Mum fumes as nursery takes issue with daughter's balanced and healthy lunchbox

20 February 2024 , 09:42

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The nursery has strict rules when it comes to packed lunches (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A frustrated mum has taken to social media to express her anger after receiving a note from her child's nursery regarding her lunchbox.

Her daughter had only been in the daycare for five days when a short letter was sent back - and it's hard to see what the issue was.

The mum shared a photo of the home-packed lunch on Facebook, showing sandwiches, an apple, banana, pretzels, chopped carrots, a hot cross bun and a biscuit. But it wasn't the food that was the issue - it was the way it was packaged.

The nursery has instead demanded all pre-packaged foods stay in original packaging so teachers can read the ingredients and make sure it's free of allergens. Foods that 'may contain tree nuts' have also been banned.

"I buy everything in large packets and send them in containers because it's so much cheaper, not to mention more environmentally friendly," the unnamed mum said in her post, via the Daily Mail.

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*Ava shared a photo of the packed lunch she sent in (Facebook)

"I understand kids have allergies but I really don't think I should have to change my shopping list to cater for someone else's child. So far everything I have pulled out of the cupboard has 'may contain tree nuts' on it."

People were quick to comment on the post - and the majority shared the parent's frustration. "In the real world we don't cater to your child, they don't enforce this in the workplace, your allergies aren't anyone else's responsibility," one person commented.

A second said: "I understand no nuts in lunch boxes but something that 'may contain' can be over the top considering if that family went out they wouldn't ask every restaurant customer if they could please not order nuts as their kid is allergic."

"Teach your kids to wash their hands, be aware of their allergies, and what they can't have," another parent wrote.

But other people were quick to highlight the importance of protecting children with severe allergies. "I can't even begin to imagine how stressful and scary it is for a child to deal with grave allergies," one person said in response.

"I understand it's stressful and frustrating for parents who have to go through the ingredients, please understand that these other kids and their families who have these allergies aren't trying to make your life stressful or hard.

"Unfortunately many of us have allergies and they are not to be taken lightly as they can have dire consequences. Obviously it is a lot more easier when our kids are much older, but especially when they are little they don't understand the severity."

Gemma Strong