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?!

Hahahahahahahah I do love this 😂!

Interesting, when I go walking I leave cores for animals (assuming it's a suitable environment) am I doing wrong.

I presume you'd be happy with losing your money then?

They do get breaks you know

I can't be the only one feeling a bit sorry for OP's child, she's probably like this all the time.

@DonnaBanana

this, plus your kid would be fuming as they’ll wanna be with their mates.

Processed croissants have practically zero nutritional content.

So? It's not a big deal for one day, just give them a banana and an apple to balance it out.

This has already been answered but you seem hell bent on being annoyed over a non-issue. Do the school and teachers a favour and don’t sign your child up to anymore trips. Let someone else go who appreciates the time and effort the staff have put in when they could be with their own families.

Really? I used to eat a lot of croissants and they were quite calorific and kept me going. A cucumber would be something with no nutritional content.

I think the OP just doesn't want him to go so is throwing up barriers. Hell be fine though and I'm sure will have a great time being a little independent.

I would think pasta pesto would be absolutely fine.

Except they’re not allowed nuts

Are you normally this dramatic? Demanding, you mean asking? Then this talk of risk assessments for packed lunch. If this how you react to other stuff in life it must be exhausting for you. Pop some ice packs in the food bag perhaps?

The school are 'demanding' you feed your own child?
How presumptuous of them. 🙄

There will be two coach drivers and they will swap.

You sound like a total nightmare 2bh.

In none of your subsequent updates have you acknowledged the massive favour they're doing to you and your child taking him/her on this (ski?) trip.

Furthermore, the fact that you say that you are experienced in doing risk assessments is highly dubious. If you were, you would know that you do not risk assess for all the millions of things that are outside of your control. The school asked you to bring food onto the coach, there is no inherent risk in this.

Had they requested that you bring food and stated that only shellfish was acceptable then I'd understand but they haven't. They just asked for food. It's you who is minded to bring fresh/chilled items on the trip so the responsbility to prepare appropriately, such as with a cool bag, lies on you. Not the staff. I mean do you expect them to risk assess for you to forgetting to pack your kid's pyjamas?

I agree with other posters, you are coming across as one of 'those' parents.

I imagine the OP knew about the length of the coach journey before agreeing to send her child on the trip. Pulling him/her off it because of the need for 2 packed meals would be a tad bizarre.

A croissant with some jam (who cares if it's not nutritious) and a banana for breakfast

Dinner and tea. Make some sandwiches using those jars of paste. The stuff lives on supermarket shelves so it'll be perfectly fine shoved in a pack up box for x amount of hours. A couple of bags of crisps or some pretzels, a couple of those individually wrapped cakes. A couple of pieces of fruit and some drinks. Freeze a couple of cartons of juice or a bottle of water to keep everything cool and just put one or 2 in un frozen ready to drink straight away.

Apart from that yes. Maybe pasta and red eg: tomato sauce ? Or as others suggested a cheese sandwich and a peparami ?

😂

Dd took these on a D of E thing with a little packet of feta and olives to mix in
https://www.merchant-gourmet.com/?utm_campaign=gs-2022-01-12&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-62tBhDSARIsAO7twbbgQBhVksmJ25R0eVWhGVDCQGlEg2Ay3OhJ-bLSKhSwVMnQNRLgtdwaAk6MEALw_wcB

Ha this reply made me laugh. Reminded me of when my ds went on the Y7 trip to Paris and he messaged me on arrival to say he didn't think he could stay at the hotel because the wallpaper was hanging off and it wasn't even a 3 star, complete with pictures. I told him to get over himself and get on with it, which he did and had a great time.

This is virtually the minutes of meetings of the voluntary organisation I am involved in, from the parents questions and complaints. Even though every adult on that trip is volunteering to give up their annual leave to take the children on those experiences, and paying the same as all the young people, and have put hours and hours into planning it, also using the experiences of the same trip having happened for decades.

You are way over thinking this OP.

The thermo flask isn't a good idea as Pesto contains nuts. Honestly just do a sandwich or baguette and plenty of snacks. It doesn't matter if its not the healthiest thing in the world as it's a one off

Pesto pasta = carbs and oil. Hardly any more nutritious then a croissant.