School Diner

[midas]

Before calling the school tomorrow and shouting all odds I need to run this by you ladies

My son started reception 2 weeks ago and started full time today.
I called the school office today just to make sure he will be getting dinner and I was told that they had received his cheque for the whole term and he would be getting his dinner.
Got home and asked him what he had in school and he said nothing.
He is my first and just want to ask the teachers if they are about if it is possible to leave a four year old starving for the whole day.
The minder told me he scoffed his lunch in record time.
He is now asking me to make him packed lunch tomorrow

Message withdrawn

Children often reply to questions about school with "Nothing". "What did you do today?", "What did you have for lunch?" and so on. It's highly unlikely that he didn't have any lunch. When I goofed and didn't send lunch money in with ds on the first day of term, the school phoned me and left a message saying that, as I hadn't paid nor sent a pack lunch, ds had been given ordinary school lunch and would I please clarify tomorrow whether he was to have pack or school in future.

Perhaps your ds was daunted by the whole business of collecting his lunch from strangers and carrying the tray etc.

IF it tirns out that he had nothing then of course you should shout the odds but you have to be sure first

it seems highly unlikely that he wouldn't have bee offered something

Thanks for the replies.
I asked him if he had fruits, rice, potatoes, milk, just to get something out of him and he said he had milk.
Asked him if he saw the food, he said No. Do they all go into the canteen regardless of if they wanted to eat or not.
Also if a child refuses the food offered do they try to make him eat or just leave him.
I didn't school here so have no idea how it is done.
He was in full time nursery until he started school 2 weeks ago and he always told me what he had for breakfast , dinner and tea, although sometimes I had to ask a few times before he remembered.
I will try to get their story first before saying much and we have a parent evening on Tuesday if I don't get much info from them tomorrow.
I will be phoning since I will be at work.

I have just called the school and the school secretary told me they will make sure that he has something today.
She said they make them eat something even if they do not want to eat so still not the wiser.
He actually sressed that he wanted a sandwich this morning and almost cried when I said he will have dinner in school.
His dad already said I should send him with lunch from today but I know the school dinner is more practical for me.
I guess I will have to wait and see what happens today

My two had to have a hot lunch at school for the whole of reception. They didn't like it much because it meant going to the hall whilst the other children sat at their desks with their sandwiches.

One of mine said he'd had his dinner taken away from him by an older boy, I went incandescent with rage and marched into the school office for a full investigation the next morning.

It turned out my ds had given up his main meal pushed it away and was barking like a seal for his pudding. The staff said if the kids don't eat much of their dinner (mine used to be quite fussy eaters), then they're given extra fruit or cheese or whatever is on offer for pudding.

If your son is really upset by the school meal routine, how about sending the pack lunch in alternate days to rebuild his confidence?

Good luck.

I am a dinner lady, looking after reception age kids.

We do our best to ensure that the kids eat something, they are encouraged to check out the salad bar (they will often eat stuff from there even if they ignore the main meal) and qe TRY to ensure they eat savoury before sweet . We give out stickers for encouragement which the kids adore.

Reception classes at our school are escorted to the dining hall before the older kids and head counted constantly so none vanish to the playground. If there is a child not eating much, we make a point of giving them more one-to-one supervision and if it persists we ask the teacher to speak to a parent.

I have a little girl this week who has swopped to packed lunches so that her mum can see exactly how much she is eating as we were getting concerned. The kids have to take all packaging and uneaten food home so that parents can check.

Midas - i would leave him to get used to it a bit before thinking of changing - or letting him know that you are thinking of changing! The social thing is v important around school lunches, i thnk, and they need to get to know the children they are sitting with, and to develop that 'we all do this' sense of doing it as a class. perhaps a freind he sat next to in class had a packed lunch and that's why he wants one? That's why DS wanted one, even though he apparantly eats school dinners well. Now that you have alerted them, I am sure that they will keep an eye out.
There was a thread yesterday, i think, about what parents get told about school by their children, and the general concensus was that by reception, if you want to know, don't ask! iyswim!

How did he get on today Midas?

Thanks for asking roisin.

He didn't really eat much, the minder was told .
At least he was offered, because we realised that there was a mix up the day before, I think 3 children were involved, according to the minder.
He normally eats very well, really likes his food, so I was surprised. He told me all he was offered but he didn't like the pasta because it was white!!

I will give it a few more days, if he is still not really eating then we will swap to packed lunch.
Thanks.