To think the nursery are being ridiculous

[TinasCrockeryPot]

ever since dd started nursery during lockd8wn the nursery would heat up food that yih out into her pack lunch box such as homemade soup pasta etc. However, now that they have reintroduced their hot lunches for 4 pound a day, they are no longer reheating homemade food and will only reheat food that have heating instructions such as tinned soup and microwave meals. AIBU to think this is ridiculous as homemade food is much more healthier than tinned soup of microwave meals?

Sorry, typo in original post its 3 pound a day for food which might "seem" like a bargain but granted this is based off of a 13 month old is a bit much on top of fees and granted both myself and my partner are students its a bit much

So they were happy to heat homemade food because they weren’t providing food at all? But now they’ve reintroduced their own lunches, which are pricey, they’ll only reheat tinned or packaged food?

Yeah, I think that’s ridiculous. But what I really think is ridiculous is that some nurseries are or were insisting that parents sent lunches in at all. Particularly when a lot of them have Covid measures about bags (ie insisting that you sent all your child’s clothes in for the week on a Monday). Passing a lunchbox back and forth on a daily basis seems inconsistent with that to me. Particularly given the child will almost certainly need help to open it and open the contents etc.

Our nursery includes meals in the price and doesn’t take any outside food unless it’s a shop bought cake for a birthday.

Heating up food in a microwave can cause all sorts of problems, i think it’s good thing they are no longer reheating food, im surprised they did it pre covid.

Tbh I can't see the problem.

There's nothing wrong with them charging for food or no longer heating stuff imo.

no nursery that I know of heats up food. They don't charge for lunches either though that's part of the deal - kids sit and eat (the same thing) together which is a good habit IMO. A small amount of fussy eaters take their own but none are reheated as far as I am aware.

I attended a nutrition training evening and was told that we are responsible for everything that a child eats while on our premises, even if it's sent from home.
If a child's food is not suitable and we give it to them, we are responsible. If a child's food is contaminated and we give it to them, we are responsible. If we fail to reheat it properly and a child becomes ill, we are responsible.
For that reason we, and many other settings, now refuse to reheat food from home.

@Tanith

I attended a nutrition training evening and was told that we are responsible for everything that a child eats while on our premises, even if it's sent from home. If a child's food is not suitable and we give it to them, we are responsible. If a child's food is contaminated and we give it to them, we are responsible. If we fail to reheat it properly and a child becomes ill, we are responsible. For that reason we, and many other settings, now refuse to reheat food from home.

This.

You chose to be both students and parents at the same time rather than one or both of you curtailing your studies. Rewards will come in the end but at an immediate cost. The food flask seems like a good solution. Dd used to use one.

@FunDragon I run a nursery and during lockdown our kitchen was closed under instruction from the learning trust and we were told children had to bring packed lunches. We didn’t heat up though it had to be something cold.

Those were the rules at the time - we literally were not allowed Provide food from our own kitchen! So lunch boxes brought from home was the only option or children would have no food all day.

Now we are back to having kitchen open and packed lunches have been stopped.

I agree with other posters, put it in a thermos.

My only real issue is that they were happy to do it during lockdown, i feel this should have been the rule the whole time, not just when their kitchen reopened

The nursery are being very helpful to heat up any food, I have never heard if a nursery that will do this. You sound v entitled. Why would the nursery care if you are students, they are running a business. Also you are very lucky to have the option to pay for meals separately, again a lot of nurseries would not do this and it would be included in your fees.

How many children are there though? Lunch at my nursery is so busy - trying to get 49 children Say Served And fed - we just wouldn’t have time to be hearing up lunches for individual children as well - plus there is a definite food safety issue there - the rules were relaxed at the time because it was the only way children would get a meal in the day as kitchen was closed!

Nurseries are back to running like they always have ore lockdown now - so of course they are not hearing your kids lunch anymore

Beleive me im not entitled in the slightest. In also not saying the nursery should care that I'm a student? I'm saying I send a packed lunch as I can't afford the price if hot meals? I never once said they should accommodate the fact were students?

@TinasCrockeryPot

My only real issue is that they were happy to do it during lockdown, i feel this should have been the rule the whole time, not just when their kitchen reopened

Surely that was because they weren't providing hot food, and I also imagine the numbers attending during lock down were significantly lower than they are now.

There is no way i think a nursery should be doing this at all really

@Heyahun

Oh I appreciate that these rules came from higher up. I just think that particular rule (which wasn’t applied everywhere) was complete nonsense!

@TinasCrockeryPot

My only real issue is that they were happy to do it during lockdown, i feel this should have been the rule the whole time, not just when their kitchen reopened

But during lockdown was it done by the people who now are busy preparing their hot lunches? I can see why it was just easier for them to accommodate if they weren't preparing their own meals. And they probably thought it was a nice gesture of kindness since they couldn't offer a hot meal, not something that would then be held against them when they went back to normal practice later!

I have just retired from working in a nursery. The setting is always happy to reheat any home cooked food sent in. Parents are asked to send in a list of the ingredients (just in case there were nuts in, for example). The reheated temperature and list of ingredients were recorded in the daily menu diary alongside the same records for nursery cooked food. No hassle at all. It's called offering a good service! All staff have food hygiene certificates.

@Hardbackwriter I'm not holding this against them, I just didn't know if this was common practice elsewhere being a first time mum

You implied at 10.14 it was a bit much due to both being students. You have been given very good reasons, and reasons, which means they were foolhardy to offer in the first place, but chosen not to accept them. Just use a thermos.

Parents are asked to send in a list of the ingredients (just in case there were nuts in, for example)

We have a no nut rule in my setting, and over the years parents have still sent in nutella and peanut butter, so I would be very wary about relying on what the parents have written.

I’m guessing during lockdown they also had far fewer children in. I know the nurseries my friends work in are only just getting close to normal numbers in again.

I am amazed they will heat any food at all but certainly wouldn’t expect them to do homemade

Like ive said previously I was unsure if this was common practice hence why I asked.

Very surprised they did this. The packaging some parents will send food in won’t be suitable, they need to make sure it’s done properly with no manufacturer instruction, not warm enough food poisoning too hot snd a kid gets burned,

This isn’t something they should have ever started. It should be cold packed lunches or pay for food they supply.

I’m guessing during lockdown they also had far fewer children in

Actually that’s probably valid.