Daughter's TA says she takes too long to eat - opinions please

[electra]

Dd2 has just started reception. Today her TA came up to me and said that at lunchtime she is taking too long to eat her lunch (they have school lunches) and that she has tried to hurry her up, please could I have a word with her about it?

Having thought about it, I'm wary of doing anything that will give her an issue about food. She is having a difficult time at home too at the moment.

Isn't it better for people not to hurry her up as she will soon realise she has a certain amount of time to finish and if she doesn't she will just be a bit hungry......?

I'm with you. DD sometimes brings a lot of lunch home that she didn't have time to eat. Her loss, I'm hoping she works out that she could eat her lunch if she got on with it and stopped yakking!

The main reason dd wants packed lunches rather than school dinners is because she can eat them quicker. (and doesn't have to queue for them first)

They get sent out to play once they've finished eating - i.e. the slower you eat, the less playtime you get. So your dd will work it out.

You could spend a bit more time at home practicing though - dd is starting to master the art of getting the next forkful ready while chewing the last one, which helps.

Is she trying to avoid going out to play?

I used to spin out eating my lunch because I hated going outside to play (it was cold, didn't always have anyone to play with, etc).

People who eat faster tend to eat more calories and be fatter adults. Was musing on another thread where people kept saying children don't have time to even eat their packed lunch at school, and I think this rushing lunchtimes must be addressed just as much as the healthy food overreaction message.

Dd is eating to slow too, she comes home with most of her lunch, i spoke to the teacher yesterday and was told dd talks to much at lunch time. She gets half an hour to eat lunch which seems plenty of time to eat what i give her.

My dd YR2 the same, chews for ever, talks non-stop. They just move her to the junior table and let her finish in her own time. Which i am gratefull for.

Thanks for replies. I don't think she is trying to avoid playing. Her teacher said today that she is not the only one and that they are using pudding as reinforcer, 'ie - if you eat your lunch you will have time for pudding' Apparently they have 30 minutes which seems long enough to me...

I guess I am just wary of food issues as they can arise so easily, and so many people use them for control (I do myself!).

DD1 is often still eating after everyone else has gone out and the dinner ladies are packing away. It doesn't appear to bother them or her. But she's gradually getting quicker.

I'd be reluctant to push it with her as well, beyond gently trying to establish whether there is any underlying reason.