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?

Yeah it stinks of sickly, fruity sweetener and they ALWAYS tell.

@goose1964

You can flavour water without it showing, I've had it with sliced lemon, cucumber and mint, I suspect it would work with slices of orange too. Put the favouring into a jug of water and refrigerate overnight.

Really good idea!

Better if the school just provided tap water. No drinks from home. No arguments.

Not in the UK (now), but still find it funny that juice is acceptable for children as an every day drink..? Why not just water? Or milk.

@MangoIce she’s actually very healthy and takes after my dad’s side of the family. Her growth trajectory for her weight and height are steady. I did used to worry but I have stopped once I realised the graphs were fine (dr said she’s fine). I don’t believe in unhealthy foods just unhealthy balance of foods.

@hopingbutlosing
Says who?! This is the whole point of the thread.

Your child’s school will have a Healthy Eating Policy (or similarly named) that’s been drawn up by school, approved by Governors and in line with the LA’s outline guidance. It will be available for all parents to read - infact you were probably given a copy when your child started or it’s on the website. By sending your child to a school, you agree to the policies of the school. It’s really simple, if you don’t like a school’s policies - change school.

@TrulyPistoff

Not in the UK (now), but still find it funny that juice is acceptable for children as an every day drink..? Why not just water? Or milk.

Me too. Like there is something wrong with water, I find it very strange.

One of my ds’s would (and still won’t) not drink plain water. No matter how thirsty he was, how hot the day, or how much he’d been running around. It wasn’t a battle I was prepared to fight, or risk dehydration, so in those situations I just sent clear flavoured water in a bottle. My other ds will happily drink litres of water, so it’s not a me thing. I think schools need to let parents parent, and focus on their own remit.

@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer

One of my ds’s would (and still won’t) not drink plain water. No matter how thirsty he was, how hot the day, or how much he’d been running around. It wasn’t a battle I was prepared to fight, or risk dehydration, so in those situations I just sent clear flavoured water in a bottle. My other ds will happily drink litres of water, so it’s not a me thing. I think schools need to let parents parent, and focus on their own remit.

I believe you. I just don't understand how it got to that. I mean, my kids never had any drink apart from water once they were weaned and until they were about 2.5y and started on occasional fluffies. They didn't taste juice or soft drinks until they were 5 or so. Maybe it's a cultural thing as it's the norm where I am.

Stupid petty.rules - why I'm not that sympathetic about teachers who.claim to be overworked. The remedy is in their own hands.

@NellieBertram

Lots of schools are water only.

Dental health is now a big issue for Ofsted.

I wouldn't get into a battle with the school over juice - just give it to her as a snack after school.

I think that’s more because no one can get in to see a dentist.

It’s really simple, if you don’t like a school’s policies - change school.

Well actually no. You have very limited choice of schools, and many people in practical terms have no choice at all. This isn't like walking into a shop and choosing what you want, where you are always free to go into another shop.

Also, OP's DD is already at this school. The policy is new and it's not fair on OP to have to either comply with a new policy like this, or disrupt her daughter's education and move schools (which depending on where she lives and other things, might not be possible anyway).

Schools are a public service providing educational facilities. Enforcing this kind of micro fascist dictat goes way beyond what they should be doing.

@TataMamma
The policy is new and it's not fair on OP to have to either comply with a new policy like this

It’s just having water for goodness sake, it’s not the end of the world. There will be allowances for specific children, but for the rest, water is absolutely fine. Big fuss over nothing.

LadyPenelope68
So true, you'd not believe how many parents fuss over this kind of thing each day in school. Aside from the specific needs, there is so much fussing over stuff like this. Funny but during a PE lesson you bring out a jug of water and they all lap it up! Every single one of them!

@Awalkintime
I’m a Primary Teacher, I know exactly what you mean 🤣
We’ve just changed to clear, school water bottles only, no other type of bottle. Loads of fuss about it - mainly from the parents we already knew kept trying to send in juice - saying their child doesn’t like water/won’t drink out of that type of bottle etc. Head was very clear, these bottles only. Funnily enough, they’re now all drinking water out of their school bottles.

LadyPenelope68
We changed how we offer drinks since covid, we always provided cups of water but they brought their own since covid. We've had all kinds of excuses that they suddenly need juice now instead of water. They also tried the fruit water trick and the coloured bottles. They think we are thick! All ours drink water too because it is an expectation.

What's wrong with just having a drinks bottle of water??? Kids don't need carton drinks, it's ridiculous. Thank goodness some schools are finally being sensible.... all this pandering to children's food whims is pathetic.

@NellieBertram

Lots of schools are water only.

Dental health is now a big issue for Ofsted.

I wouldn't get into a battle with the school over juice - just give it to her as a snack after school.

This, They really should only be a treat (not to mention the plastic/waste of sending them every day)

As long as schools persist with these petty
rules I have limited sympathy with teachers' claims to be overworked.

It’s not one of her five a day - regardless of what the marketing on the box says- it’s unnecessary sugar with little nutrition that is had for her body and bad for her teeth. Drinks help to fill us up
And if you give a child juice or pop or even milk with meals it will start to fill them up and they won’t eat as much of the food.
Your school are doing you a favour.

None of our kids school have ever allowed anything other than water - or milk in secondary- as a choice inside the school building.

Parents who insist their kids will dehydrate and die of thirst if they don’t have juice really need to get a grip.

@Snoozer11 our school sold them! They also sold chocolate bars, crisps, cans, panda pops, but then there were salads, rolls, soup, all sorts, and twice a week mum would give me 35p extra for a can of cherry coke and a Trio lol but she would ask me to not just go for the junk!
I barely wanted the 'bad stuff' because it wasn't special ifkwim.

Its getting too much and there should be a middle ground, be healthy but let them have some 'nice' bits, they're kids fgs!

I'm starting to get worried about DD who is in primary 1 (scotland) as she has a water bottle and fills it every day at school (there is a problem with our water at home so she fills it there) and every day its starting to come home more full.

She would also choose bottles of water when we were out and now she's starting to refuse water. I think she's getting fed up of just water. But I will be honest and I can't afford the price of milk at school for her. It's actually cheaper to buy a 2ltr of milk and let her drink that than the milk at school.

I'd be sending your child with whatever they drink, keep them hydrated no matter what schools say.

@Mistlewoeandwhine

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.

My daughter has a genetic condition that makes her whole body work slower than it should. When she was in primary school her neurologist suggested she consumed caffeine mid morning. Don't think the teachers believed us. 😂