Bans at Pre-School

[ladybird11]

Cheers ladies, it's very interesting to read some of your responses.

Dalchostar - I was thinking there was a 'hole' in the market for a book like you mentioned. As other ladies also commented, a list of what TO pack would be appreciated from the schools it seems.

I'm also glad to see that the pre-school Emma is going to seem's to be 'on par' with other schools around, and not too over the top with their policies.

[FluffyLaRue]

Yep, no nuts and water only here too...

My daughter would only eat nutella sandwiches lucky for me she's just as happy with a salad !

[~breeze~]

I'm really lucky because DD's Child Care Centre supplies all food & drinks (& nappies too... bonus!) They have a dietician chef on staff & only cooks healthy meals. Sometimes I look at the menu & wish I could stop by for lunch too!! haha They have in displayed on the wall so parents can see what their kids are eating each day / week.

One thing they recently changed was having dessert on the menu. They took it off due to the children not eating all their lunch because they were looking forward to dessert, the dessert they were serving was fruit etc so the health side of it wasn't an issue. They surveyed the parents to find out what we thought about the dessert being on the menu. They decided to take it off due to alot of parents & staff saying they wouldn't normally have dessert after lunch at home (maybe dinner) so it was taken off. I dont have a problem with the no dessert menu.

I know they don't allow children to bring a popper along with juice or cordial but I think the children can bring their own drink bottle for water if they prefer that to a cup.

[Tobily]

I totally understand a no nuts policy, and policies that ban anything else that is a known allergen. That's fine.

Perhaps it's just me but reading some of your responses I wonder where some of these kindy's/childcare centres get off - I mean if I want to give my DD a chocolate muffin or a non-nut, prewrapped muesli bar for her lunch as her parent that is my decision. I'd be pretty angry if it was sent home with a dirty note attached like I was some "naughty parent" who needed to be pulled into line.

I just think some of this is way over the top!

[christy]

Matilda's montessori is pretty strict what we can bring & we have a listing they sent out for parents. Morning tea is fruit (there is a fruit list for her room due to allergies which is good because she's allergic to bananas) and vegetables (carrots/celery etc) which we supply 2 items of. Lunch needs to be not packaged & nut free. I make things like vegetable slice, sandwiches, vege muffins etc... and send snacks in a tupperware type container. So things like pita bread & hummos etc.... dried fruit. Afternoon tea is left over morning tea.

Parents supply everything, I've seen the teachers pull our LCM's and things like that out of the lunch box. We have to agree to birthday cakes etc. Matilda can't have them because of her milk allergy so I supply a snack when its a birthday. I love the fact that its this way because Matilda would eat all junk & she's a negotiator with food as well. This way Matilda actually eats something that is okay. Not always, she sometimes doesn't eat all her lunch, but thats okay too.

[Astrid]

Seems to me it would be much easier if they did operate like child care centres and provide all food and drinks. I would happily pay for food to be provided when Maggie hits school age. It would save a lot of stress and confusion.

[Bathsheba]

My son's kindy is strict (no pre-packaged food, nuts, sweet drinks etc) but I'm ok with it. Most people eat rubbish and like Manta said even a sandwich can be unhealthy (a jam sandwich on white bread is junk food in my opinion).

yes, it's annoying sometimes but i see it as a positive pain Helps me be creative... fortunately my son eats basically anything

[Liviam]

I'm so glad that the centre Olivia is going to be going to does all her meals for her so I won't have worry what to pack.
They do have a no nuts and no egg policy though.

[bridget]

This is such a hot topic at the moment, my sons preschool has really knuckled down on the healthy eating policy and police all lunch boxes before the child can eat from it. This is a part of the policy :

For less than 8 hours care per day, children should consume one main meal and one snack consisting of enough food to meet proportionally less than 50% of the recommended daily intake for all nutrients which equates to
*1 child size serve of meat or alternative eg:CD size sliced meat, chicken or 1 egg, 1/4 cup lean mince, match box size amount of fish*2 child size serves of vegetables eg:1 serve =1/4 cup cooked vegies or 1/2 cup salad vegetables, 1/4 cup legumes, 1/2 medium potato*1 child size serve of fruit eg: 1 golf ball size fruit or 1/2 apple, orange, pear, banana,1/2 diced pieces or canned fruit, 3/4 tablespoon sultanas*2 child size serves of reduced fat dairy eg:1 serve=1/2 cup yoghurt, custard, 1 slice cheese
*3 child size serves of bread, cereals, rice, pasta or noodles eg: 1 serve=1 slice bread, 1/2 medium bread roll, 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta or noodles, 1/2 cup breakfast cereal*water in drink bottle only
*no foods high in artificial colours or flavours eg: MSG, sulphur dioxide
*no food high in fat, sugar or salt (defined as greater than 10g of fat/100g or greater than 5g of saturated fat/100g, greater than 15g of sugars/100g, or greater than 600mg of sodium/100g for salt)

Sometimes i think it would be easier if all preschools just included meals in their fees.

[MantaRay]

Wow Bridget, it must take you ages to make lunches - all that measuring and weighing . I agree that it would be much easier to have it provided. Jack's old day care provided healthy meals and it was so much easier. THe day care the boys go to now tried to introduce it, but most of the parents didn't want it - they balked at the extra cost. It's a pity, I thought it was great value, I'm sure it costs about the same for me to send the lunch.

[Ambah]

I haven't heard of yoghurt being banned anywhere before, so I'm sure its not that common Caro!

Our centre encourages the kiddies to have yoghurt and fruit for morning tea.

Will be interested to see if the large community kindy has any different policies (we have a parent orientation night next week) and if so I will come and report.

I am all for the no nuts policy, considering my boy has a peanut allergy.

[Phteven]

I'm pretty happy with myself after reading your list Bridget because that's quite similar to what Yasin has,except the little gobble guts eats a bit more than that lol.
He doesn't get veges in his lunch box (unless you count hommus as a vege lol) I might start putting some little carrot stick in for him with some hommus to dip in...

[christy]

Dachlostar thats exactly how I got Matilda onto carrots.... as dipper sticks

[MUMMY4LIFE]

My son's kindy has a 'no nut policy' as 2 children who attend there have nut allergies, so that is totally understandable....so no museli bars or nut products including items that may contain traces of nuts, no lollies, chips, sweet biscuits...etc etc only water, either the children can drink from the water supplied or from there own drink bottle, no cordial or juices as it attracts ants and no food that needs to be refridgerated as the kindy doesn't supply the facilities for every child to use..'no hat, no outside play'.

[~Saram~]

Our kindy has no nuts and no eggs. I find the nut thing frustrating at times as so many times have nuts hidden in them. like the forrest fruit muslie bars have almonds but the apricot ones don't but I can only imagine how hard it must be to have a child with allergies to foodstuff like that and to have to watch everything they eat (and their friends eat all day every day)

They take a cup and the kindy suplies water during the day but they can have a popper with lunch. I am lucky that DS likes the same lunch day in day out.

yoghurt * there are some brands that are less runny then others. Nestle brands are more set and a lot easier to eat for little ones

[rosehannah]

When I first sent my DD to her preschool I was given a list of does and don'ts to follow, and at the bottom of the list it said that the preschool had a dietitian available if I had any questions. At first I thought the no packaged foods policy was strict but it has worked out really well, and my DD asks for health food choices at home as well, and talks about foods that are good for her body. Kids being kids she still likes junk food but see them as treats and not everyday "growing" food. Maybe she won't struggle with diets and obesity latter in life

[MantaRay]

Our day care encourages yoghurt too, so I agree Caro, I don't think you need worry about that one. I am also sure that the kindy/school would work with you to find something that will work in your situation. I am sure they do not want kids to starve. Ringing ahead of time is a good idea, but don't stress too much. I think you are different to many people, you know what is healthy and what isn't, but you have other limitations to work with. I think the main aim of these guidelines is to assist the parents who don't actually know this stuff.

[Phteven]

I was just thinking about whether CC have a right to ban certain foods and I suddenly remembered my primary school. In the '80's our headmaster decided to make hats compulsary - my mum was a hat person so I already wore one but lots of parents weren't happy. Now it's governmental guideline (in NSW) that children need a hat and 3/4 length sleeves at schools and CC for outdoors play.
Early nutrition can have big impact on health in later life so I see it as a similar issue. For now we're getting used to it but by the time our grandchildren start school it will probably be as accepted to have dietary guidelines as it is to have sun-smart regulations.