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?

Our kindergarten offered the children water or cold tea (fruit or herb) to drink. I think it's not so usual in the UK but certainly in many other countries it's quite a normal drink.

@Awalkintime - I wasn't trying to excuse anything. But the good old "just follow the rules and don't think about them" is what leads to people just blindly following whatever crap is served to them. It's how the Qanon and far-right are gaining supporters - no need to think, just follow.
There's no reason behind a school ordering you what to pack your child for lunch. It's your money. If the school/state pay for my child's lunches, they have the right to select what's suitable. If I'm paying for my child's lunch, I want to select whatever I want.
I used to be a mild supporter of uniforms and healthy lunches but the pandemics and home schooling have pretty much shown that there was zero difference in the quality of my DD's result whether she was dressed in her favourite tracksuit bottoms or her pinafore. Equally, she worked the same on a rice cracker covered with chocolate or brown bread with cheese.

I can't stand being told what I can and can't give my child. It's like they don't trust us to make healthy choices and so we have to be schooled too.
My daughters school won't allow juice so I give her flavoured water.

EerieSilence
There is reason and quite often sensible ones but that takes a bit of thought to actually ask the school instead of just stamping your feet like a toddler when rules are introduced. Most people have a sensible discussion to find out but there will always be a few who can't do that.

I’m always happy to help my child be healthy.

Is there any legal ruling as to whether schools can interfere with parents choices in lunchbox contents or not?

It's clearly contentious and surely there should be a "yes they are legally entitled" or "no, freedom is the parents choice".

Blimey, some if you really need to get over yourselves. Your child is in school about 6 hours a day so unless they have conditions/difficulties that restrict their diet, then they can manage one lunch without juice or sweet stuff such as chocolate bats. No wonder schools have such difficulties these days when you’ve got parents like those on this thread kicking off over something as simple as water. Oh and to those who think they’re “fooling” school with clear, flavoured water - we can smell it a mile off and if smelt will always tip it out and replace with water.

we can smell it a mile off and if smelt will always tip it out and replace with water.

Why? Do you really have nothing better to do?

Ffs. I'm amazed schools have the time and/or staff available to police children's lunchboxes these days. With sickness numbers and budget cuts our dinner staff barely have time to administer basic first aid and patrol behaviour issues, let alone have a nosy about the contents of a child's home packed lunch.

@Blossomtoes
Why? Do you really have nothing better to do?
We’ve plenty more to do as teachers rather than policing water bottles and lunchboxes of children who have parents who are unwilling to support policies schools have put in place and instead fill bottles/lunchboxes full of crap.

[quote LadyPenelope68]@Blossomtoes
Why? Do you really have nothing better to do?
We’ve plenty more to do as teachers rather than policing water bottles and lunchboxes of children who have parents who are unwilling to support policies schools have put in place and instead fill bottles/lunchboxes full of crap.[/quote]
Then do it and keep your nose out of kids’ water bottles.

It’s absolutely outrageous to interfere with people’s parenting choices like this. I’m so glad mine are out of the school system because I’d go into battle big time over this on principle.

Your child is in school about 6 hours a day so unless they have conditions/difficulties that restrict their diet, then they can manage one lunch without juice or sweet stuff such as chocolate bats.

For me it's not about my child managing - they honestly don't drink juice. But I find it annoying the extent to which schools interfere with my choices as a parent. I wouldn't do anything about it and follow the rules, but don't need to agree with them. I don't think kids need to be drinking juice, but don't think schools should be making these decisions.

All that talk of healthy eating soon goes out of the window when schools want to sell cakes, doughnuts/ice lollies, want money for the chocolate raffle or hands out Smarties for the Smarties challenge

^This. I'm a teacher, but schools' rank hypocrisy over this stuff gives me the absolute rage! School staff need to use their actual judgement and flag it up if a child is being sent in with not enough food or a lunchbox full of chocolate, sweets and crisps and nothing else - just like they use their judgment to spot other warning signs about a child's welfare.

Imposing blanket bans on individual, normal but less-than-immaculately healthy items is ridiculous and over-stepping. Besides, once they go to secondary it all goes completely out of the window!

Schools get inspected on all sorts and can gain healthy eating awards and such like if they have a policy on it.
Surely you want your children to go to a school where the child is educated about everything, expect if you’re not willing to do it?

Especially not expected

The suggestion of cold tea shock is so beyond reason, that there’s really nothing I could say about it. Although, I have seen a 6 year old drinking a Monster energy drink, and it’s in the same vein

i guess you never had cold tea

Surely you want your children to go to a school where the child is educated about everything, expect if you’re not willing to do it?

There is education, and there is overreach. Teachers smelling water bottles?

Heathy eating is on the curriculum.

@Benjispruce5

Heathy eating is on the curriculum.

And that’s fine but flavoured water is hardly unhealthy.

Teachers don't go around smelling water bottles, you can smell it in the classroom without going near it.

Flavoured water is full of artificial sweetener and flavourings. Not great. I’m not against a small carton of pure juice WITH their meal but water is a good thing and I can’t imagine battling against the school over it.

Volvic touch of strawberry flavoured water contains added sugar and sweetener. Just because it looks like water, it’s actually no different to Coke. Diet Coke at least has no added sugar. It’s just brown.

Flavoured water is full of artificial sweetener and flavourings. Not great.

Says who? Eye rolling at this. Sorry.

Look up Volvic touch of strawberry.

tbh though wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my children at home on their own at that age anyway.