Summer at Norwood-no refrigeration for lunches!?

[Anonymous]

OP is a BITCH!!!

[Anonymous]

Does anyone remember the days of going to summer camp with a brown bag lunch consisting of bologna sandwiches and a piece of fruit, maybe some chips in a baggie, with the only thing to keep it cold a frozen little jug of some koolaid type drink? The brown bag usually melted by lunch.

I am not suggesting you should do this, but an insulated cooler bag with a freezer pack should keep your child's lunch cold from 9am to noon. Same rules apply at our camp, and they take care of snack. Please explain how a camp shoud have open refrigerator space for 300 lunches?

Also, our camp gives us an option to have lunch delivered by a service for about $5 per day. If Norwood offers a similar service, maybe you'd feel more comfortable ordering your child's lunch instead of packing it.

[Anonymous]

This service is offered at Norwood Summer Camp. OP, I hope it provides you a comfortable alternative.

http://www.healthelunchkids.com

[Anonymous]

As a former camp director, I have DEEP sympathy for the camp staff that will be dealing with this lunatic.

[Anonymous]

To the last 2 posters who obviously are very angry, frustrated and volatile (get laid much?), it's clear that perhaps you eat to much junk food yourselves; it's been shown that the brain is definetely affected by what we eat. Mood swings, energy levels, depression, anger (take note last two posters) are sometimes directly affected by diet.

Woudn't it be ironic if we sent our kids to school to get a good eduaction, yet we forget or don't care what we feed them, thereby depriving them of their true potential and ability to concentrate, assimilate ideas and learn? Yet that is the reality in most schools-give them an apple and they'll be fine, as the cursing mommy poster says. Why would they need a nutritious, balanced meal asks cursing mommy, when it's so convenient to just stuff an apple and some crackers in their back pack and shoo them out the door? Second class citizens these kids-mommy is to busy (trying to get laid maybe? Gotta deal with that anger somehow!) to advocate for decent meals-I mean they're just kiddies after all- an apple should do.

Meanwhile the teachers (in the case of the camp-unpaid interns) get use of the refrigerators for their food-but they have such an important and difficult job, and they are adults after all-why deny them that perk-I mean they might quit if they didn't have a nice teachers lounge with a fridge. But the kiddies? no need to provide for them-if cursing mommy says an apple will do, then cursing mommy is right, and who am I to argue?

And as far as the kids needing to get away from me as the enlightened poster said-that's actually correct-thanks for your brilliant insight-this is the time for kids to learn about independence, so that's precisely why they are going to camp! Just brilliant, I tell you.

Now cursing mommy and brilliant insight poster, go back to kicking back on the couch and popping doritos and potato chips in your pie holes and don't forget about the playdate at Mcdonalds, where I hear the food is really nutrititous, and good for you!

I guess I am "cursing mommy" since I told you to get a fucking grip. Seriously, go get one. It appears that this is mostly addressed to me, and I will try to take this point by point. I'm the one who suggested a sandwich, an apple and carrots. My kids NEVER get any junk food in their lunches, which are as I said earlier, unrefrigerated at an MCPS and will be unrefrigerated at camp starting on Monday. My daughter was at the grocery store with me just yesterday and asked why she never gets Lunchables when so many of her friends do, and I told her they were full of fat and salt and not good for you. I have never sent crackers in my child's lunch, and I would love to know what the FUCK you think is wrong with an sending an apple as part of a child's lunch. What are you sending, anyway? I don't even have Doritos or potato chips in my house, in fact I haven't eaten a Dorito in YEARS. I have never had a playdate at McDonald's. Yes, I use profanity - welcome to the Internet. And, I get laid several times a week. That really doesn't have anything to do with my anger at stupid, entitled helicopter parents such as yourself. You said in a later post that you are not from here and haven't done camp before - I can't believe you are totally new at this and so sure you have to be right. I'm a former camp director who worked for eight years in camps in this area, and neither the staff nor the kids had refrigerated for lunches. And, your tone of incredible disrespect for the hardworking, underpaid counselors who will be taking care of your children is beyond the pale.

Enjoy the summer!

[Anonymous]

to the OP - it's too bad you got so defensive about this topic. It is true that virtually every camp does not offer refrigeration. As many have said, MOST of the public schools in the area don't offer refrigeration for their ES classes. It's not going to change and your indignant, entitled attitude won't help your situation.

Instead of insulting helpful posters, how about looking at the suggestions of
- use an icepack or
- use a ziploc bag of ice. I've had great success with keeping my kids' lunches from going bad. -

[Anonymous]

OP, sending your babies off to camp for the first time is anxiety provoking isn't it? Refrigeration for lunches has never been the norm in schools or camps. My son's lunches were refrigerated in daycare, and at one camp where the kids were outside all day long (there were no airconditioned buildings to hold the lunches). Otherwise, they do just fine.

As to what to send them. Here are some things that have worked well for us:

Adding a frozen water bottle or juice box to keep the lunch cold.

Any fruit -- frozen grapes are particularly fun, although at 4 I might still worry about choking. Frozen peas defrost and are delicious by lunch time.

Any vegetable that doesn't have butter or dressing on it -- e.g. plain steamed broccoli, an ear of corn (if they're eating it outside you can cook it in the microwave and send it still in the leaves, if they're eating inside the camp will appreciate it if you remove the leaves and silk and rewrap it in foil).

Whole grain bread with turkey and/or cheese.

Baby carrots, peppers, sliced cucumbers with guacamole (you can buy little packets so it doesn't go brown) or a small tupperware of hummus.

Unsweetened applesauce.

Diced meat such as grilled chicken.

Yogurt (again, you can freeze this so it doesn't warm up -- the acidopholus will inhibit spoiling, but yogurt tastes yummier cold).

Edamame

Whole grain cereal

You can get lunch boxes with little compartments. Kids this age like to graze -- my son would have enjoyed a lunch at that age with little containers as follows:

A half ear of corn
A small container of sugar free applesauce
Some blueberries ( don't freeze the blueberries as they become very messy)
Some diced chicken from the night before. (Really, it's fine but if you're worried place it between the following two frozen items)
A bottle of water -- frozen
A yogurt -- frozen (not frozen yogurt, a regular yogurt you threw in the freezer overnight so that it's frozen). I was fine with commercial organic sweetened yogurt. If you aren't you can buy or even make organic yogurt and add mashed fruit or honey or no sweetener added jam or whatever you are comfortable with as a sweetener).

The next day:

A small container of hummus with cucumbers and peppers to dip.
A fresh peach
Some grapes, frozen
A water (or very diluted juice)
Yogurt

Day 3

Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread
Edamame
An apple
Some dried apricots
A water/juice
Yogurt

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm a little confused - what kind of lunch would require refrigeration?

[Anonymous]

OP here-I did not get defensive-I think some of the advice given was very good-9:39 for example, but I mistankenly mentioned "the last 2 posters" previously, during my first reply-and that inadvertently reffered to 9:39, when in fact I was replying to the scathing, profanity filled reply of the cursing mommy post-who has graced these pages with yet another creative post (14:24). Not sure what all the hoopla is about when I'm simply asking questions regarding my kids meals-the hostility, venom and anger is unreal. I never put down the counselors, simply questioned why they had fridges and kids did not. To add my own profanity here-how the fuck am I supposed to know how this fucking sytem works-isn't this forum to try and find out? I actually went to Norwood this morning for an open house and was satisfied with their answers. And I don't think I am entitled-asking questions, and expecting civil answers regarding school nutrition and yes hoping for the best for my kids is not entitlement. I've worked hard all my life to afford the best-and have been given nothing-but I will give my kids the best they can possibly have-that's not entitelment but my duty. People reply as if I am seeking some privelege for myself-a decent school meal is all I'm talking about here. I'm the husband asking these questions and perhaps not the most well versed individual when it comes to child care, so excuse me if these are stupid questions or concerns-if you don't share them, fine but to curse, call folks morons, say you feel sorry for the school, etc is simply hostile, belligerent and vicious. I appreciate the link to healthlunchkids.com, the poster who included recipes, and other helpful and constructive posts-but cursing mommy-director of a camp for 8 years?? Nothing but vitriol and hate coming from her mouth. Yes I am ignorant in some aspects of child care-my wife has handled most of those duties-but seriously, I have rarely encountered such outright hostility and anger-anywhere, and it boggles the mind. I want to thank those who offered good advice-for the haters, as cursing mommy would say-get a fucking grip.

[Anonymous]

yes OP "-the hostility, venom and anger is unreal" that you have over something like healthy meals and refrigeration.

You act as if there is no healty food that could ever exist unless it was refrigerated. I guess fruits and vegetables don't make your health ylist.

It is going to be a very long summer for the staff at Norwood

[Anonymous]

I only got nasty after you accused me of storing my food in a hole in the ground.

I never put down the counselors, simply questioned why they had fridges and kids did not.

Oh, really? Let me quote a previous post by you...

Meanwhile the teachers (in the case of the camp-unpaid interns) get use of the refrigerators for their food-but they have such an important and difficult job, and they are adults after all-why deny them that perk-I mean they might quit if they didn't have a nice teachers lounge with a fridge. But the kiddies? no need to provide for them-if cursing mommy says an apple will do, then cursing mommy is right, and who am I to argue?

And, seriously, you haven't explained what is wrong with sending an apple to school as part of your kids' lunches.

[Anonymous]

It's a shame everyone's behavior here has deteriorated so far.

Anyone else remember what it is like to be new someplace and not know how things work? I do. That can even happen in one's own country. When I've lived in other countries, many people have shown me kindness in helping me understand the different local systems.

Yes, the US norm is no refrigeration in schools or camps. But that can be overcome. You don't need to send only shelf-stable foods to eat. My DD is in 5th grade and all along we have been sending her pretty much whatever we had for dinner the night before - definitely not shelf-stable! We have gotten great insulated lunch boxes from Lands End or LL Bean. Add a big cold pack and you are set to go. If the lunches will be outside where it's hot, use two. You can buy blue plastic ice packs from CVS or Target, or any other similar "all-purpose" store. I've got some fabulous ones from Uline that I got when ordering by mail food that had to be kept cold - you can order some yourself if you're willing to do so in bulk.

[Anonymous]

P{, this is quite a thread! I came here from the OTHER thread you posted about this same topic, wqhere you sounded somewhat reasonable.

Let me ask you this question: What is the difference between the type of food you refridgerate in a fridge, and the type of food you can keep cool in a cooler with a pack?

See, Ih ave worked many years as a teacher, and we ALWAYS just put our lunches in the fridge, and then heated them up (as needed) in the microwave. In the staff room. But we don't put children's lunches in the fridge, because we don't have enough room in the fridge for lunches of all 350 kids at school. And it just honestly seems silly to purchase a bunch more fridges for the kids. Kids bring their lunches in bags or insulated lunchboxes, and keep them in their classroom, in little cubbies, so they can quickly get their own.

Are you saying that in your Eurpoean country, each classroom or grade has its own fridge, and that is what you have come to expect as the norm for a private school? Do they also have microwaves as teachers have, to heat up their meals?

In the US, lunches generally aren't done taht way, as I am sure you have now been made aware.

But what delicious lunches are you hoping to pack for your children, that can't be kept cook in an insulated lunchbox?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, sending your babies off to camp for the first time is anxiety provoking isn't it? Refrigeration for lunches has never been the norm in schools or camps. My son's lunches were refrigerated in daycare, and at one camp where the kids were outside all day long (there were no airconditioned buildings to hold the lunches). Otherwise, they do just fine.

As to what to send them. Here are some things that have worked well for us:

Adding a frozen water bottle or juice box to keep the lunch cold.

Any fruit -- frozen grapes are particularly fun, although at 4 I might still worry about choking. Frozen peas defrost and are delicious by lunch time.

Any vegetable that doesn't have butter or dressing on it -- e.g. plain steamed broccoli, an ear of corn (if they're eating it outside you can cook it in the microwave and send it still in the leaves, if they're eating inside the camp will appreciate it if you remove the leaves and silk and rewrap it in foil).

Whole grain bread with turkey and/or cheese.

Baby carrots, peppers, sliced cucumbers with guacamole (you can buy little packets so it doesn't go brown) or a small tupperware of hummus.

Unsweetened applesauce.

Diced meat such as grilled chicken.

Yogurt (again, you can freeze this so it doesn't warm up -- the acidopholus will inhibit spoiling, but yogurt tastes yummier cold).

Edamame

Whole grain cereal

You can get lunch boxes with little compartments. Kids this age like to graze -- my son would have enjoyed a lunch at that age with little containers as follows:

A half ear of corn
A small container of sugar free applesauce
Some blueberries ( don't freeze the blueberries as they become very messy)
Some diced chicken from the night before. (Really, it's fine but if you're worried place it between the following two frozen items)
A bottle of water -- frozen
A yogurt -- frozen (not frozen yogurt, a regular yogurt you threw in the freezer overnight so that it's frozen). I was fine with commercial organic sweetened yogurt. If you aren't you can buy or even make organic yogurt and add mashed fruit or honey or no sweetener added jam or whatever you are comfortable with as a sweetener).

The next day:

A small container of hummus with cucumbers and peppers to dip.
A fresh peach
Some grapes, frozen
A water (or very diluted juice)
Yogurt

Day 3

Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread
Edamame
An apple
Some dried apricots
A water/juice
Yogurt

Good luck!

New poster here. Thank you for being so nice, helpful and sane!!! I've worried about my children's camp lunches myself, and I love your frozen grapes, frozen yogurt, and edamane ideas. So thank you!!! My children start camp (not at Norwood) on Monday.

[Anonymous]

I have to say this is one of the funniest threads. I can't believe the OP saying such wierd and outrageous things about getting laid and then saying everyone else is so hostile and mean!