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Original poster

Lunchbox dilemma for three year old. Do I stick to my guns and risk her being branded as a weirdy (I am being unashamedly PFB here)

44 replies

AdamAnt · 27/02/2008 13:41

DD has just started pre-school and her lunchbox typically contains most of the following:

Cream cheese sandwiches (brown bread)
Boiled Egg
Slices of cucumber
Cherry tomatoes
Dried apricots or fresh fruit
A couple of drop scones (home made)
Milk

I've been having lunch with her to settle her in, and have noticed that I am surrounded by a sea of white ham sandwiches, crisps, cheese strings and Penguin bars.

(Yes yes, I can hear you all sniggering at my naive lunch box snobbery.)

I'm kind of worried that DD's lunch is going to mark her out as a weirdy. I seem to remember similar excruciations from my childhood. I was never allowed to wear white socks, for example, and my navy socks and sensible sandals earned me the scorn of my classmates.

I want her to fit in, but I don't want her to eat food that I wouldn't normally buy. What would you do?

OP posts:
throckenholt · 27/02/2008 13:43

I don't think it is particularly weird - although I would probably drop the boiled egg - I have seen the mess my 5 year olds can make with a boiled egg - and they can be smelly in a lunchbox.

Beauregard · 27/02/2008 13:43

It wouldn't be something i would worry about tbh.You should just be glad that your dd is eating healthily and keep on providing her with a healthy lunchbox.

morningpaper · 27/02/2008 13:43

I don't think peer pressure kicks in until much later - she will be fine

morningpaper · 27/02/2008 13:44

oh yes boiled egg in lunchbox is worse than VILE

all the helpers will hate you if you include that

saltire · 27/02/2008 13:44

I wouldn't care what anyone else thought, i'd send what I always send, your DD is getting a healthy lunch, you know she likes it and eats it, so why worry

FAQ · 27/02/2008 13:44

I'm impressed your DD manages to eat that much!

DS1 (7) frequently comes home with half a sandwich and fruit left over.........but he only has a sandwich and piece of fruit in it to start with LOL.

OverMyDeadBody · 27/02/2008 13:44

Is it really that different or are you just noticing the food that you wouldn't feed dd? I'm sure your dd can't be the only kid with that sort of lunchbox contents, after all, it's not that ott and pretty much what DS has in his lunchbox ever day.

SauerKraut · 27/02/2008 13:45

Carry on until she starts complaining and enjoy it while it lasts! Sounds like a great lunch, I'd have it myself

MrsMattie · 27/02/2008 13:46

Doesn't sound weird to me. At my son's nursery they aren't allowed crisps, fizzy drinks or biscuits / sweets etc, so almost everyone has sandwiches, juice or water, fruit and things like veggie sticks and dip, cereal bars, yoghurt, little pots of cooked food etc. Stick to your guns. nd if your DD is pressurising you, maybe you could have a treat day, like say every Friday, when she can choose an item to go in her box?

Carmenere · 27/02/2008 13:46

I was the kid in school with the weirdy lunch box, didn't do me any harm. that said a boiled egg is a bit ott smell wise.

OverMyDeadBody · 27/02/2008 13:46

I would ditch the boiled egg though - smelly!

expatinscotland · 27/02/2008 13:46

Same here, FAQ!

DD1 is not a big eater, she's more of a grazer.

She only gets half a sandwich because otherwise it goes to waste.

And usually a bag of Nairn's oatcake bites and a small treat + juice.

Things like Penguin bars aren't allowed in many schools now, nor are real crisps.

FAQ · 27/02/2008 13:47

oh he eats LOADS at home - but if it's in a lunchbox at school chatting gives way to eating.......

moljam · 27/02/2008 13:48

can you come and do my dcs lunches please?
my dd and ds1 think im mean because there friends have chocolate and crisps at school.

id stick to doing what your already doing.you never know the other children may go home saying i want cherry tomatoes like*

TheFallenMadonna · 27/02/2008 13:48

I used to send DS into preschool with cold eggybread or toasted cheese and split peapods.

And on one occasion a rabbit made out of marzipan.

He loved it. But I was rather glad when he started having school dinners .

pedilia · 27/02/2008 13:48

I was teased at school because my parents were healthy eating freaks and we never had crisps/chocloate bars etc, we also had different sandwich fillings.

What I do remember though is when I reached secondary school the older girls on the bus would ask to swap my sandwiches (brown bread with brie and grape or suchlike)

bozza · 27/02/2008 13:48

I wouldn't worry about it at that age. But I would listen to, rather than simply dismiss, concerns your DD raises later. And make sure she always has cool socks.

DS has school dinners so any packed lunches he has are for treats, school trips or the 1 day holiday club. So I let him have some treats in there. At holiday club at half term he had cheese on brown, carrot sticks, a few pringles, blueberries, frube, mini milky way. But I wouldn't be happy with providing that every day.

paddingtonbear1 · 27/02/2008 13:49

sounds fine to me, not wierd at all. dd used to have a brown bread sandwich, some raisins/other dried fruit, some other fruit eg orange or strawberries (fine mess they made!) and a home made biscuit. She has school dinners now (in reception). crisps were reserved as a friday treat! if your dd is happy and eats it I would take no notice of what everyone else has.

moljam · 27/02/2008 13:52

i couldnt trust my dc to eat school dinners!they have it on thursdays as pasta bake day but i know theyll eat it.atleast with paked lunches they bring back what theyve not eaten so i know!!!

expatinscotland · 27/02/2008 13:56

The school dinners at the school where DD1 will go to primary are fab.

Can't wait till she starts going for those.

SlartyBartFast · 27/02/2008 13:59

no i dont think you are weirdy.
i was pleased when my dd3 had brown bread egg sandwiches at nursery, she loved them.
she soon opted out however in favour of white with ham but not til school.

just keep on with it.

Original poster
AdamAnt · 27/02/2008 14:03

Crikey lots of answers!

Yes, I was probably wondering most about the boiled egg. I just feel sad about ditching it as it's her favourite thing (in fact the only thing that she will reliably eat).

FAQ - I make her teeny tiny portions of everything. She's not a good eater at all!

OverMyDeadBody - I've searched in vain for a glimpse of brown bread. The only fruit I've seen so far is banana.

Actually, they are not meant to be allowed chocolate/crisps/sweets at this preschool, so I'm not sure why they all have them

OP posts:
chopster · 27/02/2008 14:07

what on earth is weird about that?

You should see my dkid's lunchboxes. They have pasta salads sprinkled with pumpkin seeds, debra, spanish tortilla, betata vada, cold pizza, rice salad, pasties, paratha, cold jacket potatoes, egg and spinach salad, thepla, gathia etc. Not all strictly healthy, but at least it's homeade.

I try not to give them sandwiches more than twice a week. And they've never had problems, even though some the other children have never seen some the stuff they eat. Only problem I had was to stop dd sharing hers out.

chopster · 27/02/2008 14:07

I wouldn't worry about the smell of the egg neither, boiled eggs are healthy!

CoffeeCrazedMama · 27/02/2008 14:09

I'd stick to my guns - if you do give in and start sending in rubbish snacks instead of proper food, then she goes to primary school that has a strict policy on lunch boxes you will have problems getting her used to penguin-free lunches again.

Not PFB at all imo - dd3 is my P4thB and has healthy lunch boxes, which she enjoys helping me prepare.