Bans at Pre-School

Ok, so I technically belong in the 2nd Trimester Belly Belly group as I'm pregnant with my first child. However I'm a step mum to a 4.5 yr old and 18mth old (so have had to learn pretty quickly).

Yesterday I picked up the 4.5yr old from pre-school for the first time, and the teacher came over to me with a big red piece of paper wrapped around the museli bar I had packed for Emma saying they have a 'no nuts' policy. Fair enough, I understand some kids have allergies to nuts and it can cause very bad reactions to them - so for total safety, there is a no nut policy. No worries - makes sense (it made me feel old and wonder how much things have changed since I went to school when there were no bans of any kinds on food :redface:).
Then she goes on to tell me that they also have a water only policy, no cordial allowed. Apparently Emma was hyper active in the morning due to the cordial I had packed for her. I wondered how do you tell a hyperactive four year old from an energetic one (which Emma is, no matter if she's had very little sugars in food or drink or not)...

Is this water policy in most pre schools that you all know about, or where your kiddies go?

What other bans does your kids' pre-schools have in place? I know the obvious like no toy guns, weapons, superhero outfits, hat policies etc - any other bizzare ones out there?

Yep most schools as well as childcares usually have a water only policy as they are trying to teach the kids healthy eating etc.

hugs xoxo

My daughter's kindy has a no packaged foods policy which means if the food comes with a wrapper around it they can't bring it. Only water too.

my son's kindy has a nut free policy and only allows water. No drink bottles allowed.

and i believe some - if not all are moving to no "junk" food at all eg no biscuits cakes or sweets etc - i don't know how common place this is though as I'm not there yet either as my daycare provides the food but is definitely nut free

Gosh, our preschool doesn't have any rules like that, but then there are no children attending with a nut allergy either. They have tried implementing the 'no processed food' rule, but parents ignored it and when I asked about this once, the Director said that if they took the food out the lunchboxes that was processed, some kids wouldnt have anything left to eat. I do put a wee drop of cordial in Erin's drinkbottle, but she doesn't have juice at all with her lunch, so that's why I give i too her.

Ours has a no nuts policy, and in Tom's room they have asked for us to consider not putting in strawberries as a girl in there has an allergy, but this isn't mandatory. It isn't a water only policy but I wouldn't mind if it was - I only send water and milk anyway (I assume a milk for lunch is ok?). In fact my boys only drink water and milk.

I suspect the idea of the water only policy would be in part education for the parents. Nearly every parent I know gives their toddler juice believing it to be healthy. If I didn't know some dieticians I'd probably do the same thing. I would love it if more parents had access to better information about what is and what isn't good for their child (diet wise).

Caro, when she starts you can still get creative with what you are allowed to pack and what she will eat. As my kids go only 1 day a week, I just pack them the same thing every week. It is harder when they start school and you have to pack it 5 days a week.

LOL Sherie, my boys go two days a week and Jack always has the same thing (just with a different piece of fruit). He will only eat a sandwich and yoghurt for lunch. I can give him the yummiest lunch in the world and he won't eat it. He is a creature of habit. At least I don't have to keep thinking up ideas. And Tom, well he'll eat ANYTHING!!

We have a water only policy and even then they can only get it out of the drinking container supplied by the kindy, can't take a bottle of it with them

There is no super hero clothes, although it isn't strict as such.

Healthy museli bars are fine cause kids are not allowed to share their food, but if they do get a child that has a severe reaction to nuts then they will put the ban in place.

We also can't take yoghurt, custards, fruit in cups in case of spillages and the ants in summer.

We have a very strict healthy eating policy. Sherie, our teacher do take the "bad" stuff out of kids lunchboxes and put it back in their bags. There is always a supply of "healthy" alternatives on hand at the kindy so they don't miss out

Love

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The creche at the gym has a no nuts policy but Yasin's CC doesn't.
All the children have to bring their own drink bottles but they also give them cups of water through-out the day.
They have a no junk food policy but I think a few parents ignore it because the letters mention it often. I sometimes put a home-made muffin Yasin's lunch and he seems to eat it.

I think his carer has an unofficial no hard-boiled egg policy because every time I've put one in Yasin's lunch box he's bought it home.

ETA - we have to send in 2 pieces of fruit and they cut them up and make a big, shared fruit platter for morning and afternoon tea.

i think it is pretty silly the places that dont allow the kids to have water bottles.
daycare tries to inforce the healthy eating and only water thing but i havent been too strict witht he families i have because i have some pretty fussy eaters and i would rather them be eating then to fight with them to eat fruit when they wont eat it at home.

Not even sandwiches are really "healthy" for kids. Look at the salt content of the bread for a start, that's not even going into the rest of it. I think it would be great if day care, school etc provided a list of "healthy" foods for parents. Having said that, Jack will only eat a sandwich and yoghurt for lunch (he will have fruit for morning and/or afternoon tea), so I do give him a sandwich. I make the bread when I can to reduce the salt content but I'm still not convinced it's good for him.

Our kindy only allows water in drink bottles but i have seen kids with juice at lunch time. Can't remember if they have a no nut policy but i wouldn't pack anything with nuts in just in case.

It's going to get harder to know what to pack next year when Kimberley goes 5 days a week. It's a shame that they don't give you a list of ideas on what to take and what the other mums pack.

I send James to school with a water bottle (they prefer the kids drink water only) and a small frozen popper in his lunch box.

I've not heard of a no nuts policy at school but his old daycare had that policy. School is also anti-junk food too, they have foods that are categorized as green, yellow and red light foods sold at tuckshop. Obviously red light foods are erring on the junky side...come to think of it, I think they've only got one red light item on the tuckshop menu. We're lucky the school is so small that tuckshop only operates once a week.

I pack some type of fruit - sometimes with a toothpick to make eating a bit of fun, cheese and crackers (James has been known to rock up to school with camembert and crackers), a muesli bar, sandwich or roll, sometimes a yogurt, soy crisp or rice snacks - this is all packed in a thermal lunchbag with an ice brick. Variety each day usually makes sure they do eat. You do get caught in the trap of packing too much too sometimes. What doesn't get eaten usually gets eaten for afternoon tea or in the car on the way home.

I've got a book called toddler snacks and lunch boxes with some great ideas.
It's one of those little family circle ones. It only cost me about $2 on ebay.
Yasin only goes 1 day a weeks so he usually gets the same things each time(sandwiches, a tub of yoghurt, a chicken leg, some dates or a muffin).

Matthew`s preschool is a nut free school.

I`m not sure about the drinks but I only pack water for Matthew as that`s what he`s use to drinking, I have in the pass packed milk as well but I often found it out on the bench when I picked him up so I only pack water now.

Matthew only goes once a week for morning tea he has rice cake and fruit - banana or apple, lunch he has a roll filled with ham, cheese, grated carrot and then I pack sultanas.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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

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'.

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

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:dunno:

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.

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.

How do vegan kids cope at a no-nuts place!? Or little nut-grubs like DD who is full of a cold ATM but swinging on my arm yelling for pine nuts :lol:

This all sounds great to be honest. For most of us mums (certainly everyone who's posted) we feed our kids healthily anyway, so it makes little difference (tiny bit more hassle). But imagine the toddler from the Maccas every day household - they'll be getting SO much more healthy food for the days they're at CC! That's brilliant!

Our toddler group (not CC i know, but in the same area) provides the food for the mid-group snack (and is FREE - living in social deprivation is pretty good afterall!) and usually they have some fruit, some veggies, some dairy and some carbs. Last week it was banana, cherry tomatoes, cheese and crackers. There is always water to drink. DD is ill just now and has had colds on and off for the last 3 weeks, so her meals have gone out of the window and she's getting by on 6 biggish snacks a day instead. It's SOOOO frustrating when they won't eat - i feel your pain Caro. Between the ages of 2 and 4 all i would eat was apples, peanut butter, yogurt and cheese. Nothing else. I gained about 2kg in those 2 years but i grew like a weed and did ok so try not to fret, i'm sure your DD will be fine.

Bx

I think that although we worry lots that if we offer them regular healthy meals & snacks they will eat what they need. Often if we're low on something we have a craving for a food that will supply it (I need lots of antioxidents which is why I need dark chocolate often rofl) and I think that children's bodies have the same ability. Yasin will often turn down meat for ages and then suddenly he'll decide to eat it for a while then just as quickly he'll go back off it. I assume (with no scientific reason) that he has gained enough of whatever it is that meat is providing (B12, protien?) and doesn't need it for a while.

That is DEFINITELY true here Dach. Since she's had a cold DD has taken to taking the raw onions and garlic bulbs from the veggie tub and nibbling on them. Onion i can get with but GARLIC!? It burns! But she seems to love it. But both are very good anti-fungal and for respiratory problems and she's ben run down and had a cough for a few weeks now.

Caro, I didn't used to eat as a child. Apparently until age 4 I would eat nothing but bananas and my parents thought I was going to starve. I'm fine now (depending on who you ask LOL!).

When Jack was a fussy eater (well more so than now, Tom already eats more than Jack in terms of variety and quantity!) I was advised not to worry if he didn't eat and that fighting over food would make it worse. Of course he was younger than your DD, but have you tried just letting her not eat? It's hard to do believe me I know!

Chloe, I always thought that kids will eat what they need to. But I did see an interesting thing on tv the other day where they said that kids prefer sweet things as a kick back to the past when berries and things that tasted sour could kill them. So they have more taste buds than adults and this gives them a preference for sweet over savoury. Not sure how true it is, but it is an interesting theory.