A mum has appealed to Mumsnet users for advice after she was criticised by her daughter’s school for the amount of food in her lunchbox.
‘LemonDrizzleDisco’ explained that the secondary school staff have started to check all packed lunches at registration. Her daughter was told off for having “too much” food in her lunchbox.
“I know lots of secondary school students eat sweets and chocolate on the way to school but surely at that age, it’s their choice,” the mum wrote on Wednesday 1 March.
“[My daughter had] a peanut butter sandwich with brown bread, a small banana, strawberries, a few grapes and less than a handful of raisins and dried coconut flakes.”
The mum continued: “The canteen serves things like sausages and mash, cake and custard, sandwiches and doughnuts.
“AIBU (am I being unreasonable) to think this is unfair? She also previously got told off for having a few pieces of sliced up avocado because it’s ‘unhealthy’.”
Many parents saw where she was coming from and disagreed with the idea that there was “too much” in the lunchbox.
“Nope [it’s not unreasonable] and I’d be discussing this with the form tutor asap,” wrote one mum on the forum.
“The last thing teenage girls need is encouragement of competitive non-eating.”
Another agreed, adding: “That sounds insane. That sort of behaviour will do more harm than good, won’t it?
“I would definitely complain. Your DD [dear daughter] is old enough to self-regulate her food intake.”
One mum wrote: “I would be tempted to give DD a well-reasoned letter to keep in her lunchbox outlining the hypocrisy between lunchbox rules and school lunches sold.”
The mum was comforted by the comments and replied: “Thank you. DD is nowhere near overweight and even if she was, surely it’s not up to the form tutor to be telling her she has too much lunch in front of the class?
“I will send in a strongly-worded note with DD’s lunch today.”
She later wrote: “I have spoken to the school. The form tutor flagged up avocado for fat and the quantity of lunch as too much.”
The mum was then advised by several parents to send a note in with the lunchbox that read: “I have approved this lunchbox for my daughter (name) and she is allowed to have it.”
What would you do? Comments below, please!