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Original poster

All you "everything in moderation, lunchbox contents don't matter" mothers

85 replies

broperponkers · 14/08/2006 14:13

Do you tell your children to bully others who've got homemade bread and no chocolate?

Or do they just do it themselves?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 15:17

Jimjams, I'm the OP too

KathyMCMLXXII · 14/08/2006 15:21

Have there been 'lentil weavers are weirdos' type comments? Haven't noticed anything quite as strong as that, but then I'm not on Mumsnet as much as I'd like

Loved Piffle's story, esp. the idea of her luring kids to her house with a PS2.

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:26

Still a weird idea that there would be some fruit shoot sucking parent egging on their child to bully a kid with homemade bread. 9 year olds can just be gits. Up until about 8 most children are sweet with ds1 then they turn into gits, whether its taking the michael out of his food, or his tourettes, or his shouty sounds or whatever,or just having a good gawp. It seems to take quite a number of years before they become nice and socialised again- but then its just growing up and learning isn't it?

i don't mind kids doing it- think that's normal, but parents around should intervene, and if its something like a school then staff should. It will happen, but should be dealt with.

The PS2 tactic sounds a good one. And invite the coolest kid in the class, once he/she likes baking biscuits they'll all be at it

KBear · 14/08/2006 15:28

My DD has a healthy packed lunch - sandwich, fruit and a cereal bar as opposed to a chocolate bar and no crisps. She also has a bottle of water and not fruit shoots or capri sun which seem to be quite usual.

She has never been bullied (she is going into Yr 3) and (I have just asked her) no one has ever commented on the fact that she doesn't eat crisps or chocolate at lunchtime (apparently most other kids do).

I think, IMHO, that a bully will always find something to pick on a child for, be it lunch or glasses or red hair or skin colour or whatever. I have tried to make my children realise that name calling is wrong and nasty but not all children have the same standards instilled in them.

Life is hard but a series of quick retorts can usually shut the bully up. Work on those maybe, ie "well depends on whether you want to be healthy and fit and win at sports day" etc. MIght help, I don't know.

KBear · 14/08/2006 15:30

Just remembered being laughed at for having homemade bread with marmite every day for lunch in senior school - but I liked it and never got why it was so funny!! My mate had cheese and piccalili every day for five years so we were the odd squad when it came to sandwiches!

hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 15:31

I think I was unlucky with my classmates, it has to be said.

Socci · 14/08/2006 15:33

Message withdrawn

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:37

so you were the one who was biullied about it? Was this in the 70's/80's? I suspect it was quite unusual to have home made bread then. Kids will pick on anyone for anything though. I remember being picked on for having the "wrong" colour tights and I remember having rows with my mother about school bags because having the "right" school bag was so important.

I don't suppose their mothers sent them out to hunt for children with different tights or bags.

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:38

no choc/sweets/crisps at breaktime socci, more leeway in packed lunches.

Although that rule caused us no end of problems with ds1 (would be all for it with ds2, and ds3 likes lentils and rice etc more than anything else anyway).

hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 15:39

1980s - and yes, was v unusual to have homemade bread.

So unusual, in fact, that the weirdy male teacher everyone loathed used to come and ask me what I had in my lunchbox because it "looked delicious" - oh GOD, how mortifying for someone who already had lunchbox issues...

Socci · 14/08/2006 15:40

Message withdrawn

hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 15:41

I do remember having to beg my mum to take me round to the local shops to buy some marbles when the craze struck too - and no, I doubt their mothers made them pick on children without marbles either

I was being a touch flippant when I implied that mothers might be sending their children to hunt out the weird ones though

sallystrawberry · 14/08/2006 15:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:44

I suspect its more normal these days. Bread makers and all that.

Always think if your child is a bit different worth making sure they conform in other ways. DS1 for example is obviously very different so I try to make sure that he dresses in an acceptable (to his peers) way. i think in the sort of situation in this thread it's nothing to do wiht being picked on about food, it's being picked on for being different.

The thing about being an "everything in moderation mother" is that you don't really care about what anyone else is eating. As long as ds2 and ds3 don't get hold of gluten I don't really even notice what people around me are consuming.

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:44

I suspect its more normal these days. Bread makers and all that.

Always think if your child is a bit different worth making sure they conform in other ways. DS1 for example is obviously very different so I try to make sure that he dresses in an acceptable (to his peers) way. i think in the sort of situation in this thread it's nothing to do wiht being picked on about food, it's being picked on for being different.

The thing about being an "everything in moderation mother" is that you don't really care about what anyone else is eating. As long as ds2 and ds3 don't get hold of gluten I don't really even notice what people around me are consuming.

Greensleeves · 14/08/2006 15:45

Weren't they called "roughneck flasks"? I was really jealous I never had one or a character lunchboxx. I used to get two marmite sarnies and a banana, in a bread bag tied at the top. "And you can like it or bloody lump it".

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:46

Each nursery will be different socci. Our nursery don't allow the children to bring in anything outside lunchboxes because of the risk of allergies etc.

Have to start doing ds3 a lunchbox for nursery (having not had to do one for ds2 during his time there). Gluten free lunchbox, deep joy.

hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 15:46

I went to school with some downright unpleasant girls, Jimjams - I sometimes wonder what they're doing now. I've made more female friends since I started posting on MN than in the whole of school and university. I used to loathe women in general.

hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 15:47

PMSL at loathing women in general - I only loathe specifically now

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:48

I always wanted a character lunchbox as well- I remember someone at shcool having one from the states. I had a tupperware box.

hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 15:49

I had an orange tupperware lunchbox. I saw one in a charity shop the other day and I wasn't tempted to buy it to hark back to my youth, shall we say?!

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:49

well it does all sound very female have to say (spent 9 years in girls schools). My friend's at university were mianly men have to say.

Jimjams2 · 14/08/2006 15:50

have to say twice! My tupperware box was orange iirc.

Pruni · 14/08/2006 16:02

Message withdrawn

hunkermunker · 14/08/2006 16:06

Pruni!!! How are you?

I'd have loved you as a classmate! I'd have shared my homemade bread with you