Comparing Kids Lunches

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#688859 20-Sep-2012 14:32

networkn: I think however we aren't really addressing the OP

In many respects I think we did.

Some people think the answer is school lunches.

Some folk think that we just need parent education.

Some think we just need to give more to social services who already feel they know how to fix this problem.

Some think we just need tighter benefit controls.

For the last there seems to be some strong views on both sides, and for the most part the discussion really ended back at page 2.

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PaulBrislen

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#689201 21-Sep-2012 08:22

For those who are looking for a way to support Kidscan with all the great work they do ACTUALLY feeding the kids rather than going on about what the parents should be doing...

Today is More Day and there are a bunch of auctions on Trade Me to help raise funds.

Dive on in, put your money where your mouth is. I've seen people on this list talking about how they'd support these activities... now's your chance.

Geektastic

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#690419 24-Sep-2012 09:48

Seems pretty odd to me that schools here in NZ don't have dining rooms and serve lunch to pupils and staff!

Going to school in the UK, "school dinners" were part of the fabric of childhood - nobody brought lunch boxes.

LookingUp

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#690447 24-Sep-2012 10:09

Having watched the Jamie Oliver TV programme on school lunches in the UK and the US it would almost be better to let the kids starve (not that you see this in NZ) rather than poison them with turkey twizlers and the like. }:-s

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networkn

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#690449 24-Sep-2012 10:12

Yes. Unless it was funded separately by a non profit organization then initially it might improve things, but as budgets became tight, funding was reduced, staff were cut, the food quality would drop and drop until we were basically poisoning the kids anyway.

It needs to be done. Properly.

Geektastic

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#690453 24-Sep-2012 10:21

LookingUp: Having watched the Jamie Oliver TV programme on school lunches in the UK and the US it would almost be better to let the kids starve (not that you see this in NZ) rather than poison them with turkey twizlers and the like. }:-s

Well, turkey twizlers are no more poisonous than the average kiwi pie to be honest.

I can say that my 3 brothers and I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at school for 36 weeks a year over 15 years and none of us was ever poisoned!!

DonGould

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#691354 25-Sep-2012 21:07

Did anyone catch Campbell Live tonight?

People cooking up meals in their homes and just taking them into local schools in plastic containers.

What really got me is that it's a bunch of DPB mums doing it.

Really does must mock those folk who suggested that DPB mums should all be getting budgeting advice.

Also seems to mock the suggestion that to feed our kids in schools we need to build expensive commerical kitchens.

Kitchen I just saw on TV didn't look all that flash to me, but just as clean as my local fish and chip shop which feeds a great deal of my local community weekly.

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networkn

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#691362 25-Sep-2012 21:22

DonGould: Did anyone catch Campbell Live tonight?

People cooking up meals in their homes and just taking them into local schools in plastic containers.

What really got me is that it's a bunch of DPB mums doing it.

Really does must mock those folk who suggested that DPB mums should all be getting budgeting advice.

Also seems to mock the suggestion that to feed our kids in schools we need to build expensive commerical kitchens.

Kitchen I just saw on TV didn't look all that flash to me, but just as clean as my local fish and chip shop which feeds a great deal of my local community weekly.

I am not sure where to even begin pointing out how many different ways that isn't the same as doing it on a larger scale, all the health and safety standards etc that would need to be met, who is paying for the food when instead of doing it for a few kids they are doing it for tens of thousands etc...

Ultimately I think I'd be wasting my breath to explain it so I am not going to bother. I can't see you accepting any point of view on it anyway.

DonGould

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#691376 25-Sep-2012 21:44

networkn: Ultimately I think I'd be wasting my breath to explain it so I am not going to bother. I can't see you accepting any point of view on it anyway.

Oh I have to agree with you.

After what I saw on Campbell Live tonight, I have to agree with those who suggested this problem can just be fixed with $4m dollars or less a year.

Really did just strike me that the problem just needs a bit of "can do attitude" coupled with a willingness to keep the solution simple and basic and with buy in from the local community.

As for suggestions about public health, I have to confess I was blown away by staff at my local kindy today.

We got a call around lunch time to query why my son had been sent to kindy today with an expired yogurt and what action we wanted them to take.

Frankly the suggestion that staff in a child care role are not on the ball enough to maintain public health is just insulting.

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Ragnor

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#691609 26-Sep-2012 11:42

If the "problem" parent's had a can do attitude there wouldn't be a problem if the first place.

loganjames

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#691618 26-Sep-2012 12:02

DonGould:
networkn: Ultimately I think I'd be wasting my breath to explain it so I am not going to bother. I can't see you accepting any point of view on it anyway.

Oh I have to agree with you.

After what I saw on Campbell Live tonight, I have to agree with those who suggested this problem can just be fixed with $4m dollars or less a year.

Really did just strike me that the problem just needs a bit of "can do attitude" coupled with a willingness to keep the solution simple and basic and with buy in from the local community.

As for suggestions about public health, I have to confess I was blown away by staff at my local kindy today.?

We got a call around lunch time to query why my son had been sent to kindy today with an expired yogurt and what action we wanted them to take.?

Frankly the suggestion that staff in a child care role are not on the ball enough to maintain public health is just insulting.

My daughter wasn't allowed to take a water bottle to kindy because the ministry doesn't belive 3 and 4 year old's understand the idea of "not sharing spit". Not a big issue but I don't see the difference between a personal drink bottle and a table of communal cups and a jug.

But I have to agree as a society we have a responsibility to those less fortunate than ourselves. It's the whole principal of cradle to the grave welfare that the country was worked with for 100 years. Its not perfect but as a parent when I think about kids at school with nothing it actually brings a tear to my eye. What if I couldn't give my kids every thing they needed? I'd hope that the state would look after me.

END.

DonGould

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#692075 27-Sep-2012 10:14

Ragnor: If the "problem" parent's had a can do attitude there wouldn't be a problem if the first place.

I'd like to understand where the problem actually is.

It was interesting to see last nights Campbell Live article with a head master from one school saying that the problem is not stereo types and often hard working families.

I'd also like to understand the scale of the problem.

Is it a case of 20 kids in a school who just never show up with lunch, or as the article suggested last night, it's a case of 150 kids in a school of which 5 to 10 a day don't turn up with a lunch, but it's always a different set of kids?

Ragnor I generally look out for your posts with interest, and while I often disagree with what you might say, I think you have very much hit the nail on the head here, this is about a 'can do attitude' that can really fix this problem (where ever it actually is).

I wonder if the problem is also a mixed up balance of pride and greed.

Are we seeing low income families not reporting to WINZ to collect something they're actually entitled to?

Are we seeing low income families not being part of the church and taking home a loaf of bread on Sunday?

Are we seeing higher income members of our community taking home a great pay packet but spending it all on booze, because they feel a sense of entitlement having earnt it, and not just giving enough to charity?

Are we seeing higher income earners only being willing to spend bottom dollar? (For example are they only shopping at the Warehouse when something is on special, ie very low margin, or being a Telecom or TelstraClear customer where the low income jobs aren't even in New Zealand any more?)

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jonherries

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#700878 14-Oct-2012 10:17

Sorry to stir this up again but here is the article:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/7813410/Food-and-learning-connection-shot-down

Here is the research that has just become available (doesn't appear that the actual paper is available yet):

http://nihi.auckland.ac.nz/sites/nihi.auckland.ac.nz/files/news/ANA%20BISkIT%20presentation.pdf

It appears there are a few flaws in the methodology, probably due to the limited funds available to do this sort of research. Interesting none the less.

Thought this comment was interesting:

"There's always a risk that the kinds of people who participate are not the higher needs group." This was because her study participants had to get parental consent and fill in a lengthy questionnaire - a process that may have alienated the high-needs families.

Also worth noting the drop out rate is probably biased, the length of the intervention is between 3 and 9 months, age of the children is 9, you might expect the reading test would be a little limited for this age group etc.

Worth considering the nature of the article in the context of the research, and noting these words in the article headline especially:

"link rubbished"
"connection shot down"

Jon

1080p

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#700911 14-Oct-2012 11:36

DonGould:
Ragnor: If the "problem" parent's had a can do attitude there wouldn't be a problem if the first place.

I'd like to understand where the problem actually is.

It was interesting to see last nights Campbell Live article with a head master from one school saying that the problem is not stereo types and often hard working families.

I'd also like to understand the scale of the problem.

Is it a case of 20 kids in a school who just never show up with lunch, or as the article suggested last night, it's a case of 150 kids in a school of which 5 to 10 a day don't turn up with a lunch, but it's always a different set of kids?

Ragnor I generally look out for your posts with interest, and while I often disagree with what you might say, I think you have very much hit the nail on the head here, this is about a 'can do attitude' that can really fix this problem (where ever it actually is).

I wonder if the problem is also a mixed up balance of pride and greed.

Are we seeing low income families not reporting to WINZ to collect something they're actually entitled to??

Are we seeing low income families not being part of the church and taking home a loaf of bread on Sunday?

Are we seeing higher income members of our community taking home a great pay packet but spending it all on booze, because they feel a sense of entitlement having earnt it, and not just giving enough to charity?

Are we seeing higher income earners only being willing to spend bottom dollar?? (For example are they only shopping at the Warehouse when something is on special, ie very low margin, or being a Telecom or TelstraClear customer where the low income jobs aren't even in New Zealand any more?)

wat?

The problem is simple. One of budgeting. As a parent you need to provide the basics for your child's survival before anything else. This is not happening in some families. That is the problem that needs solving.

Providing lunch for all children in school because a small subset aren't receiving lunch is an overreaction and a waste of money. Simply target the families who aren't providing food for their children. The teachers should be reporting this already anyway.

DonGould

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#700953 14-Oct-2012 13:01

1080p: Simply target the families who aren't providing food for their children. The teachers should be reporting this already anyway.

Ya I think that's a valid point.

Wonder how that should be best done?

Seems to me that's a moving dynamic. It's not the same kids each day or each week.

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