Thread: Would you complain if your child's school confiscated junk food from lunch boxes?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7947306.stm

A school in London has started confiscating food such as sweets, chocolate, full fat crisps and fizzy drinks from kids packed lunches, much to the dismay of some parents. Do you think the school have every right to ban junk food or do you agree with the parents that it should be their choice?

I'd kick up a huge fuss! My kids always had quite healthy lunches - and even got teased for it, incredibly - but there's a limit to what parents can afford, or even to what they understand about nutrition.

It's better to talk to the kids in school about healthier lifestyles and encourage them to ask for better foods. Dictating to parents in a big no-no and this school is behaving outrageously.

I actually think this is a good idea.

It SHOULD be the parents giving their kids a balanced diet in the first place.

The only problem I foresee is that if the kids don't get fed junk at school, they will get sweets etc after school, or the ritualistic trip to McDonald's.

It is great to see some power being administered by teachers to confiscate such things - no doubt we will hear parents complain it is against the 'human rights' of the child.

When I was at school (11 years ago), you would have chocolates and sweets wrenched off you if you were munching while walking down the corridor.

A good move I think - but I cannot see it lasting, nor having much effect against parents determined to take the fast-food option.

***EDIT:- Fellbuddy below makes an excellent point about the school being in 'Loco Parentis' while the child is at school. Does the school not have a responsibility to do what they believe is best for the children while they are in the care of the school?

When you submit children to a school, you are entering into the 'Loco Parentis' rule, as seen on all school trip forms etc (well at least it was when I was at school).

If children were bringing in something or doing an activity detrimental to their wellbeing - would we not be up in arms if the teachers did not intervene?

I actually think this is a good idea.

It SHOULD be the parents giving their kids a balanced diet in the first place.

The only problem I foresee is that if the kids don't get fed junk at school, they will get sweets etc after school, or the ritualistic trip to McDonald's.

It is great to see some power being administered by teachers to confiscate such things - no doubt we will hear parents complain it is against the 'human rights' of the child.

When I was at school (11 years ago), you would have chocolates and sweets wrenched off you if you were munching while walking down the corridor.

A good move I think - but I cannot see it lasting, nor having much effect against parents determined to take the fast-food option.

***EDIT:- Fellbuddy below makes an excellent point about the school being in 'Loco Parentis' while the child is at school. Does the school not have a responsibility to do what they believe is best for the children while they are in the care of the school?

When you submit children to a school, you are entering into the 'Loco Parentis' rule, as seen on all school trip forms etc (well at least it was when I was at school).

If children were bringing in something or doing an activity detrimental to their wellbeing - would we not be up in arms if the teachers did not intervene?

In principle I would say that the parents should have a choice, but given the current obesity epidemic in the West, perhaps it is the only viable option -- particularly so now that some parents are so inept at providing their children with a healthy diet, their children become wards of the state!

At its most simple level, it is a wrong practice. Parents actually spend their hard-earned money on the food they put in their children's lunchboxes. Taking it away is like stealing, in a sense.

From a more general perspective, I think it is completely wrong. This does not fall into the realm of child abuse, and is a matter completely between the children and their parents. Leave the lunchboxes alone!

Should destroying a childs health be a choice a parent is free to make when the child is not old enough to understand the potential long term repercussions and make an informed choice for themselves. As a colon hydrotherapist I am seeing just how young people are now getting bowel cancer - thats as a result of the rubbish their parents have fed them as children. And by the way, children should never have low fat products which are junk food in themselves (full of sugar). Sad and inappropriate when schools are forced to take responsibility because parents are not willing to. And feeding children huge amounts of junk food is child abuse of the very worst kind because it is going to rob them of life sooner or later.