Fucking hell, we have to download an app and pre-order school lunches now?!

[AngeloMysterioso]

I have 3 DC, the eldest of which is in primary school. They’ve changed school lunch suppliers this year and now we have to download an app, set up an account and pre-order our children’s meals. I’ve just been sent an email reminder because I hadn’t got round to doing it since the letter went out last Friday because my mental load is already pretty heavily loaded, what with dentist appointments, swimming lessons, birthday parties, after school clubs, hospital appointments, paying the childcare fees, sorting packed lunches, and bloody everything else you can think of.

I’m like… seriously? As if I don’t have enough fucking family admin to do, now this? What happened to kids just queuing up and asking for what they want?

I worked for a company beginning with D that dud school grid pre-order, There are more children now with allergies, with these apps if your child had an allergy to say soya, any dish containing soya they automatically could not order it. This is one massive advantage as I have worked with other companies where the allergy info is not up to date

Jfc I hate this - EVERYTHING has to have a fucking app nowadays. Even my last fridge had a QR code to download one.

I appreciate the idea of reducing waste, but kids are liable to change their minds at the last minute, or even multiple times beforehand. And I bet that regardless, they over-supply for this possibility. And when they cater to it, those who are served later will not have that option. Plus, there's always the chance that the pre-ordered meals are given to the wrong children.

It can't be too hard for them to keep a basic record of which options are more/less popular and use this for future reference. Probably a particular cycle of pre-frozen meals so it wouldn't even take long to do so.

Everything has an app, including mums needing to vent

I pick, but I know my kids and what meals they like. DS has hot meals only on the days they serve specific foods, younger DS I know what they'll prefer. I imagine there's some scope for them to change their mind, I don't think there's anyone with a list checking the kids had what they asked for

We have been doing it for years. We do a half-term at a time. You'll quickly get used to it and be embarrassed by your outrage.

How do kids know what they want in 4 or 5 weeks time?

Yeah we pick the lunch on parent pay for each day, out of a choice of 4 different meals each day.. I choose whatever I know the kids would eat. I think is great!

I agree and do the same. If more people refused they’d have to stop doing it. So if you agree and don’t like it, vote with your feet (or fingers!). Plus what they really want is your data so that data brokers and huge multinationals can add to the profiles they like to try to build on each and everyone of us. I’m not making it easy for them!!

I was at primary in the 1970s. We had two courses, no choice and you didn't know what you would get until you were in the hall / dining room.

My mother phoned the school because my brother, "didn't like potato".

My brother whose favourite food was meat and potato pie.

Those parents existed then.

I actually really like doing it this way.

• it stops so much being wasted
• it means everyone gets what they like - no “we’ve run out of pasta, you’ll have to have something you don’t like”
• I know what they will have for lunch so I can plan evening meals easily to avoid them having the same thing for tea
• we can add it into our monthly bill and we just put the months worth of money on the online account at the beginning of the month

I was using Parentpay over 10 years ago.(DS has now left school) It was purely for payment, not for meal choices. I would sit down on payday and work out how many school days there were until I got paid again and book them in and then when the credit ran out/I got paid again I would refill. DS wasn't given the option by me to take packed lunch which made it simple.

We’re not in the UK but my kids school it’s a set menu. 3 courses, no choice. There’s bread if you don’t like it. The school have transformed my incredibly fussy child’s eating, she’s still quite fussy at home but happily eats mussels, fish, steak, salad etc at school.

Are you in France?

Yes. Plenty of issues with French schools but cannot fault the lunches!

We did that at primary school, probably going back about 6 years ago. I think it was easier as I could check what my kids wanted and it was there for them to collect. I'm not great at being organised (ADHD too, and I'm also rubbish at learning new things), so I would do the whole week on a Sunday. Secondary school now they just get what they want and scan their fingerprint to pay.

Do they allow packed lunches when it comes to medical reasons such as allergies etc?

A reason why my son has packed lunch 99% of the time is because he has a limited diet, not because he is fussy but due to medical reasons. He's under a dietician.

I read these threads and talk to my sd and neice who have children, and it astounds me how different everything is now. Mine were at school before smartphones were in common use.
In my work I've had to use apps and platforms and whatnot. In many ways they make tasks easier, but there's also an element of having to participate in everything.

So if you have allergies or a condition like ARFID or other eating issues due to sensory issues, autishm etc., are their allowances or do they just get given two slices of bread every day for 5 years?

DD has an allergy. She was allowed to take a pack lunch to start with but after a few months the school chef offered to cater the menu to her allergy as she felt so sorry for her eating a pack lunch every day. There are multiple SEN kids that I know of in the school, they all eat the same lunch. If you don’t want your child eating the lunch then they can go home for the 1.5 hours of lunch. They get 3 course so I imagine there is usually something the child will eat out of those 3 courses.

Allergies yes as DD had that to start with. Other conditions like ARFID I have no idea. Possibly if requested by their doctor but I don’t really know.

our schools have been using apps for years, for communication, paying for items such as lunches, swimming everything you can think off. I have 2 apps on the go one for my daughter and one for my son, I uplaod funds to his account so he can use the canteen.

Oh the irony - parents moaning about using an app… on an app!

Same as DT’s school - London based but international. One lunch - no choice. Made life much easier.

My ds is 15 and we've always ordered lunch on the app. This isn't anything new, just part of the Sunday evening routine.

You'd hope so. My son can't eat steak, salad or mussels and fish depends on the type of fish.

I'm glad that I can just send him with a packed lunch without needing permission from school.