Almost 60% Of Parents Say Kids Lunch Breaks Are Too Short
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A preliminary report from School District 57’s District Parent Advisory Council shows kids are coming home from school hungry. 57% of parents surveyed said their kids always come home hungry, 47% said their kids would rarely or never finish their lunch at school, and 58% said that’s because there isn’t enough time for their kids to eat. Just under 700 parents responded. “It was interesting to see some of those numbers,” said DPAC treasurer, Sarah Holland, “when we come to only 10% of kid’s parents saying they’re always able to finish their lunch that’s a scary number.”
One of the reasons kids didn’t finish their lunch was because they were busy visiting with friends, but another factor may be that younger kids simply take longer. “It’s important to keep in mind that foods like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits may require more time to eat,” said dietician, Emilia Moulechkova. She suggested parents pack precut, peeled fruits and vegetable as well as things like sliced hardboiled eggs and sandwiches. Many parents say their kids are allowed 15 minutes to eat their lunch.
Superintendent, Marilyn Marquis-Forster, said she wasn’t surprised by the numbers. “The response that my children are hungry at the end of the day… I believe that children are hungry no matter what they ate at noon.” She added that parents shouldn’t wait for a survey to be done to speak up about concerns.
“Please talk to your child’s teacher or your child’s principal, because if there’s an issue with eating at school we would want to know about that and be able to respond to it,” Marquis-Forster said.
