ve been a bit over dramatic verging on ridiculous in my opinion. A valuable lesson could have been learned instead your DC has learned to avoid telling you things because you’ll react like a loon and embarrass her. Well done. 🙄

That is nonsense. Unless you have diabetes, homeostasis will keep blood sugar stable - you burn stored fat.

I'm not diabetic but if I don't eat enough I go dizzy and feel faint and I have plenty of fat to burn!

I would have just taken her the snacks she asked for rather than single her out.

What a crock of bollocks..

Not you op, the whole.poverty lunch Bs..

I have a poverty lunch every day, sometimes it's a cup a soups from a 28p for 4 pack or it's a luxurious Cheese sarnie using 5p worth of cheese and 2 slices of bread from a 50p loaf.

Doing it once, teaches nothing, do it for a month.. or 24.. then they might learn.

They should have let the children and parents know in advance.
You’ve massively dropped a ball there though. I’m not surprised she’s livid!

*Elite gymnast. 38 hours a week

Fucking hell. How old is she?

This is absolutely not a lesson in anything.

If you really want your pupils to understand poverty, get them volunteering at a food bank or homeless shelter.

Back in the 80s we used to bring food in for "Harvest Festival", does that not happen any more?