Ice cream van outside school

[MummyJasmin]

It’s nearly November and we still have the ice cream van turning up outside primary school! I appreciate he has to make a living but can he not stick to summer or park up somewhere away from the youngest children?

You could maybe reason with an older child but a recently turned 3yo, is nigh on impossible! My lo finishes school tired and therefore prone to be irritable. I usually give in because I can’t be doing with the drama or attention from other parents - by drama I mean screaming and tantrumming etc! He parks in such a place where he cannot be avoided.

I rang my local council and they weren’t bothered. So long as it wasn’t a public protection matter he wasn’t doing anything wrong. The woman I was speaking to had thr audacity to suggest I needed to reason with my 3 yo…so wtf now it’s a parenting issue?! That’s not how 3yos are!

Ive sent an email to the school but I doubt they will do anything

aibu?

If you want to avoid children eating an unnecessary 500 calories of highly processed crap after school every day it's necessary to provide parents with an easy way out.
Lots of parents find it dificult to say no, lots of parents don't recognise the health risks of eating crap, lots of parents don't recognise that their child is overweight.

That's the reason regulation is needed. Why go to the bother of banning junk food advertising before the watershed if there's an ice cream van parked outside school every day of the week?

The basic fact is that if the van wasn't there, it's highly unlikely that the children would all get bought an ice cream elsewhere, in November. Maybe they would get another unhealthy snack, maybe they wouldn't. But an awful lot of children would be significantly healthier if that van wasn't there.

I don't think mine knew that the machines outside shops moved! I used to let them sit on them and play and they were perfectly happy with that.

But with this logic we would have to shut sweet shops near schools too no?

If a parent can’t say no to a child walking past an ice cream van then how will they be able to say no to a bag of haribo while doing the Asda shop? Or the sugary snacks at soft play?

I’m not having that removing ice cream vans will stop those parents giving their children unhealthy snacks. Sugary stuff is everywhere.

If you want to avoid children eating an unnecessary 500 calories of highly processed crap after school every day it's necessary to provide parents with an easy way out.
Lots of parents find it dificult to say no

I think the school and local authority should be making parenting classes a priority then, and leave the ice creams to the parents who can say no without their child throwing tantrums.

I agree @INeedAnotherName

presumably not every single child coming out of school has an ice cream every day?
I doubt many could afford it.
other parents manage to say no - you've just decided to raise a spoilt brat that has no boundaries and gets everything it screams for,
that will make for a delightful teenager - and adult.

Sorry OP, am usually the first to roll my eyes at replies that have unrealistic expectations of small children, but in this case I think YABU. A firm but kind ‘sorry sweetie, I know it’s rough when you want something and can’t have it, let’s get you home.’ and carry him past if/ use stroller to get him past if needed, he will stop asking once he realises there’s no point, and you don’t have to be mean about it with him, just matter of fact.

...so wtf now it’s a parenting issue?! That’s not how 3yos are!

Yes, of course it's a parenting issue. WTF made you think it wasn't? If you don't want your child to have ice cream, then tell them that they cannot have one.

Taken to the logical conclusion then, parents have no responsibility for their children's upbringing. It's all down to "the authorities" (whether national or local) and the schools. Never heard such nonsense.

Bloody convenient though- never having to put any effort in to creating boundaries. I would have the energy to have 3 more kids if someone else is going to do all the difficult bits!

Just say NO to your child.
Can you not teach the days of the week to him?
Teach him that on Fridays he gets an ice-cream. Mark the days off in the morning and prepare him for no ice-cream until Friday.

I smiled at the way the OP responded with a her strong defence about how her kids are otherwise dream children - never ever kick up a fuss about toys, sweets, never had a MacDonald’s etc etc
😂

Its ice cream, not class A drugs.

😂

Says the person who mentioned school dinners in the first place....

I made an off comment to tell the OP if she was that bothered about <shock horror> unhealthy ice-cream, she should have a look at school diners first.

It's not me who turned it into a huge debate 😂

Lols. There really is no point in this conversation 😂

and yet there you are 😂

Yes, YABU. He is perfectly to run his business by parking up where it's most profitable, ie where there are lots of kids.

It's not his fault you can't deal with your toddler. How do you cope with walking past a sweet shop? Do think they should all close down for you as well?

You phoned the council because you can't cope with saying no to a fucking ice cream? Good grief.

This was my solution - Friday treat.

OP, you need to get tough. Tantrumming three year old gets picked up and marched past, kicking and screaming. If too heavy, take the buggy and strap them in.

Never ever give in.

We clearly don't live in the same place then. I don't see what the "Eh?" is required for 🙄