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Forum -> Chinuch, Education & Schooling
Lunch Issues
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, May 12 2019, 5:30 pm
What would you do if you're a teacher and one of your pupils refuses to touch the lunch provided by the school? School 'protocol' is that every kid must eat something, at the very minimum one spoon, but this kid flat out refuses to taste anything.
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amother
Forestgreen


 

Post Sun, May 12 2019, 5:32 pm
Ask an administrator. You can't physically force a kid to eat. (You could be in major hot water if you did.)
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forgetit




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 12 2019, 5:34 pm
Did you try talking to the parent? It wouldnt be ok if she brought her own food from home?
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 12 2019, 6:14 pm
Speak to the administration. Then speak to the parent after you've gotten direction from administrator. Maybe the child has issues at home too and needs a recommendation for a speech and feeding evaluation.
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 12 2019, 6:23 pm
Ask your admin, this isn't your call to make.
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amother
Lavender


 

Post Sun, May 12 2019, 8:34 pm
My school had a rule that everyone had to wash and eat the bread. I physically couldn't do it.. probably sensory related, but I would gag and gag from the bread. I have such clear memories of stuffing the bread in my knapsack every day when the teacher wasn't looking. Such a stupid rule that really messed me up. I really could hardly ever tolerate any of the school lunches. No one knew about sensory related feeding problems back then, we were just called picky and stubborn kids. As if I wanted to starve all day.
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notshanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 3:07 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
What would you do if you're a teacher and one of your pupils refuses to touch the lunch provided by the school? School 'protocol' is that every kid must eat something, at the very minimum one spoon, but this kid flat out refuses to taste anything.


We have similar rules where I work but if a kid doesn't eat they can bring in a doctors note and bring their own food so the really picky kids end up bringing their own lunches. I would be more worried about the kid going hungry then about following the rules. If your school doesn't have exceptions I would talk to admin /parents to figure something out
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 4:45 am
Okay, okay, I just wanted to see everyone's responses.

I'm the parent.

DS refuses to eat and he keeps getting punished for refusing to eat even one spoon. I've spoken to the school many times and they insist he'll survive that one spoon and we're spoiling him by allowing him to get away with it. They also say that it encourages other kids to refuse too and then nobody wants to eat.

I think they're going about this in the wrong way and wish they would pick their battles more wisely. If they would ignore it perhaps other kids wouldn't even notice.

DS has sensory issues and is exceptionally picky at home too. I guarantee he's not being difficult just to be difficult.

I'm seriously frustrated here.
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yerushamama




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 5:07 am
Does he refuse everything they serve or only certain foods? If they see that there are certain foods or textures that he is more likely to eat without problems, it may make it easier for them to believe that they can work with you to help him. If he is working with a therapist about this issue, maybe try to have them speak to the school about solutions.
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yOungM0mmy




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 6:16 am
My son was similar, also sensory based and he would often gag. They say that children are social eaters and usually will eat if the others are, but that doesnt work for every kid. On most days, he would find 1 thing he would eat, but there was one menu that had absolutely nothing he would touch. So every Wednesday when they served that, he had bread and water, which I was fine with - he wasnt starving and I'd have other food for him after.
Children are not made from cookie cutters. I hope they accommodate for allergies and for kids with ADHD who may need a couple of minutes break. I'm generally a little sceptical about labeling every child's whims with a title, but this is a real need and at the very least, they should definitely not be forcing a child to have a spoonful.
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amother
Firebrick


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 6:28 am
How old is ds? Is he allowed to bring lunch from home? How about snacks?
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 4:14 pm
He is 7. Snacks he brings from home so that's not a problem. At school he usually eats the bread, but nothing more. I'll give it a couple of weeks and see if they back off, otherwise I'll have to tell them he'll be bringing his own lunch. IMHO it's really not worth upsetting a kid over lunch.
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amother
Honeydew


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 4:33 pm
I feel for you. I have a very picky child. School did not allow food from home, so we had a filling, nutritious breakfast and after-school snack. Bread for lunch.... fortunately, there was no rule that the kids had to eat. We would have had to switch schools.
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notshanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 4:41 pm
As a parent, I would work hard to give incentives to your child for cooperating and tasting the food. I don't know what the menu looks like by you, but by most schools there is a carb, protein , salad choices, fruit , and bread and jelly. It's hard to believe that your son can't find something to munch on.
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lucky14




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 4:43 pm
Have you spoken with the head of the school about this?
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 5:07 pm
notshanarishona wrote:
As a parent, I would work hard to give incentives to your child for cooperating and tasting the food. I don't know what the menu looks like by you, but by most schools there is a carb, protein , salad choices, fruit , and bread and jelly. It's hard to believe that your son can't find something to munch on.


I wish! That's part of the reason why I'm so annoyed. If the food was nutritious, that's one thing. Where we live, school lunches aren't regulated at all and the school just give whatever they want. Money is tight so they get away with little. Proteins they get on special occasions if we're lucky, the rest of the time its mostly starch and some sliced cucumber/tomatoes, and perhaps soup. Sometimes just cheerios.

The only thing he eats willingly is bread, and potato kugel when there is.
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 5:08 pm
lucky14 wrote:
Have you spoken with the head of the school about this?


No. We've always dealt directly with the teachers. Some years we were lucky to have a teacher that turned a blind eye, this year isn't one of them.
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gibberish




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 5:24 pm
I wonder if there is a financial reason for the rule and if they receive reimbursement for each child to whom they serve lunch. Regardless, I would approach administration and ask them to make an exception for your child.
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amother
Apricot


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 6:02 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
He is 7. Snacks he brings from home so that's not a problem. At school he usually eats the bread, but nothing more. I'll give it a couple of weeks and see if they back off, otherwise I'll have to tell them he'll be bringing his own lunch. IMHO it's really not worth upsetting a kid over lunch.


I don't believe in forcing, but if best case scenario is him only eating plain bread, why not start sending lunch now?
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octopus




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 6:36 pm
If he's eating the bread why can't they just leave him alone?
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