School demanding packed meals for 18 hr bus trip

[Snoopmummy]

DC is off on a school trip involving an 18 hour coach journey. School is demanding we drop children off in the evening having fed them (fine), equipped with nut free snacks (makes sense). We have also been asked to provide TWO meals: a packed breakfast and a packed lunch.

That means breakfast will be consumed 13 hours after they set off and lunch will be something like 17 hours later. Is there any food that can safely last for that length of time in an insulated bag or flask? DC does not like dried fruit or cereal bars.

AIBU to consider asking for the risk assessment over this and suggesting we equip them with money to get food on the way as they will need to stop anyway?!

I guess OP you have not been on a coach recently, they are not now like the ones from your childhood.

You need a risk assessment on making food? Seriously? Pack an ice pack if you must, otherwise there's plenty of pre-prepapared foods or dried foods they could have as a one off breakfast and lunch. Smh.

Jesus just pack a load of sandwiches and crisis! Your child won't starve and the sandwiches will be fine! 🤦‍♀️

Yes agree with pp, I'd be much more worried about my 9 yr old bring on a bus for 19 hours! Wouldn't really care about the food aspect.

Strange words... demanding and risk assessment. Strange. Just pack two pack lunches. As long as you avoid things that need to be in the fridge it be ok. Sounds like the school been sensible asking for this. Can you image the problems if all the children have to buy food on route.

Do people really worry about sandwiches not being refrigerated for a day? Maybe I’m lax about food safety but it’s pretty low down my list of worries.

This is so dramatic, Jesus

Jesus.

My dc is going to LeedsFest this summer and is already planning her food - 5 whole days without refrigeration, zero hygiene and portaloos, what can possibly go wrong on a 18 hour coach trip?

God help the teachers who have to deal with 40 plus hungry kids 10 hours into the journey as they scoffed everything within 30 minutes of departure...

Goodness me. A slice of ham won't kill you.

Trip is presumably voluntary? You should be thankful your kids are privileged to have the option and teachers that will give up their time.

Flying? Have people seen the prices of flights at weekends or out of term time? Wouldn't be feasible and there's still the cost and hassle of transfers.

Warburtons bread and other supermarket choices stays fresh for a week out of the fridge. Dairylea would be perfect. Crisps. Fruit. Malt loaf. Kitkats. Raisins. Throw in some chopped veggie although I bet they don't get eaten.

I'm sure these kids are going to have a fab time. No one's going hungry.

Lots of school trips take coaches. School ski trip is usually feb half term and it's VERY expensive to fly. I'm guessing that's what this is - a ski trip at a prep school or something. If that's the case and you don't like like it's very much optional. Teacher here - parents complaining about stuff like this is why staff don't want to run overseas trips. Give up your holiday, whilst all the time for the term before at work basically being a part time travel agent, and then people complain about absolute nonsense....

For those saying they should eat at the service station it's just not feasible with kids this age. Stop for everyone to go to toilet for 40 9 year olds is 20 minutes. Some kids would fuss for that long choosing their meal at that age - it's not realistic. And even if they choose instantly getting them all through McDonald's etc and eating it would take over an hour. So that's an hour more in the coach journey.

Shut up you dick , it’s one sandwich

Some type of pasta as its filling.

Get a big baguette and fill it..it will last ages and the kid doesn't have to eat it all at one. Crisps, lots of water/juice/cordial. Pack of biscuits. Favourite fruit. Kids will probably share/swap food too. Some chewy sweets. They'll probably be so excited to be with their mates!

The coach driver will have to stop in any case I suspect for at least an hour as it’s not safe to drive for that many hours with just a toilet break. Why wouldn’t you just add a tenner onto the already astronomical price of the trip and go to services?

There will be at least two drivers and they have to stop every 4 hours at least and the trip is logged through tachographs.
Op have you ever taken a coach load of kids through the services ? They will buy fast food and crap, and overseeing all their purchases plus toilet trips will add a lot of time to the journey.
Do you have any experience of taking kids on any type of trip.
They buy rubbish, they throw up, the coach then has to stop again to clean up, bags have to be unloaded to find clean clothes. Coach is late, ferry is missed.
I’ve done too many school trips to count

There are toilets on the coaches.

And will have two drivers.

Ah I stupidly hadn’t clocked the two drivers scenario. Right then, anyone know if 710ml or 450ml Thermos food flask is better for that age? Will pesto pasta be edible the next day?

I wasnt sure this wasnt a wind up but reading your updates you really are serious aren't you!

And don’t forget the kid that loses all their money

Because this is what the parents have been asked to provide.
They will be trying to limit the amount of time spent at services and on the road in general. They will have account for a quick run to the toilet and back whenever they stop, I would imagine. And just won't have time to allow for each child to queue to order and wait for food. It will add time to an already long journey, reducing time spent at their destination.
You asked if you were being unreasonable, I think the numerous posts on here pint to the fact that you possible are being unreasonable.
The staff are taking your child on a very long journey in their own time, just make a couple of packed lunches and stop being so precious!

The coach tachograph tracks everything, they have a tight schedule and they have to stick to it.

It'll probably be mostly over the coach seat and floor, along with other kids' soups, couscous, squashed bananas and chopped salads whilst the others tuck into their non spillable sandwiches, snack bars and flapjacks.

And if you've never smelled a thermos that's been culturing over a pint of carbohydrate and moisture for a week because a kid isn't going to be washing it up, any more than they're going to washing their cutlery, I wouldn't suggest you find out now.

As a young teacher, I accompanied a trip to the WW1 battlefields by coach and ferry. More than one kid had spent ALL their money by the time we were half way across the channel...

And yes, herding them through service stations was a nightmare. I can't begin to imagine how long it would take if they all had to buy a meal as well.

Pesto pasta (aka posh ketchup on chips) is ok but croissants or chocolate chip brioche are the devil? One meal can be about calories, filling them up and carbs for energy. I hope that the school use common sense and just ask any objecting parents to remove their child from the trip.

OP, make some flapjacks from organic flour and unicorn’s tears and wrap them in wax cloth if you are so terrified of buying a packet of Soreen and some Monster Munch. Chuck in a satsuma.

Don’t put an eight year old on a coach with a flask of wet mush. That’s insane.