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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that my DSs should be allowed to eat what I give them at breaktime?

402 replies

lonelymom · 25/09/2008 17:47

My DSs school seems to have an unwritten rule that they are ONLY allowed fruit at breaktime. Problem is one of my DSs only eats bananas unsupervised. Any other fruit and I have to stand over him saying 'Git it down yer throat NOW!'. Anyway as his bananas have been coming home uneaten and bashed (even though he has a 'bananaguard' being the height of coolness that he is) I started to give him 'schoolbars' and apple crisps but he is coming home saying that his teacher will not let him eat them and he has to put them back in his bag . Now come on - these are a form of fruit , they contain lots of fruit anyway. I am furious about the apple crisps as these are essentially dried apple slices dipped in lemon juice. I have spoken to his teacher about this a few times and she has said that it's OK so I don't know what the hells going on. This nanny state we live in makes me bloody angry. I am a grown adult who should be able to decide what my kid eats!! If I want to give him a Mars Bar, I should be able to, fgs. By the way, my other DS (in a different class) gets to eat his.

OP posts:
AbbeyA · 28/09/2008 16:30

It's priceless IMO, welliemum.
I have 2 DSs who eat any fruit or veg but one that isn't too keen-I think it is wonderful that every breaktime DCs like him can see other DCs enjoying fruit and it being the norm.
I don't think it has anything to do with the 'nanny state' , people can do as they like at home.I wasn't going to comment again but I just can't believe that schools are doing such a good job in promoting healthy eating and people want to sabotage it to exercise 'personal freedom'- it is bonkers! I don't see how you can have a thread where people are saying that their DC can't have fruit, they must have something processed!! I thought that they would have been absolutely delighted to get free fruit!! It is delicious, when I am on playground duty I wish that I got free fruit-I would rather have it than the cup of tea!

AbbeyA · 28/09/2008 16:41

I think the only way to leave it handlemecarefully is to stop reading it! I will try and avoid it.
I just can't get over the amazement that people are saying that their DC can't have fruit at break, but that they must have the personal freedom to give them processed food!

MilaMae · 28/09/2008 17:25

I have a fussy eater,he's made to have a big breakfast so the snack thing isn't much of an issue as he's stuffed full of crumpets

I was a teacher,am now a parent of 3,2 just starting. I really don't see the problem. My fussy eater has an option he either has a big breakfast or the free fruit they are given at school or he goes hungry until lunchtime.

If you saw the crap that used to arrive at schools and the pressure on parents to send equally unhealthy crap you'd support the healthy snack rule too. My son has amazed me so far as he has wolfed down baby raw carrots and other fruit/veg at breaktime that wouldn't be touched at home because the whole of the rest of the school eats them,each class has a basket. They are allowed to eat fruit from home too I send raisins which often come back as the school fruit is enough.

I'm so glad the school has this policy as there is no winging and I know as he's had 2 portions of fruit at school I can relax the rest of the day.

Apple crisps are really fatty and School Bars are full of crap and unnecessary added ingredients. Ask if you can send in Humzingers, they are allowed to at our school as the are literally a piece of fruit and nothing else squashed into a packet,my fussy son adores them,no added ingredients or crap at all. Don't see how they could be refused but can see their point with apple crisps and school bars.

juuule · 28/09/2008 17:37

I was told by the dentist to stop giving raisins as they are bad for teeth due to high sugar content.

MilaMae · 28/09/2008 17:48

All 3 of my lot have always eaten them,clean twice a day and have perfect teeth. They rarely have sweets or squash so risk it with raisins

juuule · 28/09/2008 17:50

Ah but should they be on the banned list at school if, as the dentist says, they are as bad as sweets sugarwise?

MilaMae · 28/09/2008 17:53

No as they are a natural food, just grapes nothing else.

MilaMae · 28/09/2008 17:56

We're talking a box the size of a matchbox too, a lot less sugar than a box the same size filled with sweets. They don't seem to send my son into a frenzy either,believe me a match box full of neat sugar,chemicals and E numbers would!!!!!!!

juuule · 28/09/2008 18:00

But now you're picking and choosing what would suit your child.
If the dentist has advised that raisins are as detrimental to teeth as sweets then maybe someone else's children shouldn't have them for lunch so perhaps the schools should ban them for everyone.

I thought that I was giving my children something healthy in their lunch until I was 'told off' by the dentist

MilaMae · 28/09/2008 18:04

Anyhow as they're allowed it's not a problem but if for some reason they were banned(ie they were focusing on dental health) I'd just send in something else or he'd have to go without. He could have the raisins at home-immediately brushing his teeth after of course

pointydog · 28/09/2008 18:06

oh look, milae. You're being told that you provide unhealthy snacks for your children. Do you now realise the error of your ways and will you ban such snacks in future? Do you see how this is the Way Forward?

MilaMae · 28/09/2008 18:08

I've taught classes where a good % of my class of 30 5 year olds grinned up at me with gray stumps instead of milk teeth. If banning raisins helped the majority I would support it. My son can have his raisins anytime and is lucky enough to have a perfect set of milk teeth.

MilaMae · 28/09/2008 18:14

Got to feed the gang now.

mabanana · 28/09/2008 19:32

so agree with AbbeyA. Parents who frame their spoiled children's preferences as 'human rights' and whinge about every tiny, sensible rule, must make the lives of teachers and headteachers a total nightmare. As AbbeyA says, does the uniform infringe your right as a parent to dress your child as you see fit? Does a rule about no earrings in PE infringe your human rights ditto? A rule about choosing a main course and not just two puddings in the canteen? A rule about not running in the corridor? This is the most ridiculous thread.

Peachy · 28/09/2008 19:33

Raisisn have high levels of salysylates and can be a factor in ADHD and dyperactivity generally.

As can citrus fruits, tomatioes, aplles...

just thought i'd throw that in there for the no-sweets-and-attention-issues-would-resolve crowd

(still support the rule for the majority though!)

AbbeyA · 28/09/2008 19:41

I think that I might exercise my human rights mabanana-I shall dress in my jeans with holes because they are comfortable and I will eat chocolate fudge cake in the playground because it is my birthday and I deserve a treat!

mabanana · 28/09/2008 19:43

Yes, and if you fancy eating your lunch and having a fag and a pint in the classroom, I expect you'll be doing that too. After all, you wouldn't want your human rights infringed by rules, eh?

FairLadyRantALot · 28/09/2008 19:51

oh, and if I want to rob someone and drive drunken as a skunk, that would be ok. surely...because it would be my right to do so...who are those lawpeople to tell me what to do....

like I said earlier, untill everyone can just do the sensible thing, using common sense etc. rules are necessary and also ways to enforce such rule will be needed....
if everyone would just drive 30miles an hour if a sign states so, then there would be no need for speedbumps and cameras...but as it is....people that moan the most about these things seem to be the kind that find it difficult to just follow simple rules...
and the same goes with healthy eating...

AbbeyA · 28/09/2008 20:10

If little Billy wants to paint the walls bright blue in art we shouldn't stiffle his creativity!

AbbeyA · 28/09/2008 20:12

Sorry stifle- I have drunk too much wine!

FairLadyRantALot · 28/09/2008 20:26

lol...you on the wine, too...lol...
me too, I need it....had a fricking pipe burst and all the water leaked through to the livingroom, sigh...just what we needed...

am stil that pointy is a teacher and MsH with Social Services....I really can not even begin to grasp why they would be opposed to the rules of fruit...

handlemecarefully · 28/09/2008 21:12

Well I am equally that you are apparently a 'fairlady'. What a rude and indefensible thing to say - that you are shocked that Pointy is a teacher and MsH in social services. They are not advocating recreational drug use for heaven's sake [rolls eyes in massively disparaging way]

pointydog · 28/09/2008 21:25

lol

MrsH and I are also parents and individual people with different opinions that are also well-reasoned.

I am not that bothered by the whole fruit issue. I am not advocating breaking the rules. I agree that healthy eating is to be encouraged in schools. I support other healthy eating initiatives. I would support this one if it were a rule in my kids' school (although I might send a letter of complaint in and make a stab at increasing the range of food permitted).

If the school also made a rule that only fruit was to be available for snakcs in the staff room too, then I would probably accept it. (Like that's ever going to happen.)

FairLadyRantALot · 28/09/2008 21:55

gosh, handle mecarefully, do you acgually expect people to do that...

no, point and MsH did not go as far as recreational drugs ...but honestly I can not understand people in that line of work and wiht the experirences they must have gained to be so narky about the recommonedation of fruit in breaktime...surely they know just what people can be like and why those rules exist...

sorry, it really is beyond me...but agree totally that the sam rule should be for the staff...after all, they are our Kids rolemodle at that time, when they are n school

MsHighwater · 28/09/2008 21:56

I give up. I'm puzzling over what I'm supposed to think, since I'm in social services (note that I didn't say what I do there). I can't be bothered to answer all the other crap that misrepresents what I've said about the issue.

To the OP, it doesn't sound as though there is a published policy on the matter if your other ds is not having any problem. Complain?