Speaking of school lunches?

I was reading through the suggestions for packed lunches, and I noticed some said their kids liked PB&J but it wasn't an option as schools are either nut free, or the kids didn't like having to sit at a different table. If you have a really picky eater that could be tough if PB is all they like...

... so that reminded me that in Elementary school in the US in the late 70s to early 80s, I went home for lunch about 75% of the time from 1st to 3rd grade and about 50% of the time from 4th to 6th. I lived on the same street, and we had after lunch recess, so I'm guessing we had 45 minutes combinded. I'd go home and eat with my mom. I went less as I got older because 1 I wanted to be with my friends, and by then my brother had moved on to Jr. High so I guess it was easier for my mom when there we two of us.

Is that even an option anywhere now?

 

It's not here or in our old town (small town Kansas). Both of the towns are neighborhood school set-ups with a high walking population.

We're actually the odd school out here that it's not in our neighborhood. The 2 oldest elementary schools in the town are about 2 blocks apart. So when they built our neighborhood, they didn't include a school so we could use one of those. The neighborhood surrounding our school goes to the other school. But the high majority of elementary kids are eligible to be walkers and go in their neighborhoods.

I think now it would be considered a security issue with kids going in and out of the school and teachers not knowing exactly where they are.

Marissa

 

I can go to my kids school and sign them out for lunch and then sign them back in again. I'm sure it's not something they want to happen and with only 30 min. for lunch it really isn't an option. Other than doing that, it's not an option here, kids can't leave for lunch or the building at all without being signed out by a parent/guardian.

 

when I was in HS we had open lunch from 9th thru 12th grade but that was discontinued YEARS ago...I can't imagine there is anywhere that would let the kids out for lunch anymore...

 

We walked home every day for lunch from grade 1-8. 3/4 of a mile each way. So did most everyone else in the school.

In the schools I've worked at recently there are some kids who do have standing permission to go home at lunch but those mostly live within a few blocks of the school. (parents can sign out and back in on individual days)

The high school kids can leave grounds at lunch either to go home, hit the coffee shop/fast food (or smoke)

 

Elementary kids can go home for lunch here. I would just have to sign a form at the beginning of the year saying I want to bring them home for lunch & it would be fine. Most kids don't want to leave for lunch, though, since that is their playground time as well.

High school kids are free to do as they please (stay or go) for lunch.

 

It was an option for those who walked to school when I was growing up. I don't think that it is for any of the students now.

 

I don't think it's an option here. Parents can't even go and eat with their child either, unless it is a special day, like their birthday or something.

 

It's not an option here. My kids get 20 minutes to eat (less if they choose to buy lunch and stand in line) and I think 20 mins. of recess. I can always come and have lunch with them, but it's not enough time to go anywhere.

 

:woah: Really?

 

^^^^ This is how it is in my school district. I'm in my 16th year and I think I've only had 4 kids choose to go home for lunch. High School is a different world though. Just about everyone leaves for lunch. I have no idea how they afford to eat out every day, but they do.

 

Yep. I think it is because it causes too much upheaval. The kids get all riled up.

 

I'm pretty sure it's not an option here -- they only have 30 minutes for lunch and a little playtime. I have no idea if I could go eat with them, but my guess is no -- they seem to not want anything that would cause disruption.

 

Wow, that really surprises me, but I know each school is different. We have parents come to lunch all the time and even bring food in from McDonalds, etc. for their kids.

As a parent, how do you feel about that? I don't think I would like it if there was not an option to eat lunch with my child if I wanted to. I don't go in a whole lot, but generally do eat lunch there on the days I volunteer in the classroom, which will be more now with 3 classes.

 

We can take our kids home for lunch, but we aren't allowed to go in & eat with them. Not enough space & I don't think they like the disruption. It doesn't bother me at all. ardon: We are also discouraged from bringing in food like McDonald's.

 

Okay, I guess I'm the minority here, but when the kids are in school, over grade K, why would you be going in to have lunch with them? I guess I don't understand, and I think that our kids would feel singled out and teased if mom came to school to eat lunch with them.

That has never been an option for our school district, even when I was in school, back in the stone age. We could as kids go home if we were within walking distance to home, and only in elementary school, not jr/sr high, but no one was able to have their parents come eat with them.

Now it takes an adult approved of by the parents or the parents to sign a student out at any time during the day, and we are all asked to try to schedule any appointments after school so that we don't disrupt the day or classes. It is frowned upon to have to pick up a child during the day for any reason. I'm pretty sure if the reason was to take them home for lunch it would not be 'allowed'.

 

We only get 25 minutes for lunch. I can't imagine that would be enough time to walk home and then walk back. Going home for lunch has never been an option here. Even when I was in school that wasn't an option. Very rural here and most people live way out from school so it just wouldn't be practical.

 

It's very common here and the kids (yes even my 5th grader) love it. Kids have never felt singled out here, in fact it's the opposite, the kids whose parents never come in to eat lunch with them feel singled out and wish their parents would. And yes, I have heard a few kids say "I wish my Mom or Dad would come eat with me".


I'm not saying that the parent goes in and has lunch with their child everyday. But maybe once or twice a month and especailly on days you are already in school to volunteer.

 

This might be a spinoff but it it sorta related. Do your elementary schools have cafeterias or do the kids eat in their classrooms?

Here, none of the elementary schools have cafeterias and there is no food sales beyond milk (chocolate or white) Well, there are the odd Subway/KFC/pizza days but day to day they eat in their classrooms.

High schools do have full cafes. One here uses it as the outlet for their culinary arts program.

 

It is the same here. Elementary kids eat at their desk and then head out to play & no food is sold except on hot lunch days (once a week) and those are preordered. I am pretty sure most all schools in the States have cafeterias, at least they did when I was in school there.

HIgh schools here do have full cafeteria services.

 

All schools here, elementary, middle and high schools all have cafeterias. In the elem. school they sell lunch (have 3 choices), milk and a variety of snacks and ice cream. Not sure about middle and high schools since I don't have kids in them, well I do know they have 3 lunch choices (it's the same for all level of schools) and sell snacks and ice cream as well. But when I was in high school we could buy salads or pizza that was brought in by a chain here.

 

All schools have cafeterias here as well. Kids love when the parents come in and eat lunch with them. I just went last week to eat with my girls and they were just thrilled. Of course, in middle school it doesn't happen, but my middle school does have a grandparents and a parents day where the parents and GP's come in and eat with the kids and there are several that come that day.

 

As far as I know for elementary school they can't come home and for high school they can walk home or walk to where ever they want to eat (they have crossing guards out for lunch). I am not sure about the middle school if they can or can't leave for lunch.

Where I went to school we couldn't leave. It was a busing school and the middle and high school is at least 10min from anywhere when driving so if you walked you wouldn't have had time to do anything.

 

We have three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school in the town I live in. All schools have a place for the kids to go be served a hot lunch. For the elementary schools that place is in the gym. The high school uses a multi-purpose room because most kids go off campus for lunch. The middle school has a "common" area that is used for breakfast and lunch.

Parents are allowed to eat lunch with their children district wide. I teach 5th grade in our Middle School and know my students get very excited if their parents are able to drop in and eat with them. I've never heard or seen a child be teased because their parents came. I had a child last year (and he was undeniably one of the "coolest", smartest and most athletic kids in the 5th grade) in tears because his mom had planned to come eat with him and a meeting held her up and she was unable to come. Likewise, my 5th graders get very excited if their parents are able to join us on our fieldtrip we take every spring. Over the years I've found these older kids may act like their parents mortify them when they're out in public, but they still very much want their parents around and involved.