Packed Lunch

So, Jaysen usually has school dinners during his day - we figured it's better for him to have a proper meal during the day while he's busy and then can have a smaller dinner once he's home. Of course, with all the stuff in the press about "how great school meals are nowadays" we figured he was getting a nice, balanced meal. Until we asked him what he had for his lunch. Usually we get "I can't remember" but recently we've been concerned by the responses. Chips+Pasta+Peas. Or Salad+Mash. Or some other variation on bugger-all. Apparently, if they say to the dinner lady "I don't like that" they don't get something else instead. I spoke to a teacher about it, and was told "They can't make them eat".

Marvellous.

So, we decided to start doing him pack lunch. A couple a sarnies, a bag of crisps, a drink, a lump of fruit and some kind of oaty-chewy bar thing. Occasionally (ie, when I get up early enough and can function) he also gets a mini-salad, and maybe a yogurt. Yoghurt? Meh, whichever.

So yesterday, he comes home and informs us he has a letter from the school. No one else, just him. "Please do not give your son peanut butter in case there are children in school with allergies". You 'effing what? OK, don't get me wrong, I CAN see the issue - Jaysens lunch COULD kill one of his school chums. But then, why would said chum be eating Jaysens lunch? They can't confuse lunchboxes as he has a mini-coolbag. With his name plastered all over it. And if said-chum DOES have an allergy, why would he say "Oooh yes, I'd love some of your fatal-nut-sandwich!"

Maybe I'm under the impression all kids are as smart as Jaysen. Maybe that's wrong of me, but he likes exactly three things in his sandwich. Either - Chocolate Spread, or Peanut Butter, or Cheese. The latter is out in this heat - even with a cold-block in the bag, his sarnie sweats. Yuk. He's not allowed Peanut Butter. So he has to have chocolate spread every single day. He hates Jams (Jelly, to you American sorts) and Conserves. Somedays he says he likes Pate (with the ' over the e!) other days he says it's vile and gross. He's not got manly hands to heft a ploughmans sandwich...

I might write them back telling them he'll stop having peanut butter when they replace the tarmac playground with sponge, as Jaysen is allergic to it - when he touches down at high speed, it brings him out in grazes and bruises.

The world is becoming filled with "OH BE CAREFUL!" sorts and it's slowly pissing me off more and more. Take school sports day - a time for the sporty ones to excel, and the nerds to show why they're nerds. I can accept that - it shows competition, winning vs. losing, team spirit - all that jazz.

But wait - not anymore!

They no longer hand out awards, no longer have winners or losers. EVERYONE wins, regardless of whether they ran at the speed of light, or blobbed along at the speed of Dan. They get a photocopy of a photocopies certificate saying "I took part in the sports day" and.... that's it. No ribbon, no badge, no trophy. The egg & spoon race is now the egg & potato race - allergies, don't you know. I should tell them Jaysen is allergic to cutlery. Make it the "Potato" race. Three Legged Race? Out - too dangerous. I might say to them if they fall while running they will look REALLY stupid in front of everyone, make them walk. The 25ft Stroll. It could catch on.

It's really no wonder why Jaysen gets so upset when he loses at board games and computer games.

Pah.