Packed lunch police

[penneforyourthoughts]

DD’s school has changed their packed lunch policy and no longer allows them to have juice cartons of any description.

I know that there are bigger problems in the world but it’s made me pretty cross. DD is quite food avoidant and I do my best to pack a sensible lunch for her but I like the fact that I can give her fruit juice (flavour, texture and one of her five a day, I think).

I don’t want to make a fuss because it’s a great school but AIBU to raise it with them?

Make a fuss. They are there to educate her not police your choices of food.

Yanbu. I’d still continue as normal

Can you cut the top off and pour it into a water bottle instead? I'm just wondering if the problem is the carton or the contents

I'd send it in. As long as there is no Heath issues it's not their business

If you decanted it into a beaker would it still be allowed?

I cannot stand it when schools do this (barring the very odd horror story of cold happy meals, most parents are doing their best to provide what their children will eat).

When ds was little, his school banned cheese and full fat yogurts, telling everyone they could only bring in low fat. Parents quite rightly complained, that children need full fat diary and they didn’t want them eating low fat ones stuffed with artificial sweetness. School backed down.

I would email them. It’s a carton of juice, not crack.

DD is quite anxious about complying with ‘rules’ and she’s adamant that she won’t take it in if it’s not allowed. I think I’m annoyed because the school have created a new battleground here.

When I was at school we'd take in a can of coke every day and we turned out fine!

What cotton said.

Can she not just have the juice before or after school if you are worried about her getting her 5 a day and bring water in for school? It seems to me like you are the one creating a 'battle ground' not the school, it's a drink nothing will happen if she has it after school rather than in school hours.

I think these 'rules' need to be relaxed or just call them guidelines so people can ignore them
It's hard enough as it is and providing food that your children will actually eat is more cost effective with less waste

Can’t you give it to her as an after school treat? Mine all have a carton after school. Same as any other treats that aren’t allowed in lunches. I prefer them to have them at home anyway.

Our primary school doesn't allow juice only plain water in their beakers. I'm a governor and I still defy this rule as my kids simply wont drink all day if they're given plain water, but they will have sugar free squash which is what I send them with. I have now bought flasks which aren't clear so their teachers can plead ignorance as even they think its a stupid rule.

We also have a rule about no pre packed food in lunch boxes, but with a fussy eater, I do still buy some prepacked items and take the wrapper off, put it in a food bag and I shall pretend I cooked it from scratch if anyone asks! I was fine with crisps being banned as my kids only have them as a treat, but banning all pre packaged items seemed a bit over the top - I think they were targeting cake bars and such like but worded the letter badly....

I have once been asked about the contents of my kids lunch bags, and I pointed out that the school dinner menu that week was full of burger, chicken nuggets and pizza. Everything was accompanied by chips and 3 out of 5 days the pudding choices were basically some kind of cake and custard so I feel no shame whatsoever about what i put in the lunch bags given the alternative felt no better than what you'd get in a fast food place.

If you aren't happy, challenge it - or if you want to avoid confrontation, decant the juice carton into a non clear small flask instead.

I give my ds sugar free diluting juice in his water bottle. We received a general email requesting water only as a childsmile supporting school but nothing specifically to me. He is like myself and never physically feels thirsty and I have to practically force diluting juice down him and he would not touch water, it would sit in his bag all day. He gets milk at school lunches but I'm not sending milk in to sit in his bag. Even with the juice he probably drinks about 40ml during the school day and I am not particularly interested in making him chronically constipated so I would quite happily argue that with the school if they did bring it up.

Our school has never allowed juice ever, only water, didn’t know any schools did allow juice!

Ask why first. I imagine it will be to do with cutting down on plastic (straws, plastic case holding the straw) and, unless the children bring their rubbish home, having to dispose of 200+ cartons per day. I think all schools are supposed to find ways to be more environmentally friendly.

We had this with primary school and my DD like yours is a strict rule follower so would not let me put squash in her water bottle
She ended up passing out one afternoon in the summer she was In y3 as she was dehydrated.
So glad she’s in y7 at high school and no lunch box mafia she takes a carton of apple juice for lunch and a bottle of diluted sugar free squash for during the day

Is the carton itself @penneforyourthoughts or the juice? As a pp said maybe it’s the carton that’s the issue? Has there been squeezing and mess all over?

When my youngest was in infants, they banned tube yoghurts( frube type) for this exact reason.

I hate this rule. My eldest is autistic and I actually had to take him out of school in Year 1 because he also had epilepsy and refused to drink water at school. It was physically harming him. In his class there was also a child with repeated water infections due to not drinking water and another mother said her child had headaches every day for a similar reason. My son is in Year 11 now and doing mocks today. I’ve sent him into his water only school with flat Dr Pepper in a non-see through bottle as we discovered that that caffeine massively helps him focus so it’s a good exam tool for someone with extra needs.

@Snoozer11

When I was at school we'd take in a can of coke every day and we turned out fine!

Not that fine if you cant see the problem.

What about Smoothies?

@penneforyourthoughts

DD is quite anxious about complying with ‘rules’ and she’s adamant that she won’t take it in if it’s not allowed. I think I’m annoyed because the school have created a new battleground here.

I would tell the school that and say its making her avoid food even more. That is more damaging to a child (as it can encourage food àversions) then a carton of juice. The last thing kids need is insecurites about their food/drink. It's so silly! A carton of juice isn't unhealthy unless she's drinking stupid amounts xxxx

@Porcupineintherough I go to the gym six times a week, run three or four times a week and I'm a very healthy weight.

I eat healthily, don't eat processed foods, don't drink fizzy drinks now and very rarely drink alcohol.

I have all my own teeth and no dental issues.

What, exactly, is the problem?

Water only in schools should be the rule (and milk if the school provides it). Juice boxes are an environmental shame and inevitably some cause mess. Trust me that if you put juice into her water bottle, her friends will know and they will tattle.

She can have juice at home.

@Snoozer11 the fact that you think a can of coke in a child's lunch box is good parenting.