If you have a child in Reception or Year 6 and have just received a letter about weighing them, what do you intend to do?

[nkf]

Agree or not? Ask for results or not?

Microwaveonly - My y6 dd didn't have any anxiety about what she ate or weight until the school (or maybe lunchtime supervisors) kept on about what should be in her lunchbox and what shouldn't and what she should eat first and what was 'good' food and 'bad' food. She is now starting on whether she is big/small/slight/growing for her age. I'm not saying that it's related to the lunchbox issue but concentrating on these things create or add to any anxiety they might have.

've had a letter. Have given consent for dd to be weighed, measured, and have her hearing and vision tested. She's in reception.
I don't have a problem with them doing this. But then I do approve generally of the importance of having a national 'picture' of the health of the next generation.

I don't have a problem with it, I don't expect that the nurse tells everyone the results.

I do agree though that the school should be responsible in ensuring that whatever the individual results are, they deal sensitively and carefully with their recommendations.

I remember having a medical aged 9 at primary school. I was the only one in my class to have it (because my mother had ticked a box saying I did have occasional headaches). My mother was there. The HCP was horrible. Told me to lose half a stone and to cut out fat. And there began a 20 year preoccupation with my weight (and a bit of bulimia in my teens). Though it could have been the result of my mother obsessively calorie counting, for herself, when I was about 10. I was rather into lists and so I could quote chapter and verse on the calorie content of all foods (and still remember most to this day).

BUT.... I guess that I'm still, in giving consent, hoping that times have changed, and if the weighing and so on are part of a comprehensive scheme including the majority of children, that this wont happen to dd. Maybe it helps that I know that she is about 25th centile for weight and 50th for height. Perhaps would be less pro if I did have concerns about her weight/height ratio.

Is a very sensitive subject I think.

I think it's a waste of government money. The only reason you would decline is if you knew your child was over or under weight. All the fat kids' mums will say no way. So what's the point?

NO letter here. Would be interesting, as I imagine DS2, in reception is rather under weight.

i would writeand complain about the wste of government resources

It's a data collecting exercise I understand. There won't be any individual follow up and you have to ask for the results.

I refused. Another load of stats will be published, another load of leaflets printed, surely the majority of people now all know about healthy eating, even if we don't all do it!

let them do it, why would'nt I ? i don't see what all the fuss is about, theres far larger issues in the world!

I would want to know my child's weight but prefer to get GP or nurse to weigh and discuss with them. I would particularly want to know if I was in any way concerned about them being overweight.

I suppose doing it at school is the only way to get some kids seen but wouldn't want mine done in that context especially in year six.

I don't think the point is to focus on individual children - it's to get a picture of the child population to see if there's a national problem that needs to be addressed. Anecdotally there is, but there's no hard evidence. That's what this exercise is trying to get.

I agree Seeker - I just took it personally I got all wound up about it and DS4 just looked at me like 'what is your problem'

Touchy about weight (and height) cause I am short and fat

Seeker - It would only give a picture if it was compulsory - it's a waste of money if those it seeks to identify have declined to take part. Who else would decline?

I have refused too,last year they all lined up one behind the other, we all know what year 6 girls can be like,and some were upset for days, so this year I think most of the girls parents have refused but the boys dont seem bothered.

heron - agree totally with you. I posted earlier on here.

I refused permission for my DS and even wrote one of those 'Dont get me mad' type letters.

DS just went with the others and had it done!!! He reckons I make too much about some stuff!!!!

I bet the teachers had a right giggle

Too much pressure on our children - bombarded with it from every angle. Year 6 is a difficult year - SATS, sex education, bodies growing before our eyes, magazines, tv, internet all putting their two penny worth in. Im sure life as a 10 year old didn't used to be like this.

I was quite happy for DD to take part (Y6) but she was highly emnbarrassed & a she IS slightly on the chunky side (but very active)I palyed it down & we dsaid no. Thing is from a baby she has always had chunky periods just before a growth spurt when she goes slim again, so don't wan to make a thing about it!

her lovely form teacher said several of the girls were opting out

I'm a bit that some parents have sent letters refusing permission and the children being weighed anyway.
Why do schools ignore parents preferences? and how can that be right?

agree Juule - I had made it more than crystal clear that my son was not going to take part.

He was the one who joined in with the rest but every teacher knew my wishes....think he wasn't sure which was worse. Going along with it or doing as he was told by me!!

Funnily enough he clung onto his two best friends - who are both very tall and very chunky - like me on holiday when I look for someone as chubby as me before I sunbathe

Refusing permission is denial.

Denial of what exactly?!

Look at whats been said, its the girls refusing, not the boys. Where is that coming from? you mums i'm afraid. How many of those mums on here who refused feel they have 'weight issues' themselves. The majority I bet.

the thing is that those parents who don't, who aren't bothered about diets and food obsessed (sadly not many these days), don't realise how distorted their view on food is. If you bring your child up to have a sensible view to food and hence they are not overweight, what is there to fear?

if on the other hand your child is overweight then why deny it and encourage your child to see weighing themselves as a bad thing??

how is the govnt to encourage kids to eat well if the parents fight it?

oops meant those with food issues have a distorted view, not those who haven't...sigh,should type more slowly>

I wouldn't have a problem, but then I grew up in Sweden where we were regularly weighed and measured and had our eyesight tested by the school nurse. (Oh, and we had sex education too.)

Dd has a hospital visit every couple of weeks and they always weigh you there regardless of what you come in for, you can't really refuse when you're in Outpatients. So I'm totally blase about it.

And I have to say it probably would be useful for hospitals to have access to some reliable statistics on the population as a whole- though of course that's never going to happen when so many parents withdraw their children. How are they going to work out guidelines suitable for children if they don't get enough children to weigh?

so true cory, and if I look at my friends I can see that those with very overweight children all have weight issues themselves and are all in denial about their own childs weight. Its so sad for the children when you can see that they are fat at 3yrs old, still fat at 8yrs and the parent is blind to it, and doesn't make any effort to alter what their child eats. No wonder the govnt wants to step in.

btw this is NOT an anti-fat rant, it is a 'you have a duty to feed your child properly and give them a sensible attitude to food,' rant