Parents complaining about this in school?

[WillowAnn]

DC are not properly watched whilst eating at dinner time and allowed to just go outside whenever they’re finished. So they could basically have no dinner or just a very small amount and then go out to play. Staff don’t advise them to eat more or say they can’t go out until they’ve eaten. Parents are complaining. Any thoughts?

Never occurred to me it was odd! I’m in Scotland so maybe it’s different here? Or… entirely possible… my kids don’t give me the full information. I just know that when my daughter was being bullied it was witnessed by the actual teachers at lunch and then reported to me so I know there are teachers of some sort around all the time. No one cares about what anyone is eating though

I think it is a hard one. As a dc who had a fairly normal appetite and just finished food fast then went out to play, it was ok.
But then other dc was a very fussy eater who could only eat small amounts at a time. They were also very sensitive. It did not help that the teacher who decided they did not eat properly was rather firm and to the point. So after a few teary returns from school, i had to go to school and explain that while i appreciate they are trying to be helpful ( because as an adult, i could see where they were coming from), my dc could only eat small amounts at a time so i would be happy if they only ate a small amount. Believe i had learnt that lesson the hard way after the 1st less fussy dc. I remember as a toddler, trying to get them to eat more so they would be full, but after years i gave up as i realised their stomachs couldn’t seem to take it. That they needed food little but often.
The teacher understood as i explained and then after that, treated accordingly. Which resulted in happy child and happy teacher.
So after that long essay, what i am trying to say is;
The teacher is trying to do best by your child and if you work with them and explain in whichever way you want your child to be eating, they should be accommodating.

@CaptainMyCaptain I teach in a state school (not a free school or anything) and I do two lunch duties a fortnight. While yes I get free food and paid for them (about £5 ish a duty), maybe they choose to do a lunch duty, I don't have a different contract or anything, I just volunteered to do some duties at lunch time

Yes- can you not see the link?

I genuinely don't understand this. When I went to school, we didn't have water bottles and my parents had absolutely no idea whether I was drinking or eating. It wouldn't have crossed their minds to contact the school about it.

What is going on with modern parents?

Lunch duty was one of the things teachers were not required to do after a pay deal some time ago like counting dinner money and putting up displays (although I liked putting up displays). I preferred to eat my own lunch in peace and prepare for the afternoon although I did go in to help new Reception starters I wasn't required to. Nobody got paid for it at my school (£5 wouldn't have tempted me) and no teachers ever went outside at lunch time. If you happened to witness something as you were walking down the corridor, for example, you would obviously deal with it. .

Everyone I know who was forced to eat certain food or certain amounts of food at school had a very disordererd relationship with food in later life.

They should be allowed to eat until they're satisfied and go and play. The staff can't make them eat as some kind of punishment. They might not like the food or might be full.

I remember eating nothing but grated cheese and grated carrot, and cake when I was in primary school. Rather that than being forced fed all the other crap. I guess that was the 80s!

I'm sure your kids school food is nicer than the rubbish we had back then. So just let them eat what they feel like.

This happened in our primary as a result of a parent complaining their child hadn’t ate lunch in 6 months - the school’s response was to harass all the kids. I spoke to the HT told her I didn’t wish my kids to eat more than they wanted - she promised to have a word but they were still harrsssed and not allowed to leave the lunch room until they proved they’d eaten all their lunch - give someone a bit of power and they’ll cling on to it.

Totally agree

Having children sit for a set number of minutes per lunch time is a good idea. Monitoring what they eat is not.

I'm in the US and grew up with nuns. Basically we were force fed.

I find the level of mollycoddling in the UK bizarre. When I went to school, everyone brought a packed lunch, which they ate outside in the playground. Or didn't eat, if they didn't want to. Or swapped with someone else. No teachers watched to make sure everyone ate. They expected you to have a certain level of independence.

Whilst true, many children will abandon lunch in favour of play. Especially the footballers

I think keeping them in for at least 15/20 minutes ( by which time they may realise they're actually hungry) doesn't hurt

That doesn't mean they have to stand over them forcing them to eat

not really. schools have an aversion to intervening and punishing bullies.

I'd be grateful that the school didn't forcefeed my child to eat. What your thoughts op?

🙄

forcing children to eat beyond feeling full, or to eat things they find disgusting is a good way to trigger eating disorders.

Ditto, the evil cow. Tears running down my face into the revolting pink solid lump of -?- custard, while she sat next to me, in my face. Next morning I threw a complete freak-out at the school gates (8 or 9 years old). 50+ years ago and still makes me feel sick when I think about it.