Daily routine with young kids at rigorous private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. In private school do people usually pack their young kids lunches if the food is decent? The school we’re going to has a nice cafeteria with healthy food

Even with an amazing cafeteria, you will find parents who pack lunches for their kids. It won’t make sense, and that is just how it is.

I have an extremely picky eater with food sensory issues, so DC (now in HS) always gets a packed lunch. If the cafeteria food works, great, the lunchbox goes in the fridge for tomorrow. If not, my kid has food they can eat and not go hungry. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense to you.

You are enabling this behavior. No, it doesn’t make sense if your school already has dozens of options every day. Please understand where the real problem is here. The parents.

If you are not in the same boat, don't judge. I'm not PP, but my kid also has a serious sensory/eating disorder. Thank your lucky stars you don't have a kid with this and move on. 100% not necessary to tell a parent they are doing a bad job.

My kid was also a picky eater, when they were 1-3 years old. Then I dealt with it and they are eating normally.

Well, good for you 🙄 Most toddlers are picky and they grow out of it, regardless of what their parents do. Some kids -- like mine and PP's -- have kids with substantially more difficult eating rigidity that doesn't respond to "normal" parenting techniques. My kid is doing great and can find something to eat almost anywhere, but it took until she was 14 and a lot of professionally-guided help. Be glad you don't know what that's like.

Exactly. I'm lucky I don't have picky eaters, but my friend's second child was and continues to be extremely selective when it comes to food, even as her first and third child are not at all like this. So there go accusations of bad parenting!

[Anonymous]

Bedtime and morning routine (wake up/breakfast) ease into it. As part of bedtime routine I’d include picking out clothes for the next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. In private school do people usually pack their young kids lunches if the food is decent? The school we’re going to has a nice cafeteria with healthy food

Even with an amazing cafeteria, you will find parents who pack lunches for their kids. It won’t make sense, and that is just how it is.

I have an extremely picky eater with food sensory issues, so DC (now in HS) always gets a packed lunch. If the cafeteria food works, great, the lunchbox goes in the fridge for tomorrow. If not, my kid has food they can eat and not go hungry. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense to you.

You are enabling this behavior. No, it doesn’t make sense if your school already has dozens of options every day. Please understand where the real problem is here. The parents.

If you are not in the same boat, don't judge. I'm not PP, but my kid also has a serious sensory/eating disorder. Thank your lucky stars you don't have a kid with this and move on. 100% not necessary to tell a parent they are doing a bad job.

My kid was also a picky eater, when they were 1-3 years old. Then I dealt with it and they are eating normally.

Well, good for you 🙄 Most toddlers are picky and they grow out of it, regardless of what their parents do. Some kids -- like mine and PP's -- have kids with substantially more difficult eating rigidity that doesn't respond to "normal" parenting techniques. My kid is doing great and can find something to eat almost anywhere, but it took until she was 14 and a lot of professionally-guided help. Be glad you don't know what that's like.

We know what it is like. Stop exaggerating the problem.

If your child was only picky as a toddler, then, no, you don't.

My kid is still picky most days into middle school but I set expectations and consequences. When you give into tantrums and refusing to eat, you as a parent are the problem. Kids will always want a small subset of foods, but you need to help them expand.

You think all kids who are picky are alike. You are wrong.

Again, why do you think this is your business? Why do you care?

Give it a rest about the delicate flowers.

Mmm hmm

[Anonymous]

I don’t think you’re type B if you’re asking this question in March for your kindergartner starting in 6 months. You’ll be fine and figure out your routine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. In private school do people usually pack their young kids lunches if the food is decent? The school we’re going to has a nice cafeteria with healthy food

At both the privates with nice cafeterias that my kids attend, the food is included in the tuition. My kids didn't go there for elementary, but my understanding is that the elementary students aren't allowed to bring their own lunch, that eating family style and learning about nutrition is part of the curriculum.

My kids went to a little Catholic K-8 where all they had was pizza once a week as a fundraiser. They wanted to buy the pizza every time, and of course they packed lunch on the other days. One thing we did in Kindergarten was have my kids start helping pack lunch in the evening. I think that also served as a learning opportunity to learn about nutrition.

I would ask and find out more about how the cafeteria works to help me decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. In private school do people usually pack their young kids lunches if the food is decent? The school we’re going to has a nice cafeteria with healthy food

Even with an amazing cafeteria, you will find parents who pack lunches for their kids. It won’t make sense, and that is just how it is.

I have an extremely picky eater with food sensory issues, so DC (now in HS) always gets a packed lunch. If the cafeteria food works, great, the lunchbox goes in the fridge for tomorrow. If not, my kid has food they can eat and not go hungry. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense to you.

Why not just come in during lunch time and spoon feed your little darling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. In private school do people usually pack their young kids lunches if the food is decent? The school we’re going to has a nice cafeteria with healthy food

At both the privates with nice cafeterias that my kids attend, the food is included in the tuition. My kids didn't go there for elementary, but my understanding is that the elementary students aren't allowed to bring their own lunch, that eating family style and learning about nutrition is part of the curriculum.

My kids went to a little Catholic K-8 where all they had was pizza once a week as a fundraiser. They wanted to buy the pizza every time, and of course they packed lunch on the other days. One thing we did in Kindergarten was have my kids start helping pack lunch in the evening. I think that also served as a learning opportunity to learn about nutrition.

I would ask and find out more about how the cafeteria works to help me decide.

Quoting myself because I answered before I read all the way through.

If your child has special needs around food, and I would consider food related special needs, whether that's diabetes, allergies, celiac, sensory based restrictive eating, and you're at a school where lunch is included, then I'd work with the school to make a plan. That plan might include an exception to the rule about not bringing from home, or there might be another solution.

I was assuming that OP would have indicated food related special needs when asking the question, because any parent that has made it to 5 with a kid with feeding issues knows that the best advice comes from people with similar experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. In private school do people usually pack their young kids lunches if the food is decent? The school we’re going to has a nice cafeteria with healthy food

At both the privates with nice cafeterias that my kids attend, the food is included in the tuition. My kids didn't go there for elementary, but my understanding is that the elementary students aren't allowed to bring their own lunch, that eating family style and learning about nutrition is part of the curriculum.

My kids went to a little Catholic K-8 where all they had was pizza once a week as a fundraiser. They wanted to buy the pizza every time, and of course they packed lunch on the other days. One thing we did in Kindergarten was have my kids start helping pack lunch in the evening. I think that also served as a learning opportunity to learn about nutrition.

I would ask and find out more about how the cafeteria works to help me decide.

Quoting myself because I answered before I read all the way through.

If your child has special needs around food, and I would consider food related special needs, whether that's diabetes, allergies, celiac, sensory based restrictive eating, and you're at a school where lunch is included, then I'd work with the school to make a plan. That plan might include an exception to the rule about not bringing from home, or there might be another solution.

I was assuming that OP would have indicated food related special needs when asking the question, because any parent that has made it to 5 with a kid with feeding issues knows that the best advice comes from people with similar experiences.

Our school accommodates these special needs based meals such as celiac, allergies, diabetes, etc. However even with a large menu they cannot accommodate a restricted pallet based on preference alone where the kid gets sick of items and complains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. In private school do people usually pack their young kids lunches if the food is decent? The school we’re going to has a nice cafeteria with healthy food

Even with an amazing cafeteria, you will find parents who pack lunches for their kids. It won’t make sense, and that is just how it is.

I have an extremely picky eater with food sensory issues, so DC (now in HS) always gets a packed lunch. If the cafeteria food works, great, the lunchbox goes in the fridge for tomorrow. If not, my kid has food they can eat and not go hungry. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense to you.

NP. That’s fine. What weird to me is that your HS age kid can’t pack his own lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don't imagine that your "rigorous private" will be difficult in the primary years. It's all going to be fine. No stress, OP.

Yes, in most schools the home routine isn’t really affected until 2nd or 3rd grade, when there is more homework.

[Anonymous]

I agree with what people said about sleep. I sense that you have some anxiety, so make sure you’re not putting that on your kid.

What works for my 3rd grader for after school routine is:

Immediately unpack backpack and lunch.

I fix him a snack and he eats it while chatting with me. Or if he has a lot of homework, will start his math while eating.

Then he can rest and decompress a bit, go ahead and take a shower to relax and save on bedtime prep.

Depending on workload, he might do more while I make dinner. If not, he plays outside with friends, practices instrument, or plays on his own.