Are “home lunches” still a thing at your children’s school?

[Gladla]

When my DDs (now late 20s/early 30s) were in primary school they used to have 3 options for lunch, school lunch, packed lunch and home lunch. For home lunch the parent would collect them at the start of lunch take them home, feed them and bring them back at the end of lunch. By the time they were primary 6/7 lots of the kids would use the home lunch option to go to the cafe in the village on Fridays.
We didn’t use them often but my parents would take my girls for a home lunch about once a week. They were also a very popular option on the day of the Christmas party where lots of the kids would go home to get changed or in primary 5 when they went swimming most of the girls would go home at lunch to dry their hair.
I was chatting to my DD today who has a 5 year old and I asked if her school had home lunches as I thought it would be nice for me to take my DGD out. She said nope that’s not an option!
I was a little shocked. I understand that there are significantly less parents who are around in the middle of the day and safeguarding has gone up, but it seems fairly innocent if someone if collecting the child from and returning them to the office.

AIBU to be sad this option doesn’t seem to exist?
Did anyone else’s schools have home lunches or still have them?

I remember, but not exactly when, the lunch hour was shortened at school where I worked because nobody was taking the home lunch option, and the shorter time away from the classroom gave a shorter time for disputes to escalate! My late DM remembered not only going home for lunch, but doing a few shopping errands for her own mother en route.
When I was at Junior School myself, nobody really checked who was taking themselves off the premises. I had a working mum, quite rare in those days, and often used to pop out after my (school) dinner to have a break, and use the decent lavatory at home. My best friend would come with me for company, and we sometimes had a brew of tea while we were at it! My adult self, school Health & Safety rep no less, would have been horrified.

Ah! I used to go home with my mum for dinner in the early 90’s! They could still do it when my son was at primary (the same one I went to!) 3 years ago but I’m not sure if any kids actually did!

It was allowed when I was in Primary in the 90s, (London) but it was at most a handful of children. Massive that on the odd day my mum had ofc work, would hVe hated it every day.

We weren't allowed out in Secobdary. We were at least 15min walk from nearest shop anyway. The sixth formers went to the pub which was 5 minute walk.

I live near my children's Secondary. I would hate it if they were allowed out at lunch, there's also a College and they cause enough problems in the village shop without adding the Secondary children as well. (Altjough it does mean the take aways are open at lunch time in term time!).
(Problems by shear numbers... to put it into context, more children are educated in the village than people live in the village.)

Ah I remember being jealous of the home lunchers! We moved a fair distance away from school early on so it wasn't an option but quite a few kids would go off down the road (without a parent!)

We always went home for lunch. Never had to be collected, just walked home, watched Rainbow while eating beans on toast, and then walked back to school for the afternoon. Happy memories!

I remember going home for lunch sometimes in junior school in the late 80's/early 90's. It was a nice change of pace, especially when I was having some friendship issues. Better lunch that way too!

It's not an option at DD's primary school.

Oh and pupils can go wherever they like at lunchtime at my DD’s secondary. They probably keep a few of the local businesses afloat. Notably the chippy! Members of the senior management float around some of the local haunts to keep a check on them.

I was going to say this.

Different country but my mum used to collect me for lunch at nursery (ages 4 to 6) and I was bullied by the other kids with comments like "oooh mummy's baby, gets taken home, spoiled brat" and so on, which I still remember 50 years on

I think it was an option at my primary school (88-95), but not something that many children did. Most had school dinners or a packed lunch.

It's not an option, or at least not a publicised one, at my DCs' primary.

I used to go home for lunch at High school but no it’s not a thing anymore. I think it would be good to introduce it again, might help with the bullying problems.

Awww I'd forgotten about this. I had regular home lunches with my mam in the 90s and would love to do the same with my kids now but it's not an option.

No, but then we have 350 kids so we'd have to have a dedicated team to manage it.

It's a thing in other countries like France, I don't know why it's not an option here. Their lunch breaks are long enough, and with strict catchment areas, most kids should be living very close from most schools anyway.

It's one of these things that only seems to be an issue because we make it one, other countries don't have more staff available, they're just organised slightly differently and better.

I remember it being an option when I was small so late 70s - though it was too far for me and mum to walk there and back . It would have been invaluable with my own DS2 though - he would have been better off starting school much later than they have to . He told me me not long ago he used to consider climbing over the fence and coming home . He did once hide in the playground at lunch and they didn’t find him till end of school

@Gladla i don’t think it’s “offered “ however. Do it with my child . Infact just yesterday .
Fussy eater and being rushed with their lunch are my two reasons .
Never going to get the best from them if they don’t eat .
However I do think it takes time away from their “play time “ with friends so it’s not something I would do every day .

I think it became an option again it would become another stick to beat mothers (but not fathers) with. Already its the use of nurseries and wrap around care (but simultaneously they must work for their "career" and "pension") but then adding somehow being available daily in the middle of the day.

I remember it being an option when I was at primary school in the 80s. Only a minority of kids actually did it though. I do think it would be a useful option for some families now.

You’ve reminded me that my mother used to take me out of primary school occasionally for a fish and chip lunch in town. It was such a treat! This was in the 60s though..

Its still a thing at my daughters school. We dont do it much as I work, but wfh so maybe once or twice a year

It absolutely would! Those poor children with no mother to take them home for lunch!

I didn't find that as there quite a few of us went home for lunch and we'd all hang together and gradually peel off as we passed people's houses then pick each other up again on the way back.

Never were, even when I was school. The VIth formers were allowed out. My kids only get 35 minutes for lunch, it wouldn’t work on that basis along with all the signing in and out.

It’s an option at my DC’s school but I don’t know anyone who has taken it up. I think most parents drop their DC at school and are happy not to get them back until 3 pm!

Ah this has unlocked some great memories. I did it in the 80s at primary till I convinced my mum to let me have school dinners.

In senior school in the 90s we definitely left school at lunchtime. I don’t know what the actual policy was but we never got stopped or in trouble for it. We literally walked out the front gate. I think it was frowned upon but they didn’t enforce it. It mainly involved walking to the local chippie for the ‘school special’ which was chips and gravy. Good times. (Now I want chips and gravy)

Not an option at my kids school.

Do you think it also links to school size? My own primary school was a single form entry, whereas my children's has two classes per year, and some local schools have three. So potentially 60-90 children per year group which I imagine could be a logistical nightmare of getting in and out of school and them fitting in lunch.

Also people tend to travel further for school, so it's not just a case of popping 5 mins up the road. For me it's a 10 mins drive on a good day, so 20 mins at least of an hour lunch would be taken up with that. Then the issue of dropping back, finding a parking space. It would be a nightmare.