How Do You Do It?

[Cait6799]

My daughter is starting Kindergarten this fall in a private 12-k school and I am wondering how other parents handled the heating up of their kids food for lunch.

She is at pre-school now and the teacher's handle everything for her, but I know that she will not be catered to at this school the same way. She is 5yo and very bright (which is how she got accepted there) but I am not sure if I am pushing it that she could learn how to microwave her own food.

I am a single mom without much outside help so she is already very responsible, she also knows to never eat anything that people offer her et cetera so I am not worried there. My only concern is her feeling bad that she is different from the other kids or someone making her feel bad because she needs their help.

95% of her food has to be heated up and I am not sure that I can count on someone being there consistently to help her. It sounds good when they say that they will, but in reality I know that might not be the case every time. This is an excellent school and she will definitely get better treatment than in a public school (the ones around here are definitely lacking) and I want this to be a good experience for her. She is very sensitive to other people and I just want her to be happy.

I hope this email doesn't come across wrong. She WILL be expected to take on some of this herself, I'm just not sure what I should be doing. I really want this adjustment to be as easy as possible for her without having to make any major unpheavals in her lunch. She is an incredibly picky eater and will not eat sandwiches or most of the stuff that goes IN sandwiches LOL.

Any suggestions or ideas will be greatly appreciated.

[ryebaby0]

IMHO, 5 is too young to be running a microwave--too much of a scalding hazard. Why wouldn't you expect the school to continue to heat up her food? My 5th grader drops off his food at the cafeteria, they refrigerate it until his lunch period, and then heat it and plate it for him. Haven't had a problem yet -- but the kitchen is accustomed to warding against cross-contamination for many reasons. Anyplace that serves children will have to have a plan in place.

"My only concern is her feeling bad that she is different from the other kids or someone making her feel bad because she needs their help."

She is different than the other kids-- and you can't pretend she isn't. She knows it already. Whether that difference is BAD or not, how you develop a positive attitude in her and you is the issue! Life is not just about food. Don't spend too much time feeling sorry for your children ~ decide how you want to live, and then start figuring out ways to get there.My son always offers gluten-free stuff to his friends, and if they turn up their noses I remind him that he doesn't like their pickles, or olives or pepperoni -- why should they like everything he likes?

Okay. I'm done now!

Joanna

[MichelleC]

Can you send her food hot in thermos? They make some that keep food hour for 9 hours.

Michelle

[Cait6799]

What an excellent idea! I will look around for a thermos. Thank you!

I knew someone would get the wrong idea from my post. I just couldn't find the right words that I needed to explain myself I have never given my daughter any reason to think that there is something wrong with her because of her Celiac or that I feel sorry for her. The post was just something I feel inside and like most parents just want her to be as happy as possible and I worry about all the stuff that mothers worry about LOL.

She has suffered tremendously through one medical challenge after another (not Celiac related) since the day she was born and I just want her life to be a little easier.

For the record, so far the school has been great and she loves it there. Thanks for the input it is really appreciated.

[celiac3270]

Yeah, I've used a thermos (not for school), but other places and I find that spaghetti and macaroni and cheese stay hot from the morning until when I eat--even if that happens to be 1:00..........try it.

[gf4life]

I believe you can also cook hot dogs, wrap them in foil and put it in the thermos to keep it warm. The trick with most thermos containers is to heat them with boiling water before you put the food in. They will stay hot longer that way. I've given my kindergartener soup in a thermos for school lunch and it stayed warm.

God bless,

Mariann

[MySuicidalTurtle]

The school lets Kindergartners to heat up their own food? It wasn't until middle school that I ever had access to a microwave (and I went to many, many different schools).

Maybe she and a cafeteria worker would have to use the microwave together?

[Guest jhmom]

I do the same for my daughter, I send her chicken, pasta, etc in a small thermos. We began doing this last year and her 3rd grade teacher did not have a problem warming her lunch for her. Entering 4th grade however has been a different story, her current teacher was not as willing so I contacted the Asst Principal, she gave my daughter permission to come to the office to warm her lunch. I was under the impression my daughter would have to warm it herself but she is 9 and knows how to operate a microwave so I was not concerned about this but I found out one of the Secretary's warms her lunch for her.