A Richmond motherB次元官网网址檚 petition about B次元官网网址渉angryB次元官网网址� children and the need for longer lunch times at schools is resonating with parents throughout the province.
Judie SchneiderB次元官网网址檚 petition on change.org calls upon the B.C. Ministry of Education and the B.C. Teachers Federation to work together to ensure all children in B.C. elementary schools are given 35 minutes to eat their lunch, supervised by adults.
B次元官网网址淲e demand that this is achieved without taking away time from their recess or outdoor/recreational time during the afternoon break.B次元官网网址�
Schneider began the petition in response to the 17-minute eating time allotted to students for lunch at her sonB次元官网网址檚 elementary school. She says the short eating time isnB次元官网网址檛 enough, resulting in packed school lunches coming home largely uneaten and kids coming home hangry (hungry and angry).
B次元官网网址淵ou spend the rest of the afternoon playing calorie catch up,B次元官网网址� explained Schneider. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e just fed them at 3:15 p.m. and he ends up staying up a lot later at night because he didnB次元官网网址檛 eat a great dinner, heB次元官网网址檚 hungry at 8 p.m. and he canB次元官网网址檛 go to sleep. So I sit there feeding him more food to try and get him full and to sleep and he hasnB次元官网网址檛 gone to bed on time and itB次元官网网址檚 a vicious cycle.B次元官网网址�
Schneider says a minimum of 35 minutes for lunch, supervised by an adult, would not only give kids more time and opportunity to eat, it would help instill a healthier approach to food.
B次元官网网址淩ecognizing when you have to eat more, or less, and enjoying your food and making mindful choices B次元官网网址� this is the biggest new change on the Canada Food GuideB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Schneider. B次元官网网址淪o here we are, creating a schedule where children have to scarf back their food as quickly as they can, and the parents who are in the know now have to start packing lunches they know their kids can eat in that amount of timeB次元官网网址� and we all know it takes a lot longer for a child to eat an apple than a processed granola bar. So itB次元官网网址檚 affecting even the choices of food weB次元官网网址檙e sending with our kids.B次元官网网址�
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Lunch eating times in North Okanagan-Shuswap School District #83 are around 15 minutes and Carl Cooper, the school districtB次元官网网址檚 director of instruction, curriculum and innovation, thinks students would find themselves bored with any more time than that.
B次元官网网址淢y reaction to that is just the behaviour challenges B次元官网网址� I think youB次元官网网址檇 be fighting boredom issues,B次元官网网址� said Cooper. B次元官网网址淲hen IB次元官网网址檝e been in a classroom and watching kids eating, most of the kids are done in probably 10, 15 minutes, and for some kids who are quick eaters and stuff, theyB次元官网网址檙e looking around and theyB次元官网网址檙e like, B次元官网网址榳hatB次元官网网址檚 next?B次元官网网址� Thirty-five minutes I donB次元官网网址檛 think would be a good model at all.B次元官网网址�
Cooper says in his 20-year experience as principal, the issue of kids not having enough time to eat seldom came up. And when it did, he would check it out for himself at lunch the following day.
B次元官网网址淚 actually didnB次元官网网址檛 see them not finish their lunch when I was there, probably because of the adult supervision part,B次元官网网址� said Cooper. B次元官网网址淢y experience when IB次元官网网址檓 sitting in class has often been that students who donB次元官网网址檛 finish their lunch, and that does happen, is primarily because they havenB次元官网网址檛 gotten to it. TheyB次元官网网址檙e socializing or visiting or doing things like that. But I havenB次元官网网址檛 had the experience where students havenB次元官网网址檛 had the time to sit and eat their lunch. Fifteen minutes in my experience is fairly substantial.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 been three weeks since Schneider initiated her petition (nearing 10,000 signatures). In that time, she says sheB次元官网网址檚 heard from lots of other parents with similar experiences, seeking guidance on what to do in their school district.
B次元官网网址淧eople are even contacting me from Alberta and Ontario,B次元官网网址� said Schneider. B次元官网网址淚 had a woman reach out from Calgary asking me how can she do this in her regionB次元官网网址� And I said, well, I havenB次元官网网址檛 been successful yet, but certainly you can start doing the same thing IB次元官网网址檓 doing and start lobbying the province to change it.B次元官网网址�
Judie SchneiderB次元官网网址檚 petition can be found on change.org, titled: Longer Adult Supervised eating time at lunch for elementary school children in BC.
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