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Thursday, May 14, 2009

The art of Persuasion



In an ideal world I would send my children off to school each day with a nutritious, organic, salt free, home made, preservative free, high fibre, low fat perfectly balanced lunch and snack. However, I don’t or rather I don’t live in an ideal world and I send my children to school with a bunch of junk. I send my little darlings to school with a bunch of junk on the off-chance that given a less than perfect setting, they may just eat a mouthful or maybe two. Lunch times are noisy and busy and over stimulating and just about everything is more interesting or testing than eating, which is pretty low down on their personal agendas.



Whilst neophobia has been banned from our lives following the 5 year food campaign, it is not a total success. With persuasion and patience he does indeed eat a full panoply of food at home, at dinner time but we are still spoon-feeding him, quite literally. The spoon-feeding will be faded but in the meantime we count are blessings and try not to count his ribs as the clothing campaign still flounders.




It is therefore with some suppressed giggle factor that I take on board the very wise words of another mum. Another mum has witnessed the true vileness of my children’s lunch when she happened, just by chance to be present during the cafeteria madness, otherwise known as luncheon at school. She is of course duly horrified by my indulgence but manages to speak in diplomatic tones since I am so clearly a charity case in need of her no doubt vastly superior nutritional advice.





“It’s just….you know……during STAR testing we want them to have the very best chance.”
“Yes you’re absolutely right.”
“Healthful snacks…..that’s what we recommend.”
“Quite, quite.”
“It’s just that he told me he packs his own……you might just want to check what he chooses.”
“I shall, I shall. I do, I do.”
“It’s great that he’s learned to be so independent.”
“You’re right, very true.”







“It’s a pity the trash cans are right next to the recycling cans.”
“Luckily they can all read very well. The icons are very helpful, eye catching.”
"It's not rocket science but every bit helps."
"You can be sure he'll make the right decision for him."




2 comments:

Spokes said...

I just spent 2 hours last week in the principal's office at my "typically" developing daughter's school...because her lunch monitors and teachers decided her lunch was spoiled and inedible.

Ok, so, it *was* shepherd's pie...but it was freshly made by my own hands and we had all just eaten it the night before.

Before "The Manny" could throttle the principal and stomp the lunch lady...because he took the idea that Ann might go to school without a proper lunch as a personal insult...I remember saying...

"Look, I can't help it you microwave everything here and wouldn't know the smell of fresh garlic if it slapped you in the face. All I'm saying is someone better pick up the phone and call me before they shame my kid in front of the entire 4th grade. If there is shaming to be done...that's my job, thanks awfully."

Heh Heh. Guess I'm not the only one with food police.

Blend said...

i am concerned for kids, soon they going to join school. Too busy with works, afraid how to keep things going smooth...

 
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