DC wasn't allowed sweet in lunchbox

[lices]

I'm genuinely curious about whether this is okay or not. I'm not dwelling, just interested as me and DP have different views!

I sent my DC to preschool with one little sweet from their Halloween bucket because they requested. The rest of their lunchbox is always well-rounded and this was just a small treat for DC (especially considering the buckets are going down so slow!)

There is nothing in the rules of the nursery that says they can't bring sweets (or any rules whatsoever about what can/can't be brought) in their lunchbox.

However, when DC was collected, it was explained by a staff member that she'd been told she wasn't allowed it and it was hidden and then put back in at the end to take home. The reason given is that it was unfair for the other children to see DC with it as they'd all want one and it wouldn't be fair if they didn't have them?

Just curious to see thoughts on this!

As part of my work I run various kids activities and wouldn’t have allowed it either for exactly the reasons the preschool stated, I can’t understand why you are miffed.

I think that’s ridiculous.

Lunches will vary wildly between children.

You can’t not allow a child to eat part of their lunch because another child might not have it.

I wouldn’t make a fuss this time but I agree it’s absurd.

Children need to learn that sometimes they can’t have something just because X has it.

Our school for lunch boxes clearly state healthy snacks only so they wouldn't alllow sweets either and yeah other kids would kick off no doubt, I wouldn't want to be a nursery worker and deal with that 😂 just let him have it at home op xx

That was normal 20 years ago when mine were little.

There's probably a number of reasons for a 'no sweets' rule:

• Chocking Hazard
• Hyperactivity due to sugar/e-numbers
• The reason given

I agree that, as a one-off, a single sweet with a balanced lunch isn't (in real terms) an issue, however, it's the precedent it could set. Next thing other kids want one sweet with their lunch, then it's more than one...etc.

I guess they just think that sticking to a, what seems like a petty, rule is 'nipping in the bud' a potential misunderstanding of policy.

If they are going down slowly put them in the bin, don't send them in to nursery!

I think the nursery was correct. Otherwise your dd would probably come home complaining that another child had chocolate or sweets in their lunchbox. Probably better just to tell your child there can have a sweet from their Halloween bucket when they get home.

It's no more of a choking hazard than any other food. One sweet I really couldn't get worked up about, if no attention was called to it, the other kids wouldn't even notice.

It's not fair? Well life isn't fair.

Haven't worked in this kind of setting for nearly a decade but it would have been normal to gently take it away/save it for later even then OP. I think its fine.

At my child's school you're not allowed anything considered unhealthy in lunchboxes at all, yet the school dinners always come with a pudding. When DS was in nursery (which feeds into the school) I could only give him cheese/ham sandwiches, fruit, yoghurts and sticks of cucumber. Now he's year one and has free school meals they regularly give him chocolate cake and sticky toffee pudding. Yet lunchbox rules would still apply if I wanted him to have a packed lunch instead. Truly ridiculous.

If they aren't allowed it needs to be clearly stated on parents information.

No fizzy drinks, no sweets, no chocolate bars (things like kit kits are ok) and no nuts is pretty standard. Grapes, cherry tomatoes etc chopped for little ones also a common rule. But it should be clearly communicated to parents.

This confuses me aswel. The puddings at dc's school with school dinners sound glorious. But I can't put a digestive in their packed lunch? So strange.