Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

If your nursery provides a hot lunch, does it also allow you to opt out and send a packed lunch instead?

41 replies

Paolosgirl · 07/12/2009 22:07

DS's nursery has just advised of "exciting changes" to lunch provision in a very vague letter home tonight. They intend to start providing a hot lunch in the New Year after careful consultation with parents - another . Will use an outside agency, and the cost will be included in our monthly fees, oddly enough.

Thing is, I don't want him to have a hot lunch - we eat dinner as a family at night, and we all eat packed lunches. Nothing in the letter about opting out of a hot meal - can they force me to take this "exciting change" (which I imgine will also see my monthly fees rocket)?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

islandofsodor · 07/12/2009 22:21

There was no opting out at the dc's nursery when they went. I think OFSTED like hot lucnhes.

Also a lot of the children may not be picked up til 5pm so it will be late by the time they get home. I know that myself and most of the other parents at the dc's school appreciated being able just to give the children a sandwich when we got home.

Ewe · 07/12/2009 22:37

No opt out at the nursery I use either, hot lunch and more of a snacky tea. I think it is so they aren't having a hot dinner at 4pm when they might be having dinner when at home after 6pm.

ScaredofRepercussions · 07/12/2009 23:13

our nursery is fine about either having hot meals or taking packed lunches. about half the children take in packed lunches but they all eat together regardless of who is having what.

Original poster

Paolosgirl · 08/12/2009 19:13

Thanks for the replies. I'm still very surprised that there is no opt out - I'm paying a lot of money each month, and I expect to be given the choice. It suits me to cook one meal for us all to eat when we get in from school, and eat that as a family - not make up a packed lunch type thing for him and then expect him to eat that and not ask for what we are eating.

OP posts:

Original poster

Paolosgirl · 08/12/2009 19:14

school and work

OP posts:

ruddynorah · 08/12/2009 19:19

he'll probably be fine with a hot nursery lunch and then the hot evening meal you make him. dd loves it when she stays for lunch at nursery, far more exciting than a packed lunch.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 08/12/2009 19:21

No opt out for baby room so up to 3 and then they have the choice of packed lunch or cooked when they move to the older room.

thisisyesterday · 08/12/2009 19:22

well there's really no reason why he can't have 2 hot meals a day is there?

it's worth asking though if you can opt out

Original poster

Paolosgirl · 08/12/2009 19:23

He's nearly 3, so hopefully they will accept what I want for him. I certainly don't want him eating 2 hot meals each day.

OP posts:

ruddynorah · 08/12/2009 19:28

why not? i don't understand. all his friends will presumably be having the same hot meal as each other, but you'd rather he had a packed lunch? dh has this thing too, that you can't have more than one hot meal a day. i don't get it.

thisisyesterday · 08/12/2009 19:35

me either, i rather like 2 hot meals a day

and ds1 had 2 hot meals a day while he was at nursery

Original poster

Paolosgirl · 08/12/2009 19:40

I don't want 2 hot meals a day because I want the choice given that I'm paying an arm and a leg in fees. I also want to be able to choose the content of his lunch - not have an outside agency to provide meals that I have no say over, which may or may not be to his/my choice, and which are no doubt going to increase the nursery fees. If I'd wanted a nursery which provided meals I would have chosen one. When they go to state school they have the choice - and I would certainly expect that at a private nursery.

OP posts:

SleightiesChick · 08/12/2009 19:40

I don't understand your aversion to more than one hot meal either. And tbh I would imagine the nursery see it as you getting better value for money, not worse. There is a point where you have to accept that if you want everything done exactly the way you would do it, you will have to look after your kids yourself during the day as you are never going to find childcare that can adhere to every single preference you have.

For info, my DS's nursery have a hot lunch and then a more snacky afternoon tea but still with a hot element. Had never occurred to me that this might be too much hot food in a day. He has some hot food for supper before bed too, if he wants it.

Katymac · 08/12/2009 19:42

I cook 2 hot meals for my children here - & the parents love it

Original poster

Paolosgirl · 08/12/2009 19:43

Well, as I work it's not exactly an option to stay at home

OP posts:

FiveGoMadInDorset · 08/12/2009 19:43

Why don't you want 2 hot meals a day?

choufleur · 08/12/2009 19:45

Hot lunch at DS's nursery and sandwihes/soup etc for tea. no opt out. why can't he have two hot meals a day? state school is different. you choose to send him to this nursery. I know it's difficult when things change at nurseries (DS's nursery recently changed hands), but i really didn't like the changes he could go somewhere else.

Sparkletastic · 08/12/2009 19:45

DD has hot lunch at nursery - no opt out and I wouldn't want one. She is far less picky with her nursery meals than she is at home and means I don't have to cook a hot meal after work if I don't have the energy.

littledawley · 08/12/2009 19:47

No opt out at our school either - I have been amazed by how much DS's appetite picked up when he moved onto having a hot lunch. Today he had Spag bol at school, followed by crumble and custard, a snack on the way home, salmon and noodles a yogurt and a banana!! And this is the boy that never used to eat.

I'm sure that if you really object to a cooked lunch they will allow you to opt out but I would suggest that you give it a term to begin with.

Original poster

Paolosgirl · 08/12/2009 19:48

No! A sandwich, yoghurt and a couple of bits of fruit for lunch, followed by dinner at night. A hot meal a lunchtime and I'd be falling asleep at my desk!

It's not the hot meal that I'm objecting to so much as having the choice taken away. I fully expect the option of opting out of a hot meal in order to suit me - the customer. Not so hard surely, given that schools manage it!

OP posts:

Lotkinsgonecurly · 08/12/2009 19:49

When DS had hot lunch at nursery he always ate a far more varied diet than he did at home.

I didn't actually believe them when they said he ate vegetables so they let me look through the window one day

Don't really see a problem with 2 hot meals a day especially the rate at which children burn energy, think is nice to keep them going longer and one less packed lunch to make surely has to be a good thing.

ruddynorah · 08/12/2009 19:51

have the nursery actually said how much difference it will make to your fees to have the hot lunch? you seem very very cross about this without having all the info. have you seen the menus? dd's nursery menu is fantastic. poor thing only gets to stay for lunch out of term time when i pay for her to go, the rest of the time she just goes for the free place. she sees it as a treat!

HuwEdwards · 08/12/2009 19:52

there was no opt out at our nursery, but it was the 'package' I bought into. It was all prepared on the premises however - and as DDs were there from 9 till 5:30, I wanted them to have a cooked lunch (not fussed if it's hot or cold).

I would think tho that this is a change to your contract, so if you don't want it, tell them.

SleightiesChick · 08/12/2009 19:54

In a multi-child setting it seems from what people have said that the norm is to have them all eating the same lunch. As 'the customer', the choice then open to you is to look for a nursery that allows you the choice - for which you may pay even more - or to employ a nanny or go to a childminder who will do exactly what you want - again, possibly at a higher price, although from what I read on here childminders can be a pretty reasonable option. You do have choices available, but they just may not be in the setting you currently use or at the bargain price you want.

Original poster

Paolosgirl · 08/12/2009 19:55

No - no information. Nothing about costs, what outside agency, menus, etc. I spoke to the nursery manager today and said that I expected to have the option of opting out, and she just seemed a bit vague about it all - and yet it's happening in the New Year apparently.

We eat a very varied diet at home, and he's certainly not a fussy eater, so that's not an issue.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread