Am I the only person who thinks parents should feed their kids outside of school?

[HalloweenDoughnutAnyone]

Obviously it goes without saying I don't want any child to go hungry. But. Am I the only person who thinks parents should feed their kids outside of school?

Just that really.. it's free school dinners. Not free lunch all year round.

I don't understand why people think the tax payer should be paying even more? Maybe, if you can't afford to cover the basics (food and clothing) you should think twice before having a child?

Or should we extend free school dinners, to cover all the food a child needs inside and outside of school ?

I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush but I know people who rely on free school dinners. But have sky tv, expensive mobile contracts etc

@lyralalala having lived in a bedsit its surprising what you can learn to cook. I had one electric stove that was extremely intermittent and usually blew my electricity and a microwave. I struggled but managed.

I don’t understand why everyone on MN is so black or white. There are constantly threads like this which are filled with people screaming

ITS BLACK
ITS WHITE

It baffles me how they can read so many of these threads and not understand that it’s completely grey! That for every ‘No child should go hungry’ there’s an equal ‘how can you help children whose parents aren’t bothered?’. That for every parent who makes bad choices and doesn’t care there’s another family trying their best and sinking even further into poverty, but there’s no way to separate them in terms of help.

It is what it is and right now it’s a bit shit for the whole country.

[quote fashu]@lyralalala well then there could be a way to arrange for you to pick up from the school closest to you in exceptional circumstances. The point I am trying to make is that vouchers don't work. Kids might not get a decent meal even if their parents have a voucher.[/quote]
And the political will isn't even there for vouchers so what makes you think it would be there for for good quality ingredients, complicated logistics and delivery?

This is a stop-gap measure during a pandemic. There isn't time to teach parents to cook different meals and to fix everything. The vast majority of children whose parents receive vouchers will get a lunch from it.

Longer term we need more funding into so many areas that will help reduce the issues, but right now there needs to be a quick fix for most children (because with slashes to social services and all other sevices sadly all children won't be reached) for the upcoming holidays. Getting into the deeper issues right now will simply mean that all children miss out because it's too expensive.

I think that its interesting ppl are after free school meals during the holidays which amounts to 91 days off (13 x 7) but not for the weekends which totals 104 days (52 x 2). If kids are going hungry in the holidays they sure as hell are going hungry at weekends yet no one is starting a petition to feed them 365 days of the year. Why not?

@fashu

Wouldn't a better idea be to make up food boxes of rice, pasta, tins, veg/fruit etc. Like a hello fresh box with some recipe ideas and get them delivered to the school for the parents to pick up? I've been behind someone in asda using their vouchers for 10 pepperoni pizzas. That was you know the kids are getting the food, its accessible and healthy and nutritious.

No no no no no

Stop judging, stop patronising, stop trying to impose, stop bossing, stop looking down.

Try to understand some people can't cook. Some people have no cooker. Some have no.money for electricity/gas. Some people have fussy children. Some people hate vegetables. Some people are from other cultures.

[quote fashu]@lyralalala that's why you would include recipe cards. I'm not talking about making a biryani from scratch. Simple nutritional meals.[/quote]
How do you cook these kind of meals when you can't afford the electric or are in a Hostel or Refuge with no cooking facilities? It really isn't as simple as the teach the poor how to cook/ budget/ live less chaotic lives and it will be grand.

Also having had to scrape together loose change to afford a food shop I can promise you that you would not waste food trying out new recipes that you don't know if your children would eat or like. I remember crying over Porridge one morning because I had bought a different brand to normal and my DS wouldn't eat it. I had to give him the bread that I was saving for lunch so he didn't go hungry. It's been a few years since we were in quite that state thank God. But honestly you have no idea until you have lived it.

@Rubixed usually pointless trying to explain. It always has to be the poor person's fault they can't rustle up a dahl in their no pans on their no cooker with their no electricity in their no spare time.

People are oblivious to real life.

@Awalkintime

I think that its interesting ppl are after free school meals during the holidays which amounts to 91 days off (13 x 7) but not for the weekends which totals 104 days (52 x 2). If kids are going hungry in the holidays they sure as hell are going hungry at weekends yet no one is starting a petition to feed them 365 days of the year. Why not?

Two fold for me.

Holiday hunger is a thing. Normal family budgets for 39 weeks of the year don't include lunches for the children because they have fsm. So when they are on holiday it's an expense they don't normally have.

Holidays are long periods at a time. So the hunger is a larger problem than over the weekend because it can be weeks at a time so much harder to budget for. I didn't like weekends when I was little because I was hungry, but I actively feared the holidays (and that was before the age of 7) because it was such a long time.

It's also a bigger issue this year than most years because of the pandemic and the knock on effect in shopping costs.

Secondly weekends are meant to be covered already by benefits/income and any focus on that would take away from the school lunches issue. Any derailment into benefit levels will just delay decisions and that will negatively impact the children who need help in the upcoming holidays.

Just seen your second post @Rubixed - glad things are better now. I totally get it

@Watermelon999 thank you. It was fine (i was being a bit provocative :) )

[quote PracticingPerson]@Rubixed usually pointless trying to explain. It always has to be the poor person's fault they can't rustle up a dahl in their no pans on their no cooker with their no electricity in their no spare time.

People are oblivious to real life.[/quote]
Not to mention the saviourism in ‘oh, you need to eat? Let me TEACH you how to do it better’.

Not a clue.

@flaviaritt

I think the bottom line is that the children whose parents aren’t feeding them adequately, whether that’s because they can’t or won’t, aren’t able to fend for themselves. They’re pretty much helpless. So while I have some sympathy with the point you’re making, I don’t believe in letting kids go hungry for the sake of a few million quid.

^ This! ^

@Awalkintime

I think that its interesting ppl are after free school meals during the holidays which amounts to 91 days off (13 x 7) but not for the weekends which totals 104 days (52 x 2). If kids are going hungry in the holidays they sure as hell are going hungry at weekends yet no one is starting a petition to feed them 365 days of the year. Why not?

Because if my budget is £50 per week for 3 people (2x dc and me) then I need to provide 53 meals per week from that (3 meals each per day x 7 days per week - 10 lunches which the dc get at school). Then in the holidays I have to fund an extra 10 meals per week but from the same budget. That's a lot of extra meals, especially in the summer. And as mentioned on this (or maybe the other food poverty thread) not everyone has space to bulk buy, and build a store of food. Or indeed the budget to do so. When every penny is accounted for even an extra tin of beans every week isn't possible.

@PracticingPerson thank you. I should stay of threads like this really. It's only ever upsetting. People can't bare the idea that poverty could happen to them so they have "other" people who in most cases are just trying their best. I am sorry that I didn't stuff my children back up my vagina the moment my life spectacularly fell apart. Thanks to a life changing illness and a man who couldn't cope with it. I'm not sure how you are supposed to forsee that?!

It's about the children. We live in a very rich country. Children should not be going hungry
. We, as a society, have a duty to make sure they have the basics.

What you think of the parents is irrelevant. Yes, many are neglectful. Some are not. But why would you punish the children who have no choices in all this???

[quote Rubixed]@PracticingPerson thank you. I should stay of threads like this really. It's only ever upsetting. People can't bare the idea that poverty could happen to them so they have "other" people who in most cases are just trying their best. I am sorry that I didn't stuff my children back up my vagina the moment my life spectacularly fell apart. Thanks to a life changing illness and a man who couldn't cope with it. I'm not sure how you are supposed to forsee that?![/quote]
The only thing you can do is know you're right and they're wrong. It drives me crackers, I hate the patronising othering crap, but these are people who know little of life so who cares.

I agree too with @Pumperthepumper about saviourism.

Maybe some of these parents buy pizzas because they're fucking knackered this week? I'm sometimes as lazy as fuck. But I'm allowed to be, because I look well enough off to do as I please.

Holiday hunger is a particular problem at the moment because of shortages in the shops.

In my last few deliveries the pasta I bought has been subbed as has the rice, beans and last time the bread. Now, it's fine for me as I can afford a delivery and therefore the supermarket take the hit on the cost difference.

If you are going into the shop to do a weekly shop or because you don't have £40 plus delivery fee to spend then you wouldn't get the same protection. That's on top of the fact prices have inceased already (and there are far fewer deals).

I understand it is harder in the holidays but surely if we really care about these kids going hungry then we should be pushing for 365 days a year not just for holidays. Is it acceptable that they don't eat during the weekend because its 'just 2 days'? No it isn't. If we are petitioning and truly want these kids fed, we do it right not a half arsed attempt.

@Awalkintime

I understand it is harder in the holidays but surely if we really care about these kids going hungry then we should be pushing for 365 days a year not just for holidays. Is it acceptable that they don't eat during the weekend because its 'just 2 days'? No it isn't. If we are petitioning and truly want these kids fed, we do it right not a half arsed attempt.

That doesn't work though. It just derails into a row about benefit levels. They are two different arguments and need to be fought as such as the benefits slashing is a long term issue.

School lunches in the holidays is a now issue that needs to be addressed quickly for the duration of the pandemic.

You need to fight the battles before you can win the war.

I don't like an extravagant life. I don't have a lot of expendable income. I just believe people should pay to feed their children outside of school.

I agree, people should have enough money to feed their children outside of school. The benefits system, zero hours contracts and disability systems ensure they don’t. If you’re unhappy with support provided during school holidays you could vote for a government that doesn’t purposely keep people in poverty, pay more for goods and services, boycotts companies who pay poverty wages and campaign for better disability rights.

In the meantime, feeding children all year round is a necessary sticking plaster.

But why? Surely we can campaign to get free school meals to cover 7 days instead of 5. What is the issue in asking for that? It would then cover all holidays if it covers 7 days a week. Or have the past 8 weekends been fine for kids to be hungry then because weekends are not imminent? Surely they are more frequent that holidays?

Maybe, if you can't afford to cover the basics (food and clothing) you should think twice before having a child?

Agreed, how about at their first scan everyone must sign a contract stating that they will not become disabled, lose their job or get widowed for the next 18 years?

@mercutio12

Maybe, if you can't afford to cover the basics (food and clothing) you should think twice before having a child?

Agreed, how about at their first scan everyone must sign a contract stating that they will not become disabled, lose their job or get widowed for the next 18 years?

Quite. Also that they will not live in a country that allows a novel and disruptive virus to disrupt previously lucrative industries?

Feckless air stewards, artists, wedding planners etc.

@Awalkintime

But why? Surely we can campaign to get free school meals to cover 7 days instead of 5. What is the issue in asking for that? It would then cover all holidays if it covers 7 days a week. Or have the past 8 weekends been fine for kids to be hungry then because weekends are not imminent? Surely they are more frequent that holidays?

I've already explained why

People are used to feeding their children at the weekend. The holidays are a large expense that cause a different problem.

The issue is that it will divert attention from the main focus - which is that M-F parents in receipt of FSM don't normally pay to feed their children and that should continue through the holidays, as a temporary measure, while things are so difficult.

Tbh @Awalkintime I think asking someone who has been very open about the neglect and hunger suffered as a child on this very thread if they think it's fine for kids to be hungry at weekends, when they've explained the difference, is pretty bloody rude.