To not understand how it's cheaper to send dc to school with a cold happy meal than a packed lunch?

[bobstersmum]

In the news this week, an article about children in deprived areas being sent to school with a cold happy meal. Then parents in another article defending the reasons for it, saying that sometimes it's all they can afford. I just can't understand it? A happy meal is 2.99 I think? But a cheap loaf of bread is 50p, a cheap pack of sandwich meat or cheese is less than a pound, bag of bananas a pound multipack of crisps a pound, that's lunches for the week for around the same cost?

@adaline Most people - not all - but most people who are near a McDonalds are near a Tesco or equivalent. It's just a fact.

adaline how do you know 'clearly some people do'?

We don't know that the parents who sent those kids to school with a cold box of junk food were living in extreme poverty, do we?

As I said, I know plenty of parents who really do live in extreme poverty and they're rather cut their right arms off than send their kids to school with a lunch like that.

Poverty is insidious. And harmful and not all decisions are rational, maybe if you have no cooking facilities a lukewarm...at best... meal is better than another cold cheese sandwich.

@adaline - what experience or knowledge do you need to work out that spending your money on one crap meal over 5 lunches?

It’s common sense! Unless there is SEN issues involved with the parents then your just a crap parent and shouldn’t be having kids.

@EmmaOvary I agree re: white bread and processed meat. My shopping list had peanut butter / yoghurt and bananas - there is nutrition in there. I think it's about time as much as money though.

And probably being fucking exhausted because you it's exhausting trying to survive.

Loving all the self-important posts on here. 'A roll and some cheap jam'...£1, processed ham and white bread...these things are nutritionally redundant, so not sure what the point is. None of these are really any better than a cold Happy Meal, which may actually come with a Tropicana orange juice so actually has some vitamin content.

Have you really missed the point that spectacularly?

The point is, the bread and ham etc will feed the child for a week...

We don't know that the parents who sent those kids to school with a cold box of junk food were living in extreme poverty, do we?

I didn't say they were, I just said that clearly some people do send their kids to school with cold McDonald's.

Poverty is insidious. And harmful and not all decisions are rational, maybe if you have no cooking facilities a lukewarm...at best...meal is better than another cold cheese sandwich.

Yeah but it's not going to feed the child for a week is it?

@pippitysqueakity - no it’s really not. You put up with the jam or whatever sandwiches til things get better.

@EmmaOvary but school meals are free for all children in KS1, why the need for a packed lunch at all?

Has anyone on here ever sent their kids to school with cold takeaway for lunch? I know i haven't. I live in a village and for a long time didn't have access to a car. The nearest supermarket is 2 busses and 8 miles. The nearest macdonalds is around the same, the local shop is on average 50p per item more expensive than town. If you are skint you kind of work out better ways to send your kids to school with better. Pasta, tinned tomatoes and cheese works really well, last night's meal as left overs works fine. The last thing we would spend on if we were too broke for a loaf of bread would be a macdonalds.

what experience or knowledge do you need to work out that spending your money on one crap meal over 5 lunches?

Well, there's lots of things that factor into people's decisions.

Maybe they're sick of value bread and cheese sandwiches and wanted a change?
Maybe they only had £3 left until payday the next day and thought they'd get McDonald's instead?
Maybe they don't live near a shop that sells bread for 55p - plenty of people don't, and have said as much on here.
Maybe the parent works for McDonald's and used their free lunch allowance to treat their child for a change?

Nobody here is arguing that cold McDonald's is a good lunch, they're just saying that life isn't always as straightforward as some people like to portray on here.

So many excuses for piss-poor parenting.

Maybe they're sick of value bread and cheese sandwiches and wanted a change? But they still have to feed their child for a week

Maybe they only had £3 left until payday the next day and thought they'd get McDonald's instead? But they could've bought a sandwich deal instead

Maybe they don't live near a shop that sells bread for 55p - plenty of people don't, and have said as much on here. But they'd still get a loaf for £1

Maybe the parent works for McDonald's and used their free lunch allowance to treat their child for a change? But that's no reason to send them to school with it stone cold the next day

Honestly, this is ridiculous and giving good parents who live in poverty, a really bad name.

@Bellaxx8 yes I would, but maybe I wanted to give my child hot(ish) food. Not saying the choice is right, just a little compassion for people in an impossible no win situation might not go amiss.

When I was on holiday in rural Wales I was (naively ) amazed at how far the nearest supermarket was. We were self catering and noticed how much more expensive it was to use the village store, and smaller shops. For us it was part of holiday expenses but I commented how difficult (and expensive) it would be to buy all your food locally especially if you didnt drive

So many excuses for not reading the article!

I'm curious about where exactly these places are that have a McDonalds but no supermarket within walking distance.

I am appalled at the blinkers live with and the rank judgement. Poverty; insecure, inadequate housing (e.g.b&b with no food storage); domestic violence; older siblings/other family scoffing the packed lunch makings; health issues (mental and physical). I'm as middle class as you come and have never eaten a cold mcds or send my DC to school with one. But I can spend 3 minutes imagining reasons why a parent might do that. And the fact that this happens makes my soul hurt with the injustice in this world not crucify the parents. Look behind 99.9% of 'lazy' parents and you'll find someone doing their best in circumstances that are beyond their control.

This is not due to poverty. This is a neglect issue. Parents who can’t be bothered, and do the least amount of parenting.
Seen this at my child’s school, and heard about it endless times. Not always McDonalds but on that theme.
Parents are not skint, they just don’t prioritise providing their child with proper nutrition.

It is not poverty - that is a load of crap and any attempt to excuse it is really reaching.

It is more likely that the parents are feckless idiots so feel bad for the dc either way, but ridiculous to try and argue that it is cheaper than a week of packed lunches.

So the whole issue of food poverty, food bank useage and the trussel trusts comments are negated by an unidentified teacher saying an unspecified number of children ate 'items from a happy meal' on an unspecified number of occassions. With no context.
Its really good reporting.

20 slices of bread in a loaf 10 sandwiches
how many fillings from =say:
half a dozen cheap eggs say less than £1-20 that 6 sandwiches 20p
£3 for block of cheese if you grate it or slice it thinly that's got to be quite a few sandwiches as a filling?
spread £4 a pack even small pack of marg will do a lot of sandwiches 4 slices of ham (which is expensive so I wouldn't buy) is still 4 sandwiches
can you get sliced chicken is it cheaper?
1 happy meal for ONE day for goodness sake you don't eat a whole loaf in one day (I use to make dc sandwich every day)
how about tuna? or eggs? & get salad cream & mash it makes it go further
go Australian () & introduce dc to baked bean sandwiches (my favourite when I was a kid (you can add dash of curry or sultanas)

@QuestionableMouse where on earth do you shop? In Sainsburys today: wholemeal loaf £1, ham - 10 breaded slices £3, butter 1/2lb £1.50, bananas 85p for 6/7, basics fromage frais £1 for 6.

7.35 for 10 packed lunches.

I assume you shop in Fortnums or live somewhere v expensive and overseas for the basics.

Having said that I maintain that it was more expensive to provide an interesting packed lunch than a school lunch for mine and they are now 21 and 24!

What's going on with everyone assuming the people who send their kids to school with leftover McDs DON'T send them to school with sandwiches etc the rest of the week? All these posts about how much value bread is and the like...ridiculous. And I suppose nobody on this thread has ever bought their kid a Happy Meal, ever? Oh, as a treat? Right. Was that lunch, maybe, on a weekend? Yup. That's Ok, though. It's only the poors who aren't allowed to do that.