Not Sure What To Do

[tiggerblue10]

Little Tigs has recently made a new friend which is good but this week whenever his friend tries to pay for his lunch he has no money in his ParentPay account to buy food. On Wednesday little Tigs bought him some biscuits using his account which I pay into. Yesterday I told him that he could buy him a sandwich or something more nutritious than biscuits if he still didn't have money to pay for his own lunch. He didn't so today I made 2 sandwiches so he could give one to his friend.

I've asked little Tigs to find out if his friend at least has breakfast as I can't bear to think of him or any child going hungry. He told him that his mum doesn't work and his dad is in a low paid job.

I don't know what to do? Any advice please?

[calmck]

Have a quiet word with the teacher. Until resolved can you afford to send an extra sandwich and some fruit in

[naomi24]

I would carry on making him lunch but I would definitely speak to the head teacher urgently.

[carrot99]

Phone the head teacher or ask for the staff member responsible for safeguarding and explain your concern. Everything will be confidential and it's better that this is brought to light. The school might be able to arrange free school meals if the dad's income is over the threshold.

[Bazile]

Lets hope the parents aren't prioritising fags and beer before the welfare of the kid

[tiggerblue10]

I'm happy to make sandwiches for him but I don't know how long I can sustain this for. I put extra baby plum tomatoes and blueberries in for his friend today. Also he doesn't have a water bottle which every child should've had from the beginning of the year. I'm going to buy him a water bottle as he needs water especially during hot weather.

Yes, the family should qualify for paid lunches if on a low income. Will raise my concerns with head of year next week if it continues.

[naomi24]

I would speak to the head anyway. Something not right there.

[diddlydo]

Definitely needs to be brought to the attention of the school asap.

[mallyh]

excuse my interruption tigger did you see home and garden fao x

[lankeela]

I can understand you wanting to provide for this child, but what if he happened to be allergic to something and he had an attack? Surely it is not the correct thing to provide food for another family's child without their knowledge or notifying the school.

[carrot99]

It's possible that the child does get free school meals but instead of buying the lunch, main meal and dessert, he is buying a couple of brand name chocolate bars at break which would be the same c.£2.

[tiggerblue10]

I did think about that, Lankeela but I just made a cheese and cucumber sandwich. I told little Tigs to ask him if he has allergies. He biscuits on Wednesday and a pizza slice yesterday so thought cheese and bread was ok to give. Can someone be allergic to cucumber?

[Prudie]

What you're doing is admirable Tiggs but as I read this I thought exactly the same as Lankeela. Sad though it is the potential comeback on you for providing this child with food he may be allergic to or worse gives him some kind of bug is not worth it. I would be contacting the school as soon as you can.

[Milo2]

As has already been suggested, you need to contact school about this. I’ve worked in school and this is the sort of thing that staff need to know about as soon as possible.

[tiggerblue10]

Ok, I'll contact the school as they are responsible for the child's welfare when in school.

Thanks all, just needed a steer on how to approach this.

[youngmafbog]

//Lets hope the parents aren't prioritising fags and beer before the welfare of the kid//

Whilst that is possible its most likely the parents are on the bones of their ass due to Johnsons green policies and the out of control cost of living.

[Prudie]

Ymb while many may be struggling any decent parent even on their ass will put their child first and do everything they can, even if it's ask for help, to ensure their child is fed. I don't know of this parent pay system but these particular parents must know there's no credit on it.

[youngmafbog]

Clearly you have never been truly on the bones of your backside Prudie.

Often there is a thing called pride that stops people asking for help. They will shut out all the problems and just try to carry on. That is why it is important the school get involved.

[diddlydo]

Yes there are parents who are too "proud" to apply for free school meals when they would be eligible. In that case it's for the school to ensure that the free meal entitlement is provided as discreetly as possible.

[lankeela]

Some people are allergic to dairy products so even a sandwich could cause a reaction if they could not safely eat butter. Also with the high profile cases in the news about child neglect it is essential that the authorities are given the heads up about this as the child may not be getting food at home either.

[lankeela]

For those who have an intolerance or allergy to dairy, the milk solids in butter – including casein (a protein) and lactose (a sugar) – can cause a wide range of issues, including:

Gastrointestinal discomfort & bloating
Leaky gut
Systemic inflammation
Behavioral issues
Blood sugar imbalances
Many more.