Anonymous wrote:My younger DD’s private lower said you could take the kids OUT to lunch every day. This was to avoid the moms that would show up with elaborate hot lunches and make the other kids cry.

JFC

My younger DD’s private lower said you could take the kids OUT to lunch every day. This was to avoid the moms that would show up with elaborate hot lunches and make the other kids cry.

When my kids were in pre-school they often stayed for lunch and “book worms”. I never stayed for lunch and didn’t know any mom’s that did.

Anonymous wrote:Just to clarify, she came in specifically to sit and eat with her kid? I remember being in school and having a couple of kids moms act as volunteer lunch/play ground monitors, but they didn't sit with their kids or stay with them on the playground.

Yes, specifically to sit with the kid for 6 years.

Anonymous wrote:
My son would have been happy about it, since he had difficulty connecting socially in elementary, but I never did it - couldn’t handle the noise. He is now a calm, studious, high schooler.

Come to think of it, my elementary aged DD would like it too. Still not doing it.

You people really must understand that not everyone thinks in the same way.

And you think having his mother at lunch every day would help him connect socially?

Oh, hell no. In 6th grade?! That poor kid.

That’s nuts! I have gone twice a year for my preschooler and would maybe go once in Kinder if he asked me to or I happened to already be at school to volunteer - and I work at home 5 min from school.

Just to clarify, she came in specifically to sit and eat with her kid? I remember being in school and having a couple of kids moms act as volunteer lunch/play ground monitors, but they didn't sit with their kids or stay with them on the playground.

Frequent lunches in K are fine IMHO, but if your mom comes to eat lunch with you every day in 6th grade, that is awkward.

I did this about once a week the first few weeks of K. My kid would have liked it if I’d come even more, but I didn’t think that was healthy. Then in later grades it was occasional. He finished 4th last year, and I did come one time for lunch. He was happy about it & not embarrassed, but once was enough at that age.

I think it depends on the norms in the school community. We live in DC and 95% of families are dual-income--there is just not a norm of parents being in the school frequently (PTA and other activities usually take place after school). I could see it being a little strange if all the kids are sitting with their friends, and there's Johnny's mom among the 3rd graders.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My son would have been happy about it, since he had difficulty connecting socially in elementary, but I never did it - couldn’t handle the noise. He is now a calm, studious, high schooler.

Come to think of it, my elementary aged DD would like it too. Still not doing it.

You people really must understand that not everyone thinks in the same way.

I can't imagine kids being happy about it, sorry. I imagine the embarrassment.

Because some kids are not embarrassed by their parents.
This notion of kid/parent embarrassment is a very new social construct. It’s not inscribed in human DNA, it’s not developmentally appropriate, and doesn’t happen with all families.

What’s appropriate is gradual independence from parents. This does not have to mean feeling embarrassed by one’s parents. There is a difference in degree but also in social and emotional perception.

I did it for birthdays until they were in 3rd grade and then they both asked that I just send in cupcakes.

However, when my oldest was in parochial school we had to commit to a certain amount of food service days a year, K-8. Maybe is something similar, where he is not actually sitting with the kid.

Anonymous wrote:He probably was. Kids today are different than we were, when we were kids.

It can be hard to recognize mental illness when you’re a kid and live with it every day.

Anonymous wrote:I did it once in K and almost died. The noise was crazy. I did do it again but only a couple of times each grade. After the first time i was more mentally prepared.

+1. My K daughter loved it, and it's nice her classmates know who I am, but omg the noise, the mess, the constantly opening containers for kids.