AIBU to be furious with school for refusing DS lunch?

[BettySwollux]

DS1 (12, year 8) left without his lunch money this morning.
He has forgotten it before, on rare occasion, and has borrowed £2 from school with a note in his organiser, and we repaid it the next day.

I get a text from him at lunchtime saying "The office wont lend me money cos they dont lend it anymore".

I text him "have you had lunch?"
No reply and no answer when I ring, so I ring the school and asked if they knew whether DS had eaten, they said they had no idea.
I asked if he had borrowed money from them, they said he hadnt been to reception and put me through to acting head, who also had no idea what had happened and said they would get him out of class, ask him and get back to me.

When I asked how long this may take, she said it may be a while, as she had other things to do!

I told her not to bother and said I was on my way to collect him as he was probably starving by now, and I didnt think that was conductive to a good learning environment.

I picked him up, and wrote on the sign-out sheet under 'reason' Denied lunch - hungry.

DS told me he had been to the office and they said it was no longer school policy and he couldnt have anything, and to take it up with Mrs D when she returned to school tomorrow. Tomorrow???

How the hell are kids supposed to learn when they are running on empty?
The reason a lot of schools have breakfast clubs on is because a lot of kids arent being given breakfast at home, and low blood sugar etc isnt a productive way to learn.

DS has cereal every morning, but if he was one of the kids who gets nothing, he would have had nothing since supper the night before.

I am fuming that he was just told, "No, sorry" without giving a damn (If we were on benifits with a free 'hub' card, it wouldnt be a problem, they would replace it).

nappyaddict, as I mentioned in an earlier post, DS (13) has Type 1 diabetes. It?s still up to him to make sure he remembers to take money for lunch.

It?s a serious condition and needs to be taken seriously by the school, but it?s not a get-out clause which absolves him from all responsibilities.

But if he did forget his money for a snack and lunch you would expect the school to give him something surely?

I think he?d:

1. Borrow off a friend
2. Call me so I could take him a sandwich
3. Talk to his form teacher (who?d probably lend him some money)

And of course he does have emergency supplies ? cartons of juice, glucose tablets ? which would probably be enough.

But at no point would I consider it the school?s responsibility to sort it out (though they probably would )

The office said he didn't go to the office

Your child said he did

someone is lying

my bet is it's your child tbh

Having a diabetic child in class is a completely different issue, as my class found out.
He was allowed medicinal chocolate if his blood sugar was low and a biscuit wasn't enough. Cue list of whinging children saying
'But I've got a headache too...' with a hopeful expression.

my elder son tries that too goblin, with a winsome expression saying 'but I'm low too' ... I ask him if he would like me to fire a new cannula in to help him with his levels!

The OP's son isn't diabetic though, so that is a completely irrelevant argument.

Children with a problem like diabetes, imo are very good at not forgetting their medicaments and remembering to take care of themselves generally.

in my experience, I mean, not opinion.

YABU

Absolutely hilarious thread.

Can't believe this thread is going on and on and flippin on!!!

You say it's not your fault as your son forgot but you've mentioned your son has forgotten in the past and did again the very next day!!

If your child has a habit of forgetting then why don't YOU pack it in his bag? I don't agree with that myself as I would want my children (eldest is 6 so long way off!) to learn their lesson but seriously, this is either your SON'S fault or YOUR fault but most certainly not the school's!!!

And can't you see, if he left his money by the fire AGAIN the next day, he clearly didn't learn his lesson as mummy bailed him out!!!

I remember numerous threads re children with major life threatening allergies who at 3/4 were able to know what they could or couldn't eat makes me think Op you were rediculous to take a child out of school and kick up such a fuss over a trivial matter -

What would bother me about this situation is that he didn't have any friends who would share their lunch with him.

I do think it was an over reaction to ring the school and expect an immediate response.

What bothers me about this thread is that the OP does not seem to have acknowledged that she utterly overreacted by pulling her child out of school for the afternoon, and still seems to be making this everyone else's problem other than her son's.

He would have been fine if he'd had to finish the school day without his lunch - and he would certainly have learned more than he learned at home!!

Removing him from school, and putting such a comment on the sign-out sheet has made you look like a completely insane mother, OP, and has taught your son nothing positive at all.

Oh FGS, I have cleared up the confusion with going to the office, he spoke to different receptionist to the one I spoke on the phone, LC comfirmed this, so my son is NOT lying, activate.

looneytune, dont know where you got that idea, this is the first time he has forgotten this school year.

upahill, I cant believe it either!!

SDTG, if I havent acknowledged that I utterly overreacted, then why did I admit to BU?
Why did I phone the school and apologise, hmm?

Yes, I look utterly insane, and I beg to differ as far as teaching him nothing positive as it has taught my son to remember his lunch money .

As far as anything else goes, I feel I have explained myself enough.

If it is any comfort Betty I am one of the posters who told you that you made a right tit of yourself but I think you have dealt with the comments on this thread really well

I would have had a hissy fit and flounced long before now!

BettySwollux well done for taking it all on the chin

Betty, I absolutely apologise - I missed the post where you said you had phoned the school and apologised, and that you said you'd been unreasonable. I honestly thought I had read all the posts properly, but clearly I hadn't, and I hope you will forgive my comments.

I agree with the others about taking this better than a lot would but I'm afraid you seem to have contradicted yourself.

In your last message you put:

'looneytune, dont know where you got that idea, this is the first time he has forgotten this school year.'

But in your OP you mentioned he'd forgotten it before and in your post at 9.06pm on 27th Jan you put:

'I gave him money last night, on the fire with a drink, like every night. This morning, he picked up his drink and left his money (D'oh)'

So my comment was he clearly hadn't learnt his lesson as did it again straight after.

Sorry if I'm reading it totally wrong but said you didn't know where I got that idea from so now I'm telling you where

looneytune, yes, the thread was started on wed 27th, this being the day he had forgotten his money, so when I had given him it 'last night', that was tuesday night, and on wednesday morning, he picked up drink and forgot cash.

Simples .

Thanks for the taking it well comments.