Children eating packed lunch outside?

[OldMaaa]

Is it just me or is this a bit bonkers?

My children are at Primary school.

I found out recently (from my child not via school communication) that the children who bring in packed lunches are allowed to take them outside to eat in the playground.

This first came up as my children sometimes take in soup in a thermos cup. Recently eldest child reported that their soup was kicked over before they had consumed any, so essentially missing the main portion of their lunch. After a bit of (quite confused) discussion I discovered soup was on the floor outside, which led to a conversation about why?! This is normal apparently.

I'm thinking about it again today, as I noticed child had brought home most of their sandwiches and when I asked if there was something wrong with them they said no. "They were lovely but I got distracted".

Am I mad/out of touch to be thinking that children should be sat down at tables while they're eating their lunch regardless of whether they're packed lunch or school dinners. Or is this common in other schools?

I never want to be the kind of parent who bothers the school unnecessarily, but I am considering asking them about this as I don't understand it.

But I would appreciate some other perspectives as maybe my perspective is wrong?

I loved eating my packed lunch outside at school!

Lots of schools actually ask parents not to send things like soup in at all due to the risk of the hot liquid being knocked over and spilt.

If it’s cold enough for soup then they should be allowed indoors to eat. If they choose to eat outside then they should be able to.

Yes, just discuss with your child to keep their lunch safely in their bag and/ or keep lids on when not actively holding and eating it. Picnic style is common if not enough tables outside. (Bird poo on tables is also a common reason to not use them, as the tables are often in the shade under trees, or birds perch on the umbrella spokes in the morning.)

I absolutely love that they can picnic outside! I wish they did it more.

I remember it from the 80s and what a treat it felt! Daisy chains and chatter!

I think it's quite common in primary schools as the weather warms up and the sun comes out. However I understand that soup in a thermos may be easier to manage seated at a table!

Having said that a friend mentioned her children's primary school has now banned all food and snacks in the playground and outside areas after a semi choking incident.

Packed lunch outside was the highlight of primary school for me in the 80s! I can't imagine my dad ever giving me soup though...
Al fresco dining 😁

At my kids school they eat outside on warm/ sunny days. They sit on the ground (this year the school even got little cushions for each kid). It’s quite nice to see them do that.
your kid could have been at the table and someone knock the soup over anyway; these things happen.

I don’t think school is the best place to
get kids eating all their lunch.

Mine is ‘busy’ aka playing at least 50% of the time. Ie full packed box returns untouched. He’s not bothered, he doesn’t really like food that much so prefers playing. And eats it as snack on way home

Whaaaat? Eating al fresco is the best, why be such a killjoy have you not ever had a picnic on the grass?! Even as an adult when the sun is shining I take my lunch outside and find a green space to eat it.

Have you considered teaching your children some discipline and responsibility? Teach them to eat before play and to be careful around food to avoid it being knocked over? These are life skills that YOU should be teaching. The school is not there to educate your kids in how not to knocked stuff over. In the absence of parental responsibility, perhaps your daughter will learn from her own mistakes and make sure she is more careful in the future.

I remember eating outside as a kid and that was 30 years ago. Its no different then having a picnic. Its good for kids to be outside get some vitamin d in them.

Do they have to eat outside or are they allowed to eat outside? The former would be strange but if it’s the latter then she’s choosing to do it, so there’s not a chance it’s school’s fault. Sorry about that.

You are in for a shock at secondary school. Some of them don’t sit down at all at lunch.

I have very fond memories of eating my packed lunch on the playing field in summer - best way to eat lunch!

It has been an option in the summer term at every school I’ve taught at. Some places not every day. Except for one school there was an area/benches/seating for eating separate from playing and children could leave to the play area as and when but could not play and eat at the same time.

The school without this was a nightmare because the children wouldn’t eat, just play and maybe have a wee nibble on their desserts. The afternoons after playground lunch were POINTLESS. Luckily, it was not every day of summer term there.

It sounds like the soup may have been a victim of playing while eating?

Everyone is being a bit harsh. I agree it's nice to eat outside but it's not unreasonable for there to be a bit of supervision and making sure children are eating a decent amount before going off to play.

Secondary school is very different. They stand outside in all weathers and nobody is bothered whether they eat or not. It's not great.

Can’t get worked up about this. All of my dc and their friends eat outside. They either sit on the grass on on the benches. There are tables but I don’t think any of the kids actually use them. I’ve seen kids each their lunch whilst playing football 🙄. Yeah sometimes their lunch has been stepped on or dropped or thrown away accidentally. It happens but it also teaches them to be more careful next time. They’re not going to starve because they’ve missed one portion of soup at lunch time. It’s really not that big a deal.

Well I would hate this as mine would demand yo have packed lunch so they could eat outside, and then never eat and come out hungry and irritable because they're so easily distracted by playing.
Luckily they sit down and eat packed or cooked lunch, as did I and everyone else I know with DC at school.

Generally I would say eating indoors. With chairs and a table. And no play going on around. And overseen by staff.

I think it is fine, and in my experience eating inside or at tables makes no difference to whether they actually eat their lunch or not.

My concerns would be whether they have tables and chairs outside and whether they are being watched (due to possible choking I would want them to be made to sit down and eat, and also to be watched in case of choking, not lost in a sea of kids running around the yard)

What? I think it’s bizarre to have a problem with this. The more fresh air and freedom the kids can get during the school day, the better. Give them picnic food instead of soup in the summer, and let them get on with it. Not eating your sandwiches because you’d rather play is a very normal part of childhood.

Choking happens in dining halls and even nurseries.

It is not a reason never to have a picnic!

When I was in primary school a friend of mine choked on her school dinner (ate sat at a table). The teacher sat with us was completely oblivious.

It's fine.

We did it at school in the summer term (in the 90s) and the children all knew to sit still and behave until the bell rang for play time.

That's childhood. A day without soup won't really stop them in their tracks long term and they will know next time to look after their soup better.

I'm kind of relieved actually how many posters are saying YABU because in this batty day and age I half expected a slew of "Oh my goodness their hands might be dirty" gasps and shrieks.

But we all survived it and I think it's healthy. He probably got a good dose of Vitamin D in lieu of the soup - think of it that way!

"This generation of parents is bonkers."

For sure 😂