Page 3 | Free breakfast club-offensive government campaign

JTT95 · 2025-09-19T06:59:51+00:00

The government has lost the plot. This campaign is ridicolous. Listing things you could do instead of having breakfast with your child (while the child eats processed toast and jam or cereal at school instead of sharing a family meal). They are pushing some strange anti-family agenda.

twistyizzy · 19/09/2025 08:59

Danikm151 · 19/09/2025 08:58

My son’s school used to do a cooked breakfast each morning with cereal and fruit options.
Now it’s cereal or toast which my son won’t eat as the “toast is burnt”. We still pay the same amount though.
funding is going down all round.

Precisely my point

honeylulu · 19/09/2025 08:59

I agree with the poster who said it was pitched to minimise stigma.

It avoids a tone of "this is for poor children" and/or "this is for evil working mothers" by spinning it as "more time in your day".

It has still landed awkwardly because it's a bit too flippant but I can see what they were trying to do.

My kids are past primary age now but I almost always sent them to breakfast club even when WFH simply because they aren't "morning people" and had no appetite first thing and would just dawdle over breakfast at home, sometimes having just a single bite. A nutritious breakfast at the family dining table is fuck all good if they don't actually eat it! By the time they'd walked up the hill to school they were ready for a slice of toast or bowl of cereal. It's not the best nutrition but was better than them having nothing until lunchtime.

I nearly cried after covid when breakfast club reopened as "activity club" as school had decided it would no longer include food.

pmtorpmdd · 19/09/2025 09:00

JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch · 19/09/2025 08:06

It’s awful! Surely the message needs to be, “Enabling parents to work”?

Yes this is clearly the motivation and is likely because school drop off and the standard 9 am start doesn’t quite work out

twistyizzy · 19/09/2025 09:00

StarlightRobot · 19/09/2025 08:56

It’s a stupid poster BUT I support the breakfast club initiative because:

that extra time in the morning means a working parent may be able to accept a job that may not otherwise available. This will help women the most as they tend to be the ones most likely to give. up work for child caring reasons.
number 1 above is good for the economy and the economic benefits alone justify the scheme.
There is a huge problem with children refusing to go to school post covid. My understanding is that children who can go to breakfast club are more likely to go to school. It can be a less stressful start and easier transition to the school day for them.
number 3 above improves the educational outcomes for those children. There is plenty of data that shows how important it is for children to be in school.
number 3 above means more parents can get to work rather than having to manage a school refuser at home. This is good for the economy.
productivity (or lack thereof) is one of the problems holding back the economy. Having an extra 30 minutes in the morning can really help to boost productivity for working parents- getting to work earlier, etc
Inflation has hit families very hard. This is one way to help them out- the government covers breakfast club costs for those currently paying and giving families some reprieve.
it’s completely optional, there is no anti family agenda!

I won’t be using it because I can work from home and have a lot of flexibility in my job. But I think it’s a really smart idea and delivers help where it is needed.

Edited

Trust me, a slice of toast is going to get a school refuser into school!
The families who really need this aren't the ones who will access it.
See the 2 x links I've posted around the issues.

Neemie · 19/09/2025 09:01

BarbaraVineFan · 19/09/2025 08:05

But they are not making out it’s better for the child? They are pointing out the benefits to the parents in a tongue-in-cheek way. I don’t see the problem with it personally

I had some young child-free friends over for dinner a while ago and one of them said to me ‘Aww, now you are a mum, it is so nice you have time to cook’ . At the time I had an 18 month old, I was 7 months pregnant and I was working full time. I guess she thought having a child = mum sitting at home drinking tea and watching Pippa pig. I think quite a lot of people think like this.

This poster is a bit like her comment: patronising and stupid.

Most working parents would like to have the time to sit down and eat breakfast with their children instead of having to cart them off to breakfast club.

tripleginandtonic · 19/09/2025 09:02

Yamap · 19/09/2025 08:09

Well it’s just fantastic that they have hurt the private schools with VAT to provide shit like this. My DSis teaches in a private school and she has had colleagues made redundant and seen her workload increase to unmanageable levels. Where there were 4 reasonable sized classes doing a subject, there are now 3 giant ones - the kids can’t fit into the classrooms without moving desks every lesson and the remaining teachers have a stupid workload that isn’t really possible. Race to the bottom as usual with this idiotic ideology.

Diddums.

Caterina99 · 19/09/2025 09:02

The advert is a bit odd! Not offensive - and it’s clearly tongue in cheek somewhat. But most parents aren’t spending the extra time watching peppa pig!

Surely the program is mostly to provide childcare so that more parents (women) can work and pay more tax? If it feeds kids that wouldn’t otherwise be fed then that’s a definite bonus!

twistyizzy · 19/09/2025 09:04

tripleginandtonic · 19/09/2025 09:02

Diddums.

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It's fine, the money from VAT isn't going to schools.
But love the sarky comment about teachers being made redundant. What a reductive, shitty comment to make.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 19/09/2025 09:05

You seem to be under the impression that all patents are sitting down for a full home cooked meal at breakfast time with most of are throwing toast or cereal at our kids while trying to get ready for work.

If you don’t want or need to use a breakfast club then don’t. But this poster isn’t offensive in the slightest.

Dweetfidilove · 19/09/2025 09:06

The advert isn't great and I fancy a nice bowl of porridge myself, but it means that children are fed (who otherwise wouldn't be), then I won't knock it.

Bear in mind also that many a children who eat at home are having the same high sugar cereals, cereals bars, toast and jam etc, so are no better nourished than eating at school.

PersephonePomegranate · 19/09/2025 09:08

JTT95 · 19/09/2025 08:07

If you look at some other videos down this campaign, you’ll see they’re saying exactly that. Better for the child to start their day with their peers before school and for parents to be able to work more hours.

The campaign has received a huge backlash.

Edited

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Look, some people will agree with you but some will disagree. Repeating that some randoms on Instrgram don't like it doesn't give your argument more clout.

It's a crap government ad - surprise, surprise. They're not exactly known for their avant garde marketing, are they.

You'd think people would have better things to worry about than this shite - like nagging your kid 15 times to eat their breakfast, brush their teeth and hair before dashing off to school, or (shock horror) rushing out the door to breakfast club so you can rush onwards with your commute and get to work.

SUPerSaver721 · 19/09/2025 09:11

I take it op you dont work. Breakfast club enables me to get to work on time. Im not sitting watching peppa pig at home or flying to Spain. I wouod need to get up at 5am to make a wholesome family breakfast that my children probably would not eat to leave the house before 8am. I think most homes breakfast is cereal, toast, pancakes etc not home cooked sourdough bread with free range eggs. Freshly picked that morning from the garden.

Original poster

JTT95 · 19/09/2025 09:15

SUPerSaver721 · 19/09/2025 09:11

I take it op you dont work. Breakfast club enables me to get to work on time. Im not sitting watching peppa pig at home or flying to Spain. I wouod need to get up at 5am to make a wholesome family breakfast that my children probably would not eat to leave the house before 8am. I think most homes breakfast is cereal, toast, pancakes etc not home cooked sourdough bread with free range eggs. Freshly picked that morning from the garden.

It takes 5 mins to make scrambled egg for example but that’s not the point of my post.

OP posts:

JTT95 · 19/09/2025 09:15

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

twistyizzy · 19/09/2025 09:16

SUPerSaver721 · 19/09/2025 09:11

I take it op you dont work. Breakfast club enables me to get to work on time. Im not sitting watching peppa pig at home or flying to Spain. I wouod need to get up at 5am to make a wholesome family breakfast that my children probably would not eat to leave the house before 8am. I think most homes breakfast is cereal, toast, pancakes etc not home cooked sourdough bread with free range eggs. Freshly picked that morning from the garden.

Why would you need 3 hours to provide breakfast?

ShesTheAlbatross · 19/09/2025 09:16

I think it’s a stupid advert - I don’t really understand what they were aiming for. But I don’t think it’s at all “offensive”. Nor do I think there’s anything wrong with breakfast clubs.

TheNightingalesStarling · 19/09/2025 09:17

My kids Secondary has provided free breakfast for a while...

The reality. No one eats the "healthy" porridge because its either practically drinkable through a straw or vongealed and lumpy.
When its toast with Jam etc... many will get a slice. But mass catering toast is a lot harder.

PearlCluches · 19/09/2025 09:17

JTT95 · 19/09/2025 08:04

They are pushing it to everyone, even to people who don’t need it, making out it’s somehow better for the child to eat breakfast at school. If you look at their comments on instagram where this was published most people think this campaign is offensive.

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Probably because most people can't function if they can't find something to be offended by.

Whoisw · 19/09/2025 09:18

This reply has been deleted

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Just an fyi when you share ig links these days it shows the account that’s sharing it along with the profile pic etc. just incase you want mumsnet to delete it.

phoenixrosehere · 19/09/2025 09:18

Wiltingasparagusfern · 19/09/2025 08:55

Imagine getting a bee in your bonnet about breakfast clubs.

There’s a posh nursery near us that doesn’t do breakfast. Claims it’s because “children should have breakfast with their family for their wellbeing.” When I read that I was like, come off it! You just don’t want to do it because it’ll cost money. At least be honest about it rather than cloaking it in some psychobabble.

I never had breakfast with my family because I was always late. I’d eat my toast walking to the bus stop and somehow survived not sitting down with my parents every morning.

The state nurseries provide breakfast, and I’m glad because some of the kids won’t be getting food at home.

It also sounds ignorant as if all parents are able to have breakfast with their kids in the morning.

My dad left the house at 5 am and my mother at 7 am or 7:30. Younger sister and I had school at 8:45, then I had it at 8:25 in secondary and her 8:45 so we would leave the house at the same time, me to school and her to the bus stop at the end of the street. We rarely had breakfast with our parents. Didn’t stop us from succeeding.

We had dinners together though.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 19/09/2025 09:20

JTT95 · 19/09/2025 09:15

It takes 5 mins to make scrambled egg for example but that’s not the point of my post.

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I‘m not making scrambled eggs or anything that that involves cooking in a morning,there simply isn’t time while trying to get ready for work and get DS sorted for school. It’s toast or cereal and fruit if they’re still hungry.

Itstheshowgirl · 19/09/2025 09:24

I don’t think the poster is offensive at all.

I’ve never had to use a breakfast club despite being a working mother but I think they are a brilliant thing not only to allow parents to get to work on time but also to feed children who have parents who either can’t or won’t feed them breakfast.

My Mum never gave us breakfast because she didn’t like eating breakfast so in her head why would we? (it took me having my own DC to realise how bad that was!) My DC will both talk about kids in their classes who are going round begging others for something for a morning snack because they are starving and haven’t have breakfast and haven’t been given any snacks for school. These IMO are the kids who need breakfast club because it isn’t the child’s fault that their parents can’t or won’t provide food for them.

twistyizzy · 19/09/2025 09:26

Itstheshowgirl · 19/09/2025 09:24

I don’t think the poster is offensive at all.

I’ve never had to use a breakfast club despite being a working mother but I think they are a brilliant thing not only to allow parents to get to work on time but also to feed children who have parents who either can’t or won’t feed them breakfast.

My Mum never gave us breakfast because she didn’t like eating breakfast so in her head why would we? (it took me having my own DC to realise how bad that was!) My DC will both talk about kids in their classes who are going round begging others for something for a morning snack because they are starving and haven’t have breakfast and haven’t been given any snacks for school. These IMO are the kids who need breakfast club because it isn’t the child’s fault that their parents can’t or won’t provide food for them.

And those are the children who are least likely to be dropped at school early in order to access a "free" breakfast

Another76543 · 19/09/2025 09:33

That advert makes me wonder what the rationale of this policy actually is. This suggests it’s less about feeding children and getting parents into work, and more about saying “if you get your kids out of the house earlier, just think of all those peaceful cups of tea and trips to Spain you could have”. Taxpayers’ money is being spent on ridiculous publicity like this.

rainylake · 19/09/2025 09:37

Well our school has had to stop offering any food at breakfast club because it was too expensive to do so once you took into account all the paperwork and extra staffing to be able to offer it. So I’m pretty sceptical that the government’s offering is in any way about health of children as opposed to a way of getting more mothers into the full time workforce.

When they did offer breakfast it was just Rice Krispies or sliced bread with margarine - ie very cheap (so affordable to low income families anyway) and easy to make (so even pretty chaotic households could manage it, or even their children could). Fair enough - one would hardly expect the school to be offering scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, but let’s not pretend that offering kids a free bowl of cheap cereal is somehow going to sort out poverty and malnutrition. There are far more effective things that could be done to tackle that.

I don’t object to them offering more wraparound childcare to support working parents, but they should call it that and not pretend that it is about child nutrition or educational standards.