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?

It was a thing when I was in primary school in the 1970s but have never come across it since. I was very envious of all the kids who had home lunch. I didn't have that option because I lived too far away .

We used to spend loads of time together at breaks, morning and afternoon, and outside school, though - playing out with all the other children from the village of all ages after school and at the weekend, dropping into each other’s houses (no play dates then, it was much freer!) and later on doing orchestra or music clubs, guides and sports after school, and hanging around in town or taking trips on the bus together at the weekends. Nowadays it seems that all of children’s time is organised and structured so they don’t get the natural socialisation we all had organically.

I don’t remember anyone doing it when I was a kid (90s), but both my parents did (60s), I think everyone did then!

About 10 years ago a boy in my class used to go home every day at lunch. He struggled with his behaviour (blatently ADHD but parents unwilling to accept that so wouldn’t let him be assessed) and it reached a point where he was in trouble so often at lunchtimes it was agreed he’d go home for lunch instead. He’s the only kid I’ve known do it though in 15 years of teaching.

If parents wish to collect their children from Primary school, take them home for lunch and return them, they are perfectly at liberty to do so.
Schools run 2 sessions which pupils should attend unless they have a medical reason, or some other valid, authorised reason not to do so. Historically very few children ate lunch at school unless they lived too far away to make the return journey home in 90 minutes. As more mothers started to work outside the home, more children needed to stay at school all day, so more staff were employed to supervise them and lunchtimes were shortened, so that it was easier to supervise.
It is more convenient for most families for the children to spend lunchtime at school but there is absolutely nothing to say that they must do so.

I think it is fine once a week or on special occasions. Like I said often thy would go with their friends so they were still socialising with their peers.

Can't remember this but I'm a summer birthday and I know that my parents only took me in for half days until I turned 5 in reception. (I'm in my 30's now) I don't think that really happens now either, if anything there's most parents needing wrap around care.

Oh wow - I’ve never heard of this! I was at primary in the 90’s and it wasn’t an option. I would LOVE to do this with my DCs now!

Did that in the 90s for my DCs when I had a rare day off during the week. They loved it - they would plead to be a "Homie".

In the summer a group of us would quite often have a picnic in the park during lunch break with assorted kids. No formal permission sought- changed days!

Wasn’t a thing at my kids school- now in mid twenties. I used to go home in senior school in eighties.

I would have hated it if my parents picked me up for lunch. Lunchtimes with my friends were best part of school!!

I remember on a cultural level secondaries allowing the students off site even though mine didn't until 6th form. I think there was starting to be a bit of a mindset that "good" schools didn't do this.

Not a thing here, although the HT has said it's not "not allowed" it's just never done.

Very much still a thing in parts of North Lanarkshire. I got caught out twice when visiting family a few weeks back. Wee quiet takeaway place was completely empty at 12.01 when I started to put my shoes on. Was chock full of kids at 12.06 when I walked out the door 😂

When I was a child and the 'junior' school was minutes away I used to walk home to have lunch every day. I don't think they are allowed to do this now? A shame. Xx

In the 90s the local fish and chips shop did a roaring trade with the 'home dinner' kids. We'd be just left to do as we please. Although nicking off on the afternoon was rife and didn't muster much more than a shrug from the school.

Still have it in my area of NE Scotland. Even though there are free school lunches, less than half took them. Lots of kids go home for lunch- no handovers - they just walk home.

When one opened near my school they did a £1 special - roll and chips, fritter, gravy/curry sauce and a can of juice. They were queued out the door every day.

We also got more play time/hangout time than those who went school dinners as the chippy served much much faster.

It was still an option when my DC were in primary in the east of Scotland 12 years ago. They didn't do it often, but it was an occassional treat.

The school I work in now doesn't allow it (England) apart from children with medical issues.

I'm 38 and I remember doing this. We could do this in secondary school too and just go off to the shop and buy lunch and be free and then around year 9 they stopped it as too many kids wouldn't come back 🤣

Jesus, a pound! 🤣

In primary school (1986-1993) I used to go home for lunch at least once a week. In secondary school we weren’t allowed because the school was rural and most people came in on busses

They always had to be back in time for afternoon registration. And some children might struggle with coming back in, but their families would know that and could choose not to take that option. Other children would be fine with it and relish the break from routine/a calm oasis in the school day.

There’s no practical reason why this can’t be offered as an option in many schools. Our educational culture has become much more inflexible and unforgiving; children and families are expected to fit around the school systems, rather than the other way around.

It was common at my primary in the late 80s. I’d go home on Fridays for fish fingers and chips. And it was allowed at all if the secondaries I attended, although none was near enough to my home for me. I did take my packed lunch to a friends in Year 11 though. Or more honestly, to a dilapidated barn on a field near school where we drank white lightening. Maybe I can see the problem….

Teachers at secondary would patrol the local troublemaking spots though for errant teens who were supposed to be home but were being nuisances instead.

DUH… parents are working? How has this never crossed your mind?

Working parents don’t prevent it being an option, grandparents, parents who work part time, parents who work from home, parents who work shifts or weekends and want an extra hour with their children, parents with a day off.

It’s not something that has to be mandatory or done every day but it’s nice as a treat and it worked well in the 90s/2000s when my children were in primary and plenty of parents worked.

I did this occasionally in secondary school in the 80's. But everyone was allowed out anyway. We'd go to the chip shop and newsagents too.

Made the hell of secondary school a little more bearable.