Lunch at School- Need Help!!

I just thought of something that my son's school does in the morning to help ease lunch time. When the students get to school they tell their teacher (btw this may just be kindergarten but it could help lunch time for everyone) a- hot lunch/cold lunch b- either what they want for hot lunch or if they need milk with their cold lunch c- who's picking them up at the end of the day. The teacher marks on a list who's having what for lunch and then puts it on a clipboard. After that I have no idea what happens all I know is what they say they are having for lunch is the end of story they don't change their mind. They don't have punch in codes or anything either. I don't know if they have to carry their tray's back to their table or not. My son told me that if you ask to have a sandwich for lunch (a choice that is their daily) it comes in a brown bag. This might be easier to implement then changing when recess is. That was just an idea. Hope you get some answers.

There are problems either way they do the lunch/recess thing. My son's school does lunch first, but the kids can go play whenever they are done eating, so they rush through lunch so they can go play. At least with lunch first, they CAN eat until they're full, instead of a bell telling them to dump their food in the garbage.
As hard as it is, I think you're going to have to talk to your kids about it more than the staff. They're going to have to learn to give up some play time for some food time. It's a lot to expect kids to have such self-control at that age, but even if your school gets enough complaints about the subject to change the schedule (and if the schedule has been this way for many years, I doubt they'll change it), a change probably wouldn't go into effect until the next school year.

Our school has lunch then the recess. My son takes school lunch as it is easier for us. There are times he doesn't like what is on the menu so we pack his lunch. You will have to talk to your kids about getting in from recess to have lunch. I don't think school lunch or cold lunch would be any different it just what would be eaiser for you. But you need to talk with the kids and let them know things have to change and help them understand they need to make it a priority to eat beause they need that to help them get through the day. Good luck.

I have no real answers..other than for my pokier-than-most child (now a senior in high school and still the one to hang back and let others go first), has almost always done cold lunch for this exact reason. They simply do not have enough time to get thru all of the kids and codes and screwing around that kids will do. And with my sensitive and reluctant child, she needed time to eat, so we just opted for bringing her lunch.

That way she always got to go right to a table and sit down and begin eating. No line, no waiting. She was always lactose sensitive, so just brought a tossable water bottle when she was little and got her dairy in at home.

It was worth the extra 15 minutes packing a lunch the night before cost me, knowing she could eat in time and have a good afternoon at school without being starving and cranky (sorry but my daughter, now at 17, is a witch like her parents if shes hungry or tired!!). So consider that they are not just starving when they get home after school, but likely tossing most of a lunch you paid for..and not having the energy and focus to learn well after lunch time....

Just an option..

Why don't you try packing your kids a lunch box and see if they have time to eat that? I have a feeling they would have more time bc they won't have to stand in a lunch line. That is just no fair! Poor kids. I pack my kid's lunch each day and it is nice bc I can see what he does and does not eat.

at our school, there are three lunch shifts (2nd/3rd grade - 25 minutes, 4th/5th grade-20 minutes, and 1st/kindy after-care-25 minutes). The 2nd-5th grade have recess *after* lunch, 1st grade has recess before lunch. There's a cart with several hand-sanitizer dispensers at the entrance to the multipurpose room.

For hot lunch - parents need to pre-order for the trimester and kids have cards with their name, grade, teacher name, and codes for what items they've ordered for the various days of the week. Kids who didn't bring a lunch can't order a hot lunch for that day, but they can fill out a drop-in form and get food from the salad bar and their parents get billed at the end of the trimester. Our head custodian and a classroom assistant monitor the lunch room and will give reminder announcements over the loudspeaker to let kids know how much time is left in the lunch period and remind them to finish up their food - they also announce a "silent time" for the last few minutes of the lunch period to encourage the kids to focus on finishing their meals instead of chatting with their friends.

My boy just started K this year. I was HORRIFIED to find that they have 35 minutes for lunch and recess! They eat first (supposedly) then go outside - I think they get 15-20 minutes total in the lunchroom. I don't think Z has eaten his whole lunch - ever!
We do make his lunch - with things he loves - so I know it's not that he's being forced to eat something new/something he doesn't like. Honestly, I thought about talking to the school to see if trying recess first would work better - but it doesn't sound like that works either.
Wish I had some advice that would help.... Sounds like the grass isn't greener on either side of this fence! ;)

WELCOME TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL---STUDENTS HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE FOR AGES.

So if you would prefer time to wash hands and sit and eat---pack your kids a healthful lunch. Most likely it will cost the same or possibly less than that prepared by the school, it may taste better and your child will have a longer time to eat for they will nto be standing in line.

IF you choose not to do so, then deal with the school's schedule as many many moms have before ye! Keep in mind that SCHOOL IS NOT THE HOME and your children may have to adjust accordingly and if you don't lke it then make their lunch for them to take with them to school.

END OF SUBJECT!

We don't have a cafeteria at our school -- it's strictly a pack your lunch from home policy. (Small charter school) And it works fantastic. They have microwaves in the classroom so they can have a hot lunch if they want. Lunch comes first, then is recess. They also have another recess partway through the morning -- so they get time to play and let off steam. First recess is 15 mins. Lunch is 20 mins, and lunch recess is 20 mins.

If they are spending so much time in line, then it seems like rather than try to change the order or recess and lunch, that you should see if there is a more efficient way to have the kids get lunch. Or have YOUR kids get lunch more efficiently. The idea of packing their lunch would ensure that they get the full lunch time to eat.

Good luck on this!

I knew my son had the same system where you punch in a code and their lunch is right after recess as well. I finally got a chance to go eat with him and by the time we got through the lines because other kids took forever to be able to handle their trays and get situated in line to punch their numbers in we were already half way through lunch. Other kids were laughing and messing around, my son just sat and ate (which Im sure was totally out of the norm since I was there) he managed to eat half his burger then it was time to clean up. And that was with him behaving so i dont know how much he would have gotten down if i wasn't there. Although on pizza day he manages to get a second entree so i know he finishes his first piece so who really knows. I wish they had a person who marked what they actually ate. They list what they put on their plate but it would be nice to know if it was completed or 50% gone etc.... My sons friend didnt eat any of his burger that day just the fries and a TON of ketsup by the spoon kinda gross but that was his lunch for the day.

At my son's school, the kids get a total of 20 minutes for lunch, including the time they spend in the lunch line. As soon as they are done, they head out for recess.

What this means in reality is that kids at the back of the lunch line have to choose between eating and getting any fresh air or exercise.

My son is a "contemplative eater," so he needs all 20 minutes. There is no way that getting school lunch would work - I don't want to short him his recess, and I don't want him to waste food or not get time to eat. So I pack his lunch, and fill it with lots of easy-to-eat, nutritious finger foods that can be eaten quickly, such as carrots or peppers and dressing, cheese, fresh fruit, nuts, or granola. This way he gets the full twenty minutes, and he can bring home any leftovers or eat them after school.

As an added bonus, we've found that packing lunch is cheaper, and I can feed him better quality food than that which is available in the school lunch.

Sadly, I think this is more common. At my son's last school, they did lunch and then recess with the entering of the code as well. The kids would sit down and eat as fast as possible so they could run out to recess. In short they would eat three bites throw the rest away then run outside to play. I always thought the better plan would be to have a 30 minute lunch and two small recesses during the day and not have them tied with lunch. It just never made sense to me.

Ultimately, his school ended up taking out recess all together with the exception of the Kindies and 1st graders. I lost it and fought all the way to the District Director. It was all for not, they simply would not bring recess back all in the name of more time for academics. I was disgusted. That was the last year he was at that school.

If I were you I would bring it up with the school, I am not sure it will go anywhere, but give it a try. In reality, you are the only one who has your kids' best interest at heart. Do what you gotta do. My sons both go to a school now that has two extra classes, an extra recess, 30 minutes for lunch AND snack time throughout the day and the school scores in the top 10 to 15% in the nation on standardized tests, they even hit the to 4% this last year. I have never looked back.

Good luck sister, eating and exercise is VERY important for children, your gut is telling you the right thing!

My son has recess for 15min and then lunch for 30 min. I like it better because last year recess was always after lunch and he'd get belly aches.

As for buying lunch. All of our kids have cards. like credit cards, that have their name and pictures on them. They pick them up as they go through the line and lunch lady at the end checks them out and swipes/collects the card. If they don't have enough money, they are allowed to go under by $2. and a letter comes home that day.

We also have an online website - mylunchmoney.com -where we as parents can monitor what our kids are buying, add money to their cards, etc.

My son's school did something similar (lunch by grade). They also only had 30 minutes for both lunch AND recess. And it was their only recess of the day.

Their lunch/recess was at 1030 am!!! (school from 8-420)

He was staaaaaaaaaarving by the time he came come because it had been more than six hours since he'd eaten!

((The past tense is that we homeschool now. Not because of lunch, although the paltry recess was a part of it))