To be feed up with school telling me what to do and how to do it?

[ivykaty44]

Had a letter home from my dd's school last week telling me that they would be sending a booklet home telling me what I should be giving my dd for her packed lunch. I do know how to make a healthy pack lunch, including three portions of fruit each day in the pack lunch.

This week they send me a letter telling me that it is tantamount to being a criminal if I so much as dare to even think about taking my dd out of school during term time - I havn't even asked (standard letter to take home)and my child may be excluded from school if I go on holiday in term time.

The letter really does seem to have this attitude of "we have the power to make you" and I really don't like it I am not a child, I can look after my dd and give her healthy food and take her on holiday during school closures. I just want them to leave me alone and get on with teaching my dd........ rant over

guess im just a free spirit, really wouldnt bother me if we went away in term time, i would hate for my son to miss out on some of the wonderful places, cultures etc....also i really dont think a couple of weeks would do him any damage.....but each to there own.....

Yes it's an offence StG but I do not believe that makes it right or okay to dictate in this way. Life beyond school is an amazing thing and children don't experience enough of it imo.

Camm, the rules aren't there in France and it's great!

So, the rules exist in order that the institution continues to do so? Who says institutions are a good thing?

as for saving money by holidaying during termtime, a family at dd's school were fined close to a grand for taking the children out during term time

institution???? ur scaring me...

DD2 was chatting with her teacher today - most of the others in the class had gone swimming. DD2 had doritos in her lunchbox. Teacher admitted to a fondness for them - and eats 2 bags of crisps a day!

But if you accept the studies that show a link between diet and behaviour then you don't want children having chocolate and pop for lunch. Not if you are one one of the teachers that is.

I'm not saying its good ro bad, I'm not making avalue judgment as such but explaining that all institutions will have rules in the interests of self-perpetuation

I just know that if my hubby was to make his own lunch every day, it would consist of crisps and chocolate and sausage rolls. Uhhh, and as much coke as he could carry .

we had a letter at the beginning of term with 27 should not, will not, can not terms in !

Sure teachers are bossy. But if they don't say don't do it, people will.

NKF i can totally agree with that and some of the processed crap out there makes me mad....but this isnt big brother....its a free country. i personally wouldnt feed mykids junk but if someone tried to tell me i couldnt it would make me mad, i think ive got a bee in my bonnet bout the whole nanny state, i think ppl have a right to make their own choices

mimi, you will have SS round, your son could lose his school place and you could be fined if he has too much time off school. Even the 10 days that most people think they are 'allowed' is at the school's discretion. Best to HE if you think it could be a problem!

Lol bucksmum I'll bet you that for every one of those rules they have come about out of necessity (ie someone's past beahviour)

omg dont tell me that cos im getting mad!lol actually this kinda big brother state thing is seriously making me and dh think of moving abroad....a beach hut on Koh Samet should do it!

But they're not saying you can't feed your child crap. You can give them Fanta and Coco Pops for breakfast and candyfloss for dinner. And the weekend and holiday meals can be chocolate. All they're saying is that they don't want the packed lunches to contain certain items because they (I assume) believe that a poor quality lunch impacts on a child's learning. Several studies would back that up. Five meals a week, 40 weeks a year. That's all. Hardly Big Brother. And essentially it's a request. You can't be prosecuted.

thats true NKF im just like ivykaty i suppose....dont like being told wot to do...like i say ive got a bit of a thing with the way this country is going at the mo....like we all need to have the element of risk removed from everything...just in case

No you're not unreasonable to object to the tone of school communications.

They are patronising and insulting, but they can't help it, they can't afford to employ communications experts in schools offices and I imagine that so much of their communications is done with idiots, that they tailor all their communications to the lowest common denominator.

It's infuriating when your child first starts school and you feel that you're being treated like a gibbering idiot, but you do get used to it after a while and cease to take it personally. Wait till your child is older and the communication becomes sporadic and unreliable, because they rely on your child to remember to put all their written stuff in his bag -you'll look back on the days when they told you off regularly for something you weren't intending to do, with longing! At least they do talk to you, even if it is with a sneer on their face - better than being ignored!

Do you want your child to benefit from his/her time in school? If so then eating a decent lunch will help them concentrate, no? And not missing too many lessons to sit on a beach in Majorca will help too.

Otherwise feed 'em rubbish and book your hols. Bin the letter, you won't be alone

littlebella- im wetting myself!!!!

I work in a school office lol.

Lots of our parents don't speak good English - some have no English at all. Letters have to be to the point and I agree that it sometimes sounds a little terse.

School secretaries have almost as bad a repuation as Dr's receptionists on MN.

We are human you know - underpaid and overworked too.

To op, some schools do have a very bad habit of treating adults as they do the children. Would get ny back up too.

arnt we all?!

I don't think the issue is with what the school is telling you. It's how they say it.

I used to work in communications. I now work in schools. Communication in schools is generally poor.

Can do better (much).

don't take it personal....it's standard letters being send out...

you may know how to make a healthy lunch and know the importance of education, but other parents may not...and it is those that they want to reach...sadly they can't just send letters like that to teh "offedning" parties...