Had a little chat with DS - Didn't eat what we gave him for lunch

Celestrina wrote: He didn't want what we packed, so he ate the cafeteria food. It looks like we aren't feeding him and we're going to be billed for today. The first day of school he forgot to put his lunchbag in the box, so he had to eat cafeteria food as well. I'm sure he isn't the first one to do this, but it is still frustrating and embarassing.

ZandersMama replied: oh, that sucks. zan hasn't been eating his lunch either, but the teachers dont say or do anything about it it drives me batty.

Celestrina replied:
Do you get billed/charged for it as well?

mckayleesmom replied: McKaylee pulls this stuff too and you do get billed. I just put like 10 bucks a month in her account for those days.

redchief replied: Lisa would tell you that kids do that all the time at school, and it's not a reflection on you. You could let the teacher (or whoever is in charge of lunch at school) that you send it everyday unless they hear from you to prevent this happening again.

A&A'smommy replied: lol I have been sending 25 - 30 dollars for Alyssa, mostly because I like days when there is something she LIKES at school and I want to keep her account full so I don't get billed If you can I would just send a little money for her to keep her in her account

mckayleesmom replied: Also..as much as it makes you upset because you sent him with a nice lunch...Try to figure out WHY he's doing it. I found out last year that Mckaylee was doing it because they seperated the kids that brought lunch with the kids that ate lunch at school. All her friends at at school and she felt left out and seperated from them. ...So I caved and let her eat school at lunch instead.

She has just started the same thing this year...but since I already bought her a new lunch pale and stuff for this year she has agreed to eat what I pack her and I put some money in her account for days that they are eating things she likes.


This might all boil down to him feeling left out or seperated from friends at lunch time. The kids don't get to talk alot at school so they want to get all that time in there when they can..including lunch.

ZandersMama replied:
no, there isnt a hot lunch program. so if he tells the teacher he doesnt want to eat she doesnt make him.

luvmykids replied: I did the math and honestly, they can buy lunch as cheap or sometimes cheaper than I can pack it so I look over the menu with them and they decide some days they'd rather eat the school food. I'd assumed it was expensive but in reality it's not any more than me buying lunch stuff so it might be worth letting him pick one or two days a week to eat the cafeteria food and see if that helps.

MommyToAshley replied:
That's what we do. Ashley goes through the menu/calendar at the beginning of the month and puts a "P" on the days that she wants to pack. Ashley buys most of the time, but there might be one day a week where she packs.

However, I have noticed sometimes she will come home with completely different food than what was packed. I think they "trade" a lot during snack and lunch. LOL

bluebear replied: Have you sat down and asked him why he won't eat it? I could understand if the school food was something better than what you gave him, but it wouldn't make sense if it's the same thing you packed.
Since 1st grade there has been a boy in my classes, up until he graduated, that would eat peanut butter & jelly literally every day from the school. He wouldn't eat it if he brought it to school because he felt he wasn't "cool" if he brought lunch.

coasterqueen replied: I send so much money at the beginning of school year and they send home notes saying the balance so I know when to send more money. Most days Kylie takes her lunch, but sometimes she decides to eat breakfast there. Rarely so far this year she's not eating lunch at school. I don't blame her - that food is less nutritious than what I send for her.

MommyToAshley replied:
Really? Our school has a really good lunch program then. Always healthy, well-balanced meals. For example, today they are having baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, peaches and milk. I just figured all schools had healhty lunches and that it was regulated somehow, but it must vary by the school district.

coasterqueen replied:
No, they go by the nutrition guidelines set by FDA or state, whomever. Most days it sounds healthy, but some days like "Chef Borardee ravioli's" or lunchables are not what I consider healthy. I also don't like the fact that our school uses the "clean plate club" -- which means if you eat everything on your plate then you get a prize or something like that. It is not something we teach our children. We teach our children to eat until they feel full, not when their plate is empty. Sometimes they get more on their plates at school than they can eat and Kylie has actually made herself sick eating everything on her plate so she could be part of the "clean plate club". Obsurd, really. So sending her lunch I'm assured she is getting the right proportions for her. She will eat the school lunch if it's something she likes, though. And I wouldn't consider most of the food they feed kids healthy anyways when a lot of that food has many chemicals in it. I know a source of issue for some who don't believe in organics.

MommyToAshley replied: Wow-- I agree with you on the clean plate club -- they don't do that at Ashley's school.

coasterqueen replied:
Yeah, I think they meant good by it. It was to try to get kids to eat their lunch, and unfortunately a lot of people teach their children to clean their plate, which is fine if you put the right proportions on their plate, but if not, then eat until you are full -- at least in our house. I think in the end it promotes more obesity than just general good eating habits, but I am quite sure that was not their initial intention.

luvmykids replied: Our school has good lunches too, I eat there on the days I'm there and always leave impressed. They also have a new nutritionist who is doing things very differently this year like having two or three veggie choices so if a kid doesn't like one, there is another one to choose.

Celestrina replied: He said he was curious, which I can understand. We came to an agreement that one day a week he can eat lunch at school. Their lunches aren't cheap, so we prefer to pack him a lunch. Healthwise, the school lunches are okay.

redchief replied: I think this is AWFUL! No kid should have to wear a scarlet letter simply because she brings her lunch.

Celestrina replied:
I TOTALLY agree. I don't see how that would benefit anyone.

A&A'smommy replied:
WOW I agree they passed a new law in alabama that is HAS to be healthy and well rounded!!

most days here Alyssa takes her lunch but there so far have been about 10 days that she has eaten there. Today I worked in the library and stepped into the lunch room to see her (she was so excited my sweet girl!!!) and she was the ONLY child out of 2 classes that brought her own lunch and ALL the other kids were eating what was in front of them I have the PICKIEST child ever!!!

A&A'smommy replied:
yeah thats like beyond freaky!!!

OMG Karen you school needs to re-evaluate there lunch that is ridiculous!!!
Here they ask that if you send drinks NO kool-aid, no punches, nothing with lots of sugar either water or 100% juice and snacks HAVE to be healthy if you send a meal that is healthy then they throw it away and feed them lunch menu and they send you a warning home at the beginning of the year. I like that they are reinforcing good eating habbits I KNOW way too many parents that just let there kids eat whatever and several of them have overweight children.. really its sad

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I believe they legally can't make him. They can encourage him, but they can't make him sit there until he eats something.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I agree. At Tanner's school it's only $1.80 a lunch.

I thought about this the other day, then I thought of a few things that changed my mind about school lunches for this year. First, Tanner has a LARGE appetite. The small amounts of fruit and veggies they get are very small in comparison to what he will actually eat. The fresh broccoli serving is seriously one large floret in a cup. So, while it may be cheaper overall, the amount they get is small in comparison to what I'd send him. Second, Tanner's K year he ate hot lunch quite a bit. We qualified for reduced meals, so we took it when we could. Tanner had HORRIBLE indigestion problems that whole year. They also consider juice as a serving of fruit. Sorry...doesn't come close to fresh fruit, IMO. All of a sudden, summer came and his indigestion problems went away...no more school food. Now, by no means am I saying all the food they serve is unhealthy (they have large cobb salads and stuff like that too as a main meal). However, they do serve a lot of processed food, and on top of that their fruit and veggie servings are teeny. It just kind of makes me laugh when I think of schools enforcing healthy eating habits, then they go ahead and serve chicken nuggets. Hum... So...that's our story.

If it weren't for those two issues above, I'd probably allow him to eat school food more often. We allow him a few days a month, usually around the time I have to go grocery shopping. His stomach is just so sensitive. We eat some of that processed stuff at home too, but at least at home his servings of fruit and veggies outweighs what he would get in school lunches.

ETA: on the original topic/post, I would say something to the teacher about it. It's possible the teacher might not know he has a cold lunch. By law, a kid has to be served a meal, and if they don't know he has the lunch to begin with, they have to serve them a school lunch. If you tell them that he's not allowed to take hot lunch when he has cold lunch, the teachers can watch for it.

Celestrina replied:
That's it? At DS's school it is $2.25.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Yes, and that is the new price. Last year it was $1.75. Each area is going to be different though. It's possible your cost of living is more than ours.

coasterqueen replied:
Wow, our lunches, I think, are $1.50.

Jennie, I agree, our school serves for the most part "healthy" lunches, but the lunchables and chef boradee ravioli is about the two bad things they serve. The problem is they do serve a lot of processed foods, an IMO that is NOT healthy. Now, I'm not saying I don't use processed foods at home, but I don't think they should tout that they are being healthy when that's NOT healthy.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Sweet, $1.50 is CHEAP!

Tanner's school every week has chicken nuggets and chicken patty sandwiches as choices...oh, and pizza which looks totally gross. Yet, they talk to the kids about choosing healthy food, and then allow them to choose juice as a fruit substitute. Really people? LOL So, if I EVER get anything home that talks about anything unhealthy in his lunch...I will certainly flip a bird!

My2Beauties replied: Funny you posted this. I just had to call the school last week because I got a bill and told them unless Hanna has money she is not to go through the lunch line or breakfast line. I can't believe the schools allow them to do this, most teachers know what child brings his/her lunch

My2Beauties replied: Wow some of you have cheap lunches, ours is $2.25 and breakfast is $1.75. I think middle and high school is even more expensive Hanna gets one day per week that she gets to eat school lunch

A&A'smommy replied: wow our lunches are a 1.50 and breakfast is 1.00, juice is .25 per carton and water is .50 cents per 8oz water

mckayleesmom replied: Breakfast is 1.10 and Lunch is 2.00

MommyToAshley replied: Our lunch is $2.25 too, and $2.75 for the older kids. (I think it increases in 4th grade).

bluebear replied:
is 4th grade in a different school?

MommyToAshley replied:
No, she goes to a small school that is K-8. I think they just get bigger portions. It may actually increase in 6th grade, I can't remember what grade it increases, tbh.