To insist your child chooses a certain lunch option?

[Kelzbelz87]

Just curious really! Not saying either is wrong.
My children have 3 lunch options at school, a meat option, a veggie option and a jacket potato. Each morning the teacher tells them the options and the pick which one they like. I talk to a mum at the school and she was saying she insists her daughter chooses a certain option each day, whether she says she likes it or doesn’t, and mum gets cross if she picks something different to what she’s been told!
What does everyone else do? :)

I encourage mine to have the Main or Veggie options as when they for the sandwich option they used to come home ravenous.

Some days I make it a bit more forceful but its normally for a reason like we are going straight out after school and they will have a packed lunch style tea so they need a bigger meal at lunch. They kind of get this theory (only yr 1 and reception!)

YANBU. At school they should be able to choose the option they prefer. Balance the meals at home.
A Mum ‘friend’ from a long time ago did this. Her child excitedly asked for pizza whenever she came to us for tea... pizza was on the banned list at home apparently!
The Mum never mentioned this food ban to me so pizza it was! Every time.

lowkeevslucille ok then...

So, UPDATE! For anyone who is curious. Mum is a vegetarian and is raising her child to be also which is fair enough! Child kept picking meat option at school and mum was getting cross so has had words and now child only picks vegetarian, she’s not fussy so that isn’t an issue :) her dad was saying that child would ask for meat at his house (he isn’t a vegetarian) but mum was having sharp words with the daughter and also with him so he now also feeds her a vegetarian diet although child will sometimes have a jacket potato on the days dad picks her up. We all parent differently I was just curious whether I was alone in letting my three children have free range in what they choose! :) thanks everyone for your input!

Obviously this is only what the dad told me at breakfast club this morning, not facts. But I just thought I’d add a little update for clarification as some people were commenting saying it may be dietary etc :)

@emilyfrost

She shouldn’t be forcing her child to grow up vegetarian. She should be feeding her a balanced diet, and then when she’s an adult if she wants to restrict her food intake then she gets to make that choice herself.

It really is awful when parents try to bring up child vegetarian/vegan.

🤣🤣🤣 maybe a child shouldn't be forced to eat animals. Maybe they should wait until they grow up to decide 🤔

Vegetarian mum tells vegetarian child to pick vegetarian food at school lunch.

Absolute shocker.

OP has said they didn't know if they are vegetarian so can we stop with that.

Maybe they are on a limited budget and the mum needs the child to have a certain meal at school knowing what they have at home. It is really not a big deal and entirely her choice.

Oops I RTFT.

In that case, after the update, I'd say it's a whole different kind of weird: two parents separated and one tells the other what diet the child can have, for non-medical or religious reasons. I mean, even for religious reasons I don't dictate to ex-h what he can feed dc (he's not religious). They follow our religion's diet with me, and when old enough to choose for themselves can tell their dad if they want to with him and I will back them up, but I'm in no way going to be policing what the other person with parental responsibility chooses to feed his children.

I think that it depends is the answer.
If I am paying for a meal, and say its not a set price, then I would want to know my child had a good meal not say just a sausage roll.
Or if I am not making hot dinner in the evening, I'd prefer they don't have a sandwich.
Cost may come into it too. For example set meal is usually cheaper than opting for individual options.
However, on the whole, what my child would eat is their choice, but I reserve the right to guide them towards certain items, such as what meet our cultural/religious preferences etc or indeed what I know my child is actually likely to eat.

Obviously the above scenarios are dependent on being primary or secondary...