My youngest son was a very picky eater from kindergarten and through school. I’d make him a sandwich that he asked for, a piece of fruit, a juice box or water and a muesli bar. He always came home with an empty lunchbox but found out he was throwing the sandwich and fruit in the bin. In the end he’d just take a few muesli bars then when he got home he’d eat a sandwich or noodles. I’m glad to say that now he’s grown up, he eats healthy meals.

I didn’t have picky eaters but knew many children who were. The worst thing about this story to my mind is letting the child go hungry and not trying to replace the food deemed ‘bad’ with something else so that the child didn’t have to wait all day until pick up time to have something to eat. Please don’t tell me that starvation is better than supposed ‘unhealthy’ food.

I’m sorry but what you packed your child for breakfast was really inappropriate. Who eats seeds and dried banana chips for breakfast?? The school has rules and you should ask about the food allowed before packing your child’s breakfast! A croissant is very high in fats and is unsuitable for a school meal! Go look at the list of foods allowed.

I’m on mum’s side. If the school is so insistent on enforcing these healthy food regimes, let them supply the food, at no extra cost to the parents, otherwise, butt out,,, it’s got sweet Fanny Adams to do with the teacher what the kid eats. They tried to pull this crap when my kids were at school and most of the parents told them in no uncertain terms what they thought of that idea!!! These people give me the first class irits!! ????

Oh bloomin heck the food police are at it again. If all kindergartens were like this in the OP’s country, then I’d be moving countries or my son would have starved. My son is a very fussy eater and if he doesn’t like a certain texture he will throw up. On second thought, let the teachers go ahead and make him eat something he doesnt like and then clean it up, day after day after day. I’m sure they will change their tune (and rules) quickly. When we got our son into a kindy that supplied lunch I was so relieved, one less thing for me to do, that quickly changed when each day at pick-up (and lucky he was only there two and a half days a week) the carers/teachers would tell me all he would eat was the flat breads because he didn’t like the cooked meals. Oh well, welcome to my world.

If the school has a strict policy on foods the children can bring then that’s understand IF the croissant doesn’t match the criteria.
I wouldn’t be refusing a child to eat, I’d simply be telling the parent that it was ok for the day as they may not have been aware but for future references they need to pack something different.

Definitely on Mum’s side here. If they can tell you what the children should have for breakfast, then the kindy should be supplying them breakfast. I’d like to see the teacher sit down with the children and eat exactly what they eat. They should have at least got him something to eat instead of making him go hungry. To me that’s far worse than them eating the wrong thing.

I’m with mum. I’d be fuming!!!
And also the other options the teacher gave are ridiculous.

I agree with the mother in this story. The teacher has hurt this child by not allowing him to eat. What a child eats for one meal also does not represent what he/she eats in an entire day.

Good on the mother. She obvious has done her research and knows her child best. She has every right to be angry and insulted.

• • 
  • • mom486197 replied
    • 08 Sep 2024 , 10:45 am

  ---

  Agree parents know their kids best. Teachers should worry about their own role and not what lunch kids are having.

This teacher needs to be told what a punch in the mouth is

• • 
  • • Nana Caz replied
    • 27 Nov 2024 , 10:40 pm

  ---

  Wow! What an answer your’s is? Great for teaching kids no violence!! That’s a terrible comment to make. Talk about non violent communication, you’ve lost it. Shocking. No violence allowed.

I would be so angry ???? ???? So it’s not the healthiest breakfast, we’ll let the kid starve instead! No way. At most, chat with mum or dad afterwards, don’t stop the child from eating

• • 
  • • mom486197 replied
    • 08 Sep 2024 , 10:46 am

  ---

  It made me angry as I know this does happen a lot and have been ask by my daughters teacher about something similar.

I would be furious too. My daughters kindergarten teacher says a full tummy is better than an empty stomach so pack what they’ll actually eat… Even if the school has a healthy eating policy they should have at least called the parent. You can’t let a 3yo child not eat anything… 🙁

this is CRAZY….some kids are fussy etc and letting kids starve is just WRONG they should be allowed to eat what they bring

This is an absolute disgrace! A child should never be denied food. Unhealthy food is far better than no food.

Denying a child access to their food is not ok.

• • 
  • • mom93821 replied
    • 07 Sep 2024 , 6:07 am

  ---

  Children have a right to eat and it would be interesting to know the policies and procedures in place at the school.

  ---

  • • 
    • • Ellen replied
      • 09 Sep 2024 , 7:48 am

    ---

    Yes, denying food is so wrong and I would certainly make a complaint and ask them for the policies in writing. In specific I would like to know if they have in writing their healthy eating policy, if they have in writing what they consider healthy and unhealthy, if they have in writing that foods they do not consider healthy will be denied, and if the parents are made aware and signed for this. When not I would take this higher up.

This is just so wrong. No child should be left hungry, and teachers don’t have the right to dictate what a child should have. Salami is a processed food, which is far more unhealthy than a croissant will ever be. I would be tsking this further if I were the child’s mother.

• • 
  • • Ellen replied
    • 06 Sep 2024 , 7:48 am

  ---

  Yes I agree with you.

Unless there’s a risk to other kids (eg peanuts), then a child should always be allowed to eat their meal.

Let the kid eat their packed breakfast. Its parents choice and its not that bad. Salami and cream cheese is just as bad. The kindergarten should not let a child starve because they didn’t want them to eat the so called unhealthy breakfast. Shame on them.

So they feel eating nothing is better for the child …they need a fair foot up the ___