This school has banned pencil cases

I think it’s a thoughtful idea to ban designer pencil cases. GD6 needed a new pencil case because hers was too small. SIL bought her a larger one in the supermarket, she was thrilled, as this is what most of the other children have.

We live in a rural area in Australia, so there is a mixture of disadvantaged families, average families and reasonably wealthy families. I think it is terribly unfair for it to be made so obviovus to DC that they are poor. Some of the parents are drug addicts, there is a high number of DC who have a parent who has died, others have a lovely country life. Some children learn soon enough that life isn’t fair. Those who come from disadvantaged families don’t need to be reminded of it every day at school.

I actually do think that home lunches should still be offered as a viable option gillybob . It would never have worked for us due to work but would help kids with sensory issues around food and noisy lunch rooms

At one point one of our kids was on a medical diet which was very limiting, and one of the main foods they COULD have was something banned at school due to another childs anaphylaxis issues.
We made it work, but had there been someone at home during the day a home lunch would have been a better option for both kids.

Lunchtime is too rushed. I dont really know what a viable solution to that would be though the curriculum is so pressured there isnt much wiggle room

Some people have a policy for everything don’t cha know gilly ?

Lunch box policy ?

It’s certainly a high horse mentality when you start judging people by your own standards which I must tell you fall short of the standards I hold.

Oh btw my sister couldn’t stay at school for lunch as they couldn’t provide anything for her , she walked home at her usual snails pace . Was invariably very late back too. If you saw her today you wouldn’t believe it was the same person !

"than"

Someone not prepared to be flexible in any way , see the bigger picture or understand that everyone’s different. Just seeing black and white.

I see the bigger picture alright. I see that there is more to the lunchbox policy that just how it affects me and mine!

is it really such a "high horse" to be willing to follow a few rules that make life easier for those who have it hardest? I dont think so

I got it earlier thanks .

Forgive me for being so bold but you come across as a preacher notanan . Someone not prepared to be flexible in any way , see the bigger picture or understand that everyone’s different. Just seeing black and white.

Not sure what you mean ?

upthread I mentioned why packed lunches will always be necessary as an option even if all school dinners were good and I include your mums situation in that amongst others.

Where there are extreme sensory or anorexia issues that say, would mean that a chocolate bar is all a child would eat, that would count as reasonable adjustments and the parents dealing with these genuine issues will already have approached the school or mentioned it in pre-start meetings (it is a question on pre reception forms) so its not the same situation as the kid who is not being properly fed due to neglect.

My DGC’s lives are “forward planned” almost to the point of a military operation notanan but you wouldn’t understand .

Did I say I was inconvenienced notanan?

You question my values whilst knowing absolutely nothing regarding my standards/values. What a stupid statement which didn’t actually answer my reasonable question.

Be very careful you don’t fall off that very high horse and rip your judgey pants on the way down.

Oh I get it now . In response to my undernourished sister .

Not sure what you mean ?

The sentiment that posters dont want to be inconvenienced in order to engage and include disadvantaged children is really revolting!

Do you have much experience?

Yes.

Gillybob where there are issues like that from parents who are not negletful they will have approached the school themselves to find a suitable help/areangement like we did.

They wont be the ones needing to be approached/contacted

You really haven’t got a clue notanan !

so almost impossible to do without a lot of forward planning

so forward plan! if swapsies are as important to your dgc as you say.

we both worked full time when we used an out of area school and found ways to make it work. Its not easy when youre not at the gate (I know this from experience) but you find other ways to connect with your kuds friends parents and make arrangements.

Also when our kids were at school out of area we made sure they made local friends other ways so there were still neighbours to play with.

You didn’t .Maggie and I know you’re not.

My sister lived on a diet of 4 items until she was about 13,years old and she hit puberty. Very underweight , bow legged, inverted tummy, always poorly , tired and very bad teeth. Her diet was cold white potatoes , ready break, white bread/ toast and thin sliced ham . My mum would have given anything to see her eat some crisps , a chocolate bar, piece of cake . Instead she had medicine they made her teeth black . So please don’t judge types of families .

Jali I cant imagine you have much experience with engaging the type of families who would do that with services if you dont see that that is exactly the reply you would get from them!
You know nothing about me.

Do you have much experience?

My values and that of my children and grandchildren are very high maggiemaybe

And where did I say otherwise, gillybob? I was actually responding to a point made by Smileless. I'm not in the habit of making personal attacks.

*So Johnny is allowed marsbars but Tommy isnt? That'll go down well....
That is a non-sequitur nonanan*

its what Tommys parents would say, along with "singling him out" and all other kinds of defensiveness.

A no chocolate policy gives schools the tools to engage with Tommys parents without hitting a brick wall.

& there are a lot of Tommys

in fact a 'healthy granola bar' is probably just as high in sugar as a biscuit.

agree. Same for fruit bars tbh..