SEETHING!!!

[kirstie]

Hi Everyone,

Not been here for a while as my other son is in the middle of the diagnostic process for something or other- i had thought Cerebral Palsy but as yet we don't know, phew anyway....

as many of you will know Lewis my 8 year old with AS is in a language unit attached to amainstream primary school. He is doing well and quite the high flyer with his lessons.

Just recently the school have started a healthy eating, exercise and dental health programme as most schools do...well i have tremendous difficulties with Lewis and his diet and have now settled down to a packed lunch that is the same every day, same bread same ham cut the same way, crisps, a drink, animal shapes and a fromage frais, no tthe greatest but hey he's eating it. Any deviation from that can see him throw up. Well he had very anxious times last year where the culmination was stomach migraines because he was so stressed about his food. Things settled down.....UNTILL NOW!

I wrote in his home diary that he wasn't wanting his lunch because he wasn't going to get any points at his table for not eating fruit or something healthy and could something be done as he will end up phobic again...so the reply i got was that he could eat an alternative but obviously wouldn't get any rewards!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was fuming.

I wrote back that this was nothing short of discrimination for something that is outwith his control.Making him feel anxious about what he does or doesn't eat will only have a detrimental effect and it was totally unfair to make him feel like that. Do you think i was over-reacting????? it was a barbed reply but i just get this feeling that they can be very lax when it comes to Lewis as he conforms so well during the school day-for the most part anyway, that these things aren't communicated to other teachers!

Anyway i look forward to your replies!

take care,

Kirstie.xxxxxxxx

[oxgirl]

Kirstie, I don't think you were over-reacting, I'd be furious too. It's enough of a struggle for most of us to get our children to eat anything at all, without having rules like this making things worse!

 

Stick to your guns. My lad has certain things in his lunchbox, including cake and crisps, and there's no way I'll change it for the sake of doing what others feel is correct. He has his fruit at tea time, there's no way he'd accept it at lunch time, he'd rather go without eating anything at all than crunch carrot sticks and he'd be miserable and more unhealthy for not having eaten anything all day. Far from encouraging healthy eating, this approach is more likely to put your lad off eating anything at all and how can that be considered to be for his beneift!

 

~ Mel ~

Edited November 14, 2007 by oxgirl

[mel]

My sons school has completely banned crisps, cakes, biscuits, sweets and fizzy drinks. apparently they won a healthy eating award last year. Well, congrats to them but my son comes home for his lunch now.

[mel]

oh yeah, and i forgot to add........they still send the kids home at christmas and easter with lots of sweets and chocs. one rule for them and one for us!

[Bard]

This is just a general winge from me to the Government, not aimed at any particular person.

Sometimes I get weary as yet another initiative drops through the school letterbox.

Over the last quarter-century (!) it seems as if schools are supposed to be able to fix a wide spectrum of society's ills through Healthy Eating/Citizenship/School Councils/Breakfast Clubs/Health and Safety/extra-curricular clubs etc.

If only we as teachers can indoctrinate children in the 6 hours a day we have them, then all the future problems of our civilisation will be solved. And we get OFSTED and other inspectors coming to grade us and tell us what else we should be doing. It's not fair. They are out of school for much longer than in it.

My son is also particular about his lunch, and has had the same variety for the past 3 years, holidays and weekends included. I balance what he eats over the day. I'm his parent, it's my job to take care of him. He's happy with his selection, balanced or not.

 

Like mealtimes, choice of TV programmes, bedtimes, hygiene,various parenting combinations, pop music, family lifestyles, clothing choices, exercise and all that jazz, I really don't want it to be my business.

But lots of people out there seem to think that it should be, so I do the best I can with all the expectations that are made, and the raw material I have to work with.

And it can be a real pain sometimes!

[mel]

awww Bard... I agree with you. My main annoyance is that the government thinks that teachers do a better job of raising our children than we do. they give teachers far too much responsibility and expect them to cure the nations ills...The best teacher in the world cant make up for lousy parenting. However, I am beginning to feel that the right of teachers to deal with children is overruling parental rights. I dont expect it to be your business (your as in teacher, not personally lol) I dont want it to be... overall i am responsible for my child. Its about time the goverment realised this.

[farfalla]

I just wanted to add........

 

as much as jamie Bleeping oliver was such a star

for all he did............

 

I curse him daily!

 

My DS will eat school dinner on wednesday, (roast day)

any other day he will have brunch, and a packed lunch.

 

I had to speak to the school only last week,

as he will only eat marmite sandies,

anything will be left!

He won't eat yoghurt, as they are messy!

He takes a piece of fruit.......... and the little fruit comes home daily!

So his lunch box has, sandies, crisp and a drink in, and he told to have

brunch. Which up until last term offered sausage........

but since have been banned. Surely they can get lean ones,

or even use the hotdog style ones?

 

Anyway, DS has a limited diet, and has tried some new things

lately, but with no great yumyum thats tasty view........

Keep on with the school, and speak to the senco

she should be able to speak to the teachers, and get

them to understand........ even if its a little!

[Kathryn]

This is just a general winge from me to the Government, not aimed at any particular person.

Sometimes I get weary as yet another initiative drops through the school letterbox.

Over the last quarter-century (!) it seems as if schools are supposed to be able to fix a wide spectrum of society's ills through Healthy Eating/Citizenship/School Councils/Breakfast Clubs/Health and Safety/extra-curricular clubs etc.

If only we as teachers can indoctrinate children in the 6 hours a day we have them, then all the future problems of our civilisation will be solved. And we get OFSTED and other inspectors coming to grade us and tell us what else we should be doing. It's not fair. They are out of school for much longer than in it.

My son is also particular about his lunch, and has had the same variety for the past 3 years, holidays and weekends included. I balance what he eats over the day. I'm his parent, it's my job to take care of him. He's happy with his selection, balanced or not.

 

Like mealtimes, choice of TV programmes, bedtimes, hygiene,various parenting combinations, pop music, family lifestyles, clothing choices, exercise and all that jazz, I really don't want it to be my business.

But lots of people out there seem to think that it should be, so I do the best I can with all the expectations that are made, and the raw material I have to work with.

And it can be a real pain sometimes!

 

Bard

 

I don't think extended parenting should be a teacher's role either. I would far rather my son's teacher focused her efforts on teaching him how to use the apostrophe rather than policing what he eats.

 

My son eats a less healthy lunch than I would like. But after years of trying to fill his lunchbox with healthy options, (and these are usually perishable so you have to keep shopping for them , only to see them going to waste if they are uneaten), I've given up. The MSA's don't have the time to monitor what he's eating and so what if he has a bag of crisps and a cereal bar during the day? At least he's full and comfortable and can then concentrate on his work - and I redress the balance in the evening by making sure he gets his fruit and veg at supper.

 

I think this healthy eating initiative which seems to be gripping most schools, is in danger of becoming a bit of a fetish. Children shouldn't be made to feel stressed about what they eat. Kirstie, I'm sure your son already has enough challenges to cope with during the school day, without adding one more.

 

K x