do you children have enough to eat at school? Post Reply

[mmb]

Last year (and already once this year) I was called a number of times by the school, saying that my son "wasn't feeling very well" and I was asked to pick him up earlier, but actually when picked up he was fine, not ill or anything but just feeling tired and with no energy, which immediately resolved when he had a snack.
I have just now realised that he doesn't actually have enough to eat at school, as the portions he gets are very small. I know that most of the time he eats all his meal and dessert, he is not a fussy eater at all, but he says he is not allowed to have a second serving!?! I understand that they don't serve huge portions to prevent wasting of food, but is that really true that they don't allow hungry children to have a second serving?
He already has a huge breakfast at home, but now I think I am going to provide some snacks for him to eat during school time as I don't think he can learn properly in these conditions.
Does anyone have a similar experience? Is that normal?

[2009Kat]

Is this a state or private school? Can you not ask the teacher whether seconds are allowed or not?

[windmill26]

My child has good portions .They can have seconds if there is food left over after everyone has been served.You could ask to be present one day during lunch to see how big the portions are.

[izzye789]

i agree my grandson goes to christ church in chelsea and because of a nurotic american mum she has now demanded all the kids eat healthy so they dont get normal kids food they have stuff like chinese noodles and other stuff that the children dont like and if they are hungry well thats tough all because her kids like it thats just 1 mum thats put a stop to the food they used to love hope your reading this fussy mum

[mmb]

Thanks for your replies. He is in one of the local state schools. I will definitely raise the issue with his teacher, haven't had the opportunity yet as I am only going to school once a week.
I was just interested to see if anybody else's children experienced the same and also if it was common in local schools not to be allowed to have more.

[papagato1]

I was just thinking the exact thing for my son who says he doesn't have enough food at school. He says they have to eat fast so the next year group children can eat.

Please PM me, our sons might be at the same school. And, yes, we do need to raise this issue to the school!

[instablonde]

My 5 yr old daughter has just started reception in private school and she says she gets hungry. She is also not a fussy eater at all. More to say she is great eater of any food. She has mentioned already that she asked more food during lunch which worried me as she is only 5. Will she get enough for lunch when she is older if she is hungry now Was also going to ask teacher about it. Although a bit confused how to approach this?

[MamaH]

I think it is the situation that they don't get snacks really - at our state school they get a bit of fruit mid morning, and then only get to eat at lunch. Now the lunch they get is ok, but there is only so much they can stuff into themselves in the time they have to do it in, and that assumes they eat and eat and eat rather than chat or get distracted, which...

I found it an issue when my son started school. Eventually he got used to it. Shame though - they go on a lot about healthy eating but I'm not sure that forcing them to wait until they are starving and then encouraging them to stuff is really the way forward.

I found there was no point in sending extra snacks in - he was never allowed to eat them at a time when he needed them.

[lemonzest]

mmb my daughter has just started reception at a local state school and is always ridiculously hungry when she gets home. She is a big eater and not very fussy. I asked the teacher about the timing of lunch (definitely an issue in some schools with multiple sittings) but it isn't ludicrous - 12pm. Friends suggested she could be distracted rushing out to play - good point. However I've just seen photos of the portions and... they wouldn't keep her going all day! Interestingly she was in a different local state school for nursery last year, 'til later in the day(!), and she didn't seem so hungry. I think in the nursery they could access milk and fruit whenever they wanted it, whereas in her new school they get a fruit snack mid-morning, so the afternoon they just have to power through!!

[rooting4tooting]

Although my Children aren't complaining about a lack of lunch, My eldest did describe the servings as small and tha the portion size for veg could be 9 peas!!
We provide her with fruit for her fruit and milk break, but she is too much of a goody goody to take anything else to sneak a snack during breaktime.
Looking back at my own childhood, there was no feeling like the hunger felt at that age. "mum, I'm starving" would be my daily rant after school. 2 Sandwiches later and the hunger subsided. and then dinner at 7:30, allowed to stay up to watch Minder on Wednesdays. Oh those were the days....
what was the subject again?