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Preschool education

Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

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Original poster

Would you be happy about this?

25 replies

nappyaddict · 10/12/2008 10:12

I picked DS up from preschool yesterday and his top was covered in white stuff. No problem as I assume it's yogurt. So I say to DS come on let's just change your tshirt and one of the ladies that works there said oh yes they've had a bar of white chocolate. Now I've no problem with DS having the odd bit of chocolate but surely they shouldn't be giving it out at preschool or they should at least be checking it's ok with parents first.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Smithagain · 10/12/2008 10:18

I wouldn't be happy, because we have allergy issues, but then the nursery would know about those.

However, both nurseries my children have been to have had a policy that edible treats (birthday sweeties etc) are not eaten in nursery, but taken home. That seems good to me, since I'm the main person feeding the children and I'd like some say over whether they stuff themselves mid morning.

breaghsmum · 12/12/2008 00:11

i wouldnt be happy. my sons creche only ever give sweets as a treat after checking with me 1st. and it is very rare. children can react in very different ways to chocolate, depending on whether they are given it often or not. i know my son can become very hyper and quite angry if he has too much. so this wouldnt be something i was comfortable with. i do remeber his previous creche sharing a family bag of maltesers between the 7 toddlers that they were caring for that day. i was very angry about this.

seeker · 12/12/2008 00:36

Oh for crying out loud - it's a bit of chocolate. There are children in the world dying of starvation. Get over it.

VivaLaPotPourri · 12/12/2008 00:41

It wouldn't really bother me - DS came home yesterday and wouldn't eat his dinner - apparently they were eating cakes! Ar well! Maybe it was someones birthday, or they were learning something white-chocolate related?

Original poster

nappyaddict · 12/12/2008 12:42

But aren't preschool meant to only give "healthy" snacks?

OP posts:

savoycabbage · 12/12/2008 12:48

I wouldn't have liked it at all.

breaghsmum · 12/12/2008 14:22

seeker my cousin's DD has an intolerance to dairy products and has been given chocolate by her nursery. it upsets her whole digestive system for days at time and takes her over a week to get back to eating properly afterwards. were talking vomitimg and diarhoea that she has no control over meaning she is off nursery and the childminders for the whole time and as her parents are both self employed they lose money but still have to pay the CM. and thats all from "a bit of chocolate". if the nursery had asked before hand it would have prevented all that.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 12/12/2008 14:32

surely the nursery should know of any allergies anyway?

OP posts:

Cupofteaplease · 12/12/2008 17:36

Unless allergies are involved, a little white chocolate will do a child no harm! I cannot believe some parents get so wound up over the smallest things...

lljkk · 12/12/2008 17:46

Can't understand OP's worry, personally. For a child under 1, maybe, but not a preschooler.

DS had jam tarts and chocolate spiders at school today, I only know because I went in to help out with a special activity. I'm pretty strict about what sugary foods he has, and No one asked me for permission for him to have it, but it's fine, honestly, what's childhood without sweet treats? I really don't need to micro-control that kind of thing.

breaghsmum · 12/12/2008 17:50

the nursery manager knew of the intolerance and my cousin presumed this would have been passed on to all the staff, however it obviously wasnt passed on or the staff forgot to check. but as i mentioned, my son has no allergies but his behaviour can change drastically if he does have chocolate.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 12/12/2008 22:06

As I said I don't mind DS having chocolate but I understood preschools are supposed to promote healthy eating and only allow snacks that would be considered healthy.

OP posts:

littlebrownmouse · 15/12/2008 20:30

In my opinion, healthy eating includes a healthy attitude to food ie that having a bit of chocolate now and again is fine as part of a healthy balanced diet. Food is not generally 'good' and 'bad' but is mainly ok in moderation. The whole 'food intolerence' thing is a totally different issue, of course its not on to give an allergic child something that will cause them a reaction, but some chocolate to a non allergic child - fabulous as part of the healthy balanced diet that pre-school are no doublt promoting.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 16/12/2008 00:39

Again I think that too. DS generally has a piece of chocolate a day. I was led to believe preschool only gave fruit, veg, yogurt, crackers and rice cakes. They write on the snack board every day what the children will be having and it has never said chocolate. This means that against my knowledge DS could have been having 2 pieces of chocolate a day some days.

When he goes to toddler group he has biscuits. On that day I don't give him any other sweet things cos I know he will have biscuits later. If I had known preschool give chocolate out I would only give him chocolate at the weekends when I know he won't have had anything else sweet. I think one treat thing a day is plenty.

OP posts:

devoutsceptic · 16/12/2008 00:58

Do any of you think your own mothers would be having a panic attack about a bit of chocolate? it's not crack! I feel sorry for kids today sometimes. What is a childhood without a bit of chocolate?

PortAndStilton · 16/12/2008 01:06

DS's nursery gets us to fill in a form every year that includes, among other things, dietary restrictions and things we don't want him to have. If I hadn't told the nursery that I didn't want him to have white chocolate I wouldn't be upset that they gave it to him.

AFAICS there's no suggestion that the preschool here gives out chocolate regularly. If your DS makes that much mess that you have to change his top, you'd presumably know if they were giving him chocolate frequently.

If your DS has two pieces of chocolate in a single day as a one-off, his legs are not going to turn green and drop off. They ought to put it on the snack board, though, if there is a snack board.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 16/12/2008 01:09

He quite frequently has white stuff on his top. Usually I don't bother changing it cos we go straight home, but this time we were going somewhere afterwards. I have always assumed it was yoghurt. Now I know it could have been yoghurt or chocolate.

OP posts:

PortAndStilton · 16/12/2008 01:14

If you think it's happening regularly, then have a word and ask them to make sure it's on the snack board. But I still think you can be relatively chilled about it.

MollieO · 17/12/2008 20:26

My ds was given a wrapped up Mars Bar by Father Christmas at his school yesterday. He is 4 and unwrapped it today. He has chocolate now and again (chocolate coins) but has never had anything this big! I reckon he ate about a quarter of it and gave up. Personally I can't see the harm in it at all. He used to get sweets/chocolate on a very regular basis at nursery - everyone would bring it in for birthdays so with 36 in nursery it was practically every week. It isn't as if his main diet is governed by what he has at school so I'm not concerned at all. They learn about healthy eating as part of EYFS.

purepurple · 30/12/2008 16:16

well, if you don't like it I'm sure there are other places to send your DC
personally I can't see what all the fuss is about

Rollmops · 27/01/2009 12:04

You are absolutely not being unreasonable!
I would be livid if a nursery would offer sweets without my knowledge! You are his mother and it's your decision if and when he can have sweets of any kind.

squirrel42 · 27/01/2009 23:47

Unless they're allergic, children won't actually melt if they come into contact with chocolate/sweets. Preschools have a duty to ensure children's dietary requirements are met - that's things like allergies, religious/cultural requirements, children being raised as veggies/vegans, etc. Unless you specifically request that your child is not given sweets, why shouldn't they have the odd one or two? It'd be different if they were given a bag of pick 'n' mix instead of lunch, but otherwise it's a bit presumptious to assume all parents want to impose strict sweets bans on their kids. Staff aren't mind readers with things like that.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 27/01/2009 23:53

fgs it's a dead thread [rolls eyes]

Why oh why resurrect it ?

urgh

Rollmops · 29/01/2009 09:22

Boys Are Like Dogs - thank you for such an insightful, informative and tres' clever comment.... [REALLY rolls eyes]. I suppose one should be terribly apologetic and beg your forgiveness for posting on a thread without first consulting....err.... you???? (WTF?!)

dilbertina · 29/01/2009 09:38

Anyhow, sounds like he's smearing it on his top not eating it anyway so problem solved.

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