Lunchbox police

[Homealone2015]

Dd is in reception and has a lunch box most days as she's quite fussy. A TA sits with them at lunchtime and constantly tells dd that "mummy gives you too much chocolate" "you need more fruit".

Her lunch currently consists of a ham sandwich, half a bag of quavers, a mini choc chip cake, a yogurt and a penguin choc bar. She will eat most of this. It's been trial and error trying to find things she will eat at lunch. She won't eat fruit/veg at lunch time, it's always still there when we get home. She's only just started eating fruit at snack time.

Yesterday dd came home upset as this ta "keeps telling her off" over something she has no control over, shouldn't the ta be talking to me? As the person who makes her lunch if she has a problem??

Dd has constipation issues and is taking regular logical so I know how important eating the right food is, but I'd rather she ate something at school than nothing .

My DS is on medication that suppresses his appetite. Nearly every single day I throw away uneaten sandwiches and fruit. I still put them in though because he might eat them one day. You say your DD loves cucumber but won't eat them at school, do you think it could be the way they're being stored? Do you have a cool box type lunch box? I'm just wondering whether the cucumber is going warm and soggy and that's why she won't eat it.

Right- we have a "treat box" with penguins, kit kats, choc chip cakes etc. They have one thing usually. If I'm "unorganised" and don't have anything else they make get two. This isn't that often but does happen.

No one said I was bloody perfect!!

I completely understand the ta thinking dds lunch was unhealthy, I just would have liked her to speak to me and not dd as she now thinks she's naughty.

Time to teach DD that people have differing opinions on matters.

What the TA says is just their opinion. The only.opinion that matters to DD should be DDs.
"Do you like your lunch DD?
"Yes"
"Then tell TA to keep her neb out"
"Then that's the main thing"

But why even have one thing? Leave them for an after school treat. And before anyone whines about chocolate pudding on the school menu, trust me, there is no sugar (or flavour!) in it.

Even if the TA had spoken to you nothing would have changed though would it?

Schools can’t win sometimes!

@FallenSky cucumber goes into a small Tupperware box, then into her lunch box, then into her lunch bag. I also put a blue ice block in her bag to keep her lunch cool. I do the same with all chopped fruit/veg.

She always has a ham sandwich, and a yogurt tube. Then maybe fruit/veg/crisps/crackers of some sort and a cake/penguin.

I would say that's too much chocolate too.
My 5 year old dd has -
ham sandwich or wrap
plum toms or cucumber
yogurt
banana or apple or strawberries
2 biscuits or half bag of crisps

Sorry pressies post to quick. I don't think the TA should be saying that to your dd though, the school should speak to you direct.

Sometimes I also put in cocktail sausages, mini scotch eggs or mini sausage rolls. She loves these as reminds her of picnics! You can get 2 for £3 in Asda.

Sometimes I also put in cocktail sausages, mini scotch eggs or mini sausage rolls. She loves these as reminds her of picnics! You can get 2 for £3 in Asda.

I agree. If you want to feed your child shit, it's entirely up to you and the TA shouldn't comment. I'm impressed there's a TA there sitting with them tbh. Most schools too short staffed for that level of supervision.

I agree. If you want to feed your child shit, it's entirely up to you and the TA shouldn't comment. I'm impressed there's a TA there sitting with them tbh. Most schools too short staffed for that level of supervision.

I understand. My son's fussy and fruit and veg was always returned from his lunchbox. I admit I always put an apple in mainly just for appearances! So the teachers could see at least I tried. Sometimes my son would surprise me by eating some of the apple (probably made to by a teacher). If he didn't eat it then it was still OK for me to eat. Have you tried replacing one of the chocolate bars with dried fruit like mango? That's one thing my son enjoys.

Can you not pack a few strawberries /raspberries at all?.The lunch isnt ideal,but obviously you dont want your child to come home hungry!.As far as the TA goes ,she is overstepping the mark a bit here TBH.I would tell the teacher you are working to address these issues, and would appreciate it if left to sort it out!.

I would tell the teacher you're working to find a better school as there is no issue with her lunches, only with that TAs opinion and actions.

You could say to dd ‘well, I agree with her, a lunchbox should have one less chocolate and one more fruit/veg’, which one do you want to try eating at school?’ Yes, its not ideal that the TA is repeatedly making your dd feel blamed, but you do agree so you could use it as an impetus to change it.

I'd just put a piece of fruit in with what you've put in. You won't get judged and u can always stick it back in the fruit bowl if she doesn't eat it

Typical mumsnet jump on the contents of the lunchbox and ignore the fact that the TA should of spoken to the parent!!! Op didn't you know that the majority of mumsnet little darlings barely touch anything remotely unhealthy, etc etc!!! I would reinforce that any concerns speak to you directly.

I had really fussy eaters at that age (two with ASD) and offered snacks in the bath, like a bowl of strawberries to pick out of as they play. Then slowly moving to less favourable fruits and veggies as bath snacks before slowly offering them as regular snacks and lunches. The novelty of eating in the bathtub got them interested and they soon forgot they hated these foods. Worth a shot.

Though I don't agree with TA talking to your child about it, I do agree that her lunches are really unhealthy. Would she try organix snacks as alternatives to some of the items? Like a fruit bar instead of a penguin bar?

I sympathise with you, it's damn hard work getting them to eat anything some days.

OP: I know the lunchbox is not that healthy, we are trying. She won't eat any fruit.

Every second poster: BUT IT'S UNHEALTHY. HAVE YOU TRIED (insert name of fruit.)

I wonder if you only put in the sarnie, yogurt and fruit / cucumber, would she then eat the fruit and cucumber?

I have an awfully fussy 6yo and he gets a sandwich or roll (with one of the two fillings he will eat - beef or ham), a yogurt, a mini cheese and some mini breadsticks.

I used to give him some mini gingerbread men and the cheese / yogurt would come back uneaten, so I stopped.

To be fair, as an adult, if I opened my lunch pack expecting cake and chocolate , and was presented with a sandwich and carrot sticks I'd probably go off on one.

At our school, chocolates aren't allowed in the lunch box. I think it' a great rule. (chocolate muffins are ok.)

You have to present a new food at least 11 times for a child to accept it (unless it’s something like chocolate!). I’d just keep putting in fruit and veg (not in huge quantities) and telling your DD that it’s really important for her health that she learns to like them, and you’d like her to try.

I agree with others, if she knows she gets all those treats instead if she leaves her fruit and veg, why wouldn’t she?

The TA shouldn’t be speaking to a Reception age child. But I do get why she thinks it’s a poor lunchbox. It’s a box of processed junk and sugar. You could have left some of it out if you didn’t have anything better, or given her an extra sandwich.

Can’t you add cucumber or tomato into the sandwich? If she eats that and a yoghurt she won’t be starving if she leaves the fruit or veg you put in it. Agree that a change of fruit would be preferable rather than say an apple! I would ditch the rubbish as that isn’t giving her any nutrition at all and is just storing up problems for the future.