PARENTS

Join the movement to help our kids become confident, adventurous eaters at school and at home

Are you worried about how your school is approaching food and nutrition? Feeling overwhelmed about lunchboxes? Concerned by some of the stories your child tells you, or the words they are bringing home about food and their bodies?

School Mealtimes is here to help!

We are hearing stories from parents, health professionals and teachers:

  • Kids are bringing home diet talk, and feeling afraid of food
  • Parents are overwhelmed by pressure to create the ‘right’ lunchbox
  • Teachers are trying to control what children eat, and feeling under-resourced
  • School mealtimes are not safe spaces for kids to learn to like all kinds of foods

See examples and add yours below

It doesn't have to be this way

What is happening?

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Family Mealtimes Logo (1)

School and Family Mealtimes are emerging services that aim to support school-aged children to become confident, adventurous eaters. Within the Family Mealtimes membership (coming soon), parents are empowered to create positive mealtime experiences for the whole family at home. At the same time, School Mealtimes aims to change school policy and support teachers to create safe and empowering school food environments.

What can parents and caregivers do now?

Help our research into what is currently happening, so we can support change:

  • Share your stories with us, about the good and the not-so-good things that are happening in your school.
  • Upload a copy of your school healthy eating policy, and any emails or newsletter inserts

Lead the change:

  • Talk to your school about this problem. Download our resources to help you raise your concerns. Enter your email here to access the resources directly to your inbox.
  • Spread the word and build support - follow Dr Kyla and share this campaign with your networks

Watch this space

School Mealtimes is growing momentum. My team and I are hard at work on all kinds of supporting resources which we will release throughout this year. Come back regularly, or join the mailing list to stay on top of updates.

Also coming soon: Family Mealtimes, a membership program in the style of Baby Mealtimes and Toddler Mealtimes, for families with school-aged children. Packed with meal and lunchbox inspiration, recipes, advice and support, Family Mealtimes aims to take the stress out of feeding your whole family. Parents who join the School Mealtimes mailing list will be among the first invited to access the program when we launch later this year.

Share your stories

Help our research into what is currently happening. Tell us about the good and the not-so-good things that are happening in your school. See some examples below

My little boy came home from 3yo kinder upset/ashamed that he had been told off for eating his cheese wrap at morning tea time, instead of at lunch.
My child can eat half a sandwich one day and then eat 2 the next day. I always pack plenty so he has the option but now I don’t know what to do because the poor kid has to sit and eat the entire thing before he can touch anything else in his lunch box!

My middle daughter is a slow eater, and often comes home with food left in her lunchbox that she wants to eat, but didn't have time because the notion of sitting down and eating properly just doesn't exist at schools unfortunately- it's a "shove it in and then go play" attitude. It'd be great if there were tables and benches for the kids to eat at...

Big thumbs up to our Kindy teach who I heard telling a parent she’d asked if her girl wanted to eat more lunch or if her tummy was telling her she was full.
I popped in two little pieces of chocolate, plus a muesli bar with choc chips. This was in addition to blueberries, watermelon, apple, cucumber, cheese and a sandwich. He came home having eaten everything but the chocolate and muesli bar. He wasn’t allowed to eat them until he’d eaten EVERYTHING else, and then he’d run out of time.

My child... is a slow eater naturally... I have been asked to pack less food because she wasn't getting enough time to socialise at lunchtime. She often comes home with a perfectly reserved Crunch n’ Sip as there is no time to ‘stop and eat’. She often worries [she] hasn’t eaten her food.

My 3 year old child attends a... preschool which has banned all pre-packaged food as well as all processed sugar. He is constantly told that certain foods (eg. Dried fruit bars) will need to be taken home and eaten there. They aren’t to have any packets of anything as this ‘looks’ like chips (which are definitely not allowed).

    Statement of usage: The information gathered in this website will be de-identified and may be used for research or advocacy purposes. By sharing your story you give consent for it to be published in full or part on this website or elsewhere within the Mealtimes services. Your school name will not be disclosed.

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