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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think pupils shouldn't have to go without food for 5 hours!!!

111 replies

karise · 08/12/2008 09:22

Just dropped DD off at school. They have a school trip today & we were told to take everything back home with us except their lunchbox & waterbottle!
AIBU to think that it is important for 4 & 5 year olds to be allowed to take a snack if they aren't due back to school for lunch until 1pm?
I just thank God there are no diabetic's in DD's class

OP posts:
compo · 08/12/2008 09:24

they will probably eat half their lunchbox at mid morning
I really wouldn't worry
did you send in spending money for the shop? kids usually buy chocolate

OhLITTLEFISHofBethlehem · 08/12/2008 09:27

If they are in KS1 or foundation, the school will probably be taking the free fruit with them.

Anna8888 · 08/12/2008 09:29

Here in France it is not not allowed for children to bring a snack to eat at breaktime. It is considered good nutritional practice not to eat between breakfast and lunch - so probably between 7.45 am and 12.15 pm. This is for children aged 3 and up.

Original poster
karise · 08/12/2008 09:29

KS1 but they didn't take their fruit last time & lunchboxes are being left at school

OP posts:
duchesse · 08/12/2008 09:31

Nobody needs to snack all the time. It's because of this national obsession that we have the highest rates of obesity in Europe. Any child of 5 and over should be able to go a few hours between meals.

wannaBe · 08/12/2008 09:48

they do not need a snack.

In fact I think half the time the snack is to blame for my ds not eating all his lunch.

Don't worry, they'll survive.

Turniphead1 · 08/12/2008 09:54

I would like to think they would be given a piece of fruit and some water, yes. I wouldn't go for 5 hours without eating something.

Blondeshavemorefun · 08/12/2008 10:05

maybe they are taking their lunch boxes with them to eat on coach

agree a drink is vital, but if a child has a decent breakfast, they should be ok till next meal, ie lunch at 12/1pm

piscesmoon · 08/12/2008 10:06

I don't know why people have such obsessions with snacks! I easily go 5 hours without eating, as long as I have had a proper meal.
There will be no time to eat it, it isn't allowed on coaches and then there is the problem of travel sickness. I expect there is no where on the trip to eat. If the school had a diabetic they woud be used to sorting them out and of course they would take a snack for that DC.
I don't think they will bring back a coach of fainting DCs!!

MmeHereWeGoAWassailLindt · 08/12/2008 10:08

My DC normally have a snack midmorning, but would survive an odd occasion without. As long as they can have a drink they should be ok

Gipfeli · 08/12/2008 13:13

I agree that children don't really NEED a snack.

I find the differences interesting though. DS (aged 4) HAS to take a snack to Kindergarten here in Switzerland. Personally I think it's unneccessary and he certainly never had one until he started going there. Still he seems to realise that and only eats a few small bits or carrot or cucumber.

Tortington · 08/12/2008 13:16

if the kid has breakfast - they dont need anything until lunch. medical problems withstanding.

mine never had snakcs - but i know that they ate their chocolate biscuit bar at break time. leaving them with fruit and a small bag of crisp for much.

back in th'olden days when you could feed your kids shit and get away with it.

loobeylou · 08/12/2008 13:17

If kids are used to a mid morning HEALTHY snack, then missing it is hard for them, they do in that sense "need" it. It is part of their regular calorie intake.

duchess, surely snacking between meals is only bad when it is cake, biscuits,crisps, sweets and other high fat/sugar/salt foods. Snacking on fruit is not leading to our nations obesity epidemic!A healthy snack counts towards their 5 a day and something like a banana is an excellent energy boost and awakener, and several small meals/snacks is better than getting in starving and eating a adult sized portion of dinner before bedtime, surely.

What shocked me recently was that on a recent school trip DDs group were told the day before that they would be having their lunch from 10.45 - 11.15, which i thought was way too early for them to them go on till 3.30pm!! (she ate half her lunch as was not properly hungry, then ate the rest the minute I picked her up from school!)

claw3 · 08/12/2008 13:19

Do children usually get a snack at school before lunch?

lljkk · 08/12/2008 13:20

Hm... at age 4-5yo my DC were hobbits -- they needed the ordinary breakfast, and then a satisfying second breakfast about 2 hours later. So I'm kind of with OP in being concerned, although I wouldn't be as concerned as OP, given that the school will be the ones who have to deal with any frayed tempers/over-tired LOs.

katiechops · 08/12/2008 13:21

Can't see why it's a problem?

At home my 2 year old has breakfast at 8am then lunch at 1pm and doesn't need a snack. At nursery she has toast mid morning, then they wonder why she doesn't eat much lunch

chocolatedot · 08/12/2008 13:24

At home I never give my children a morning snack. I am genuinely amazed at how people these days seem to eat the whole time.

I love food and am very greedy but never ever eat between meals and so don't put on weight.

piscesmoon · 08/12/2008 13:26

I suspect it was much simpler not to have a snack. They can't be eaten on the coach. They wouldn't want the DCs to carry them around whereever they were visiting and adult helpers would want hands free, not to be laden down with snacks. I expect there was nowhere to eat them anyway!

MummyDoIt · 08/12/2008 13:27

I've been on lots of school trips as a helper. KS1 get their free fruit as a morning snack, KS2 wait till lunchtime. Can't see a problem with it. That's what happens at school anyway. Oh, and if there is a diabetic, provision is ALWAYS made for them. We've had ten minute stops to allow a diabetic child to have a snack when he needed to.

christmosschops30 · 08/12/2008 13:31

Just another example of 'today's yoof' who cannot possibly manage without a snack mid morning or they might die!!

Pathetic, and they wonder why our primary schools are full of obese children when parents feel the need to fill them up at every given opportunity.

And you can stone me as much as you like, but its true!

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 08/12/2008 13:34

I rather suspect that, if there was a diabetic child, they would be allowed to take something as a medical necessity.

Otherwise, they won't starve.

piscesmoon · 08/12/2008 13:34

When I was at school we never had snacks of any sort-you waited until lunchtime-perhaps why there wasn't such a child obesity problem then.

morningpaper · 08/12/2008 13:34

I don't think YABU but it seems to be how it is

I ALWAYS have a coffee and snack mid-morning, otherwise I feel DREADFUL

It's difficult too when they are going from home/nursery (often grazing rather than meals) and suddenly and expected to go for hours without eating

I don't think YABU at all

morningpaper · 08/12/2008 13:35

And we ALWAYS had tuck-shops at schools mid-morning as well as milk before Margaret Thatcher banned it

morningpaper · 08/12/2008 13:35

I can't believe that none of you had tuck-shops at school!