Mummy3

My kids started school on Monday and they love it, but they are not getting to eat their lunch... The school has lunch in class at 1.30, then it's out to play. They allocate 10 minutes. My little prep girl says she doesn't get time to eat and isn't allowed to stay and finish her lunch. She has growth issues and has a referral to the children's hospital here, should I make a fuss?
They are coming home ravenous and demolish the rest of what I have given them.
At 11 they have a break and can eat something but not their sandwiches as I suggested they do!
This worries me more than any other school issues as they seem really happy...

Is this eat in class a nationwide thing, I was told they don't do European style lunches where everyone sits in the hall!

Your experiences please...

Buzzy--Bee

Schools here seem to have two lunch breaks - a fruit break and a lunch break. 10 minutes is normally all they need to eat before they go out and play but I would be concerned if she is not being "allowed" to finish her lunch. At our school the rule is that if you haven't finished after 10 minutes you can either stay inside and finish or take it outside and finish it. The teacher also checks to make sure each child has eaten enough lunch before being allowed outside to play.

BB

itigo

What Buzzy said! I was shocked at the eating arrangements at my daughter's school - identical to yours. I was a teacher in the UK and used to more formal lunchtimes. Some children do eat slowly and will need longer.

Mummy3

I have dropped a note into her bag asking that she eat her lunch, as she is underweight, see what happens...

irishbloo

Have a little wonder down to the school during lunch time so you can see for yourself.Have a word with the teacher in charge and mention your concerns.Pack your daughters lunch in to small portions to make it easy for her.Good luck.

Mummy3

Am also feeling unwell so probably over reacted, my daughter tells me on the way to school that she wants to go out and play so says she has finished...

irishbloo

You have a lot going on and it can be stressful.It will all settle in a few months.It takes a while to adjust to new things.Hope you feel better soon.

carolinephillips

Make sure she has a good breakfast, and then some carbs to eat at morning tea, and pack a smoothie, so that she can drink it quickly and get something inside her if it is a speed issue coming from her. Then she can at least have something in her stomach.

macy

My one in primary school does nothing but eat during the day, they have a brain break snack at 9.30am, then little lunch at 11.30 and then lunch around 1pm, and then they come home and start all over again. They don't do the whole "hall style lunches" but they have the undercover areas where they all sit and are expected to eat (in their school in QLD anyway).

I would approach the teacher and just see what the situation is, I wouldn't take your child's word as gospel, my youngest used to never eat at school and it was because he wanted to play all day. Schools have a duty of care to your child and I am sure a word with the teacher would set your mind at rest, welcome to Australia hope all is going well.

eddie007

Hmmmmm... Kids are clever....

They get home from school with an uneaten lunch

Mum says "why havent you eaten your sandwiches"

Little jonny or jenny says...

"i didnt have time, we had to go out to play"


Loosely interpreted means... I was having too much fun to eat boring stuff instead of playing with my mates....


Send them with a good breakfast inside them, give them access to lunch but dont stress if they havent eaten it....

Unless they are scoffing the yummy stuff and leaving the boring sandwiches

Cheetah7

Who had those metallic beakers at school for water which was always luke warm? (shudders at the memory)

I used to have school dinners at junior school and loved the stodgy puddings and we could not leave our table until our plates were clean, had to chew with your mouth closed and line up for hand inspection prior to sitting down to show we had clean hands.

Senior school I had to fend for myself and jam sarnies were my lunch. To all you parents out there, what is the state of play with regards to kids lunchboxes these days?

Just curious.

itigo

Jam sandwiches ahoy here! Daughter had dairy allergy so was limited for a while. Now she doesn't actually like cheese so won't eat it. Won't eat salad sandwiches (loves them though) because the bits all fall out while she's trying to eat it. Won't eat tuna mayo (loves these too) because they get smelly and she has the pee extracted from her. Blows hot and cold with ham. I'm never inventive enough.

I should be making her little cheesy scones or homemade frittata or whatever else the magazines intimate we all do.. but I don't!

She has lots of fruit and raw veges in there and a little treat (Milo bar/Shapes etc) as the novelty of eating any packaged foods she likes hasn't worn off!

Mummy3

Snap!

Mine always had school lunches in the uk, so am trying to think what to make here..

elice_in_oz

My boy is content with a cheese and vegemite sandwich on low GI bread, piece of fruit, low GI biscuits and a fruit purée or extra ham or cheese. Vegetables are evil of course and if I put anything green in the sanswich, it gets left over. His lunch box comes back empty every day so I guess he has enough in there. He hardly ever says he is hungry after school. I am even less imaginative tham most of you as the lunch box is the same every day He's not complained yet
Mummy3, definitely talk to the teacher or the aides in the classroom. They need to be made aware that they must check her lunch box before she goes out.

moneypenny20

I'm honestly amazed by some of these stories First off I've never heard of kids only getting a set amount of time to eat before playing at lunch and I've also not heard of schools having no canteen, the girls have always had school lunches. Maybe I've just been extremely lucky I also don't understand kids who don't eat veg, mine have pigged out on a majority of cooked or raw veg since they were weaned. Why don't they eat veggies?