Australian mum shocked after kindy teacher’s scolding lunchbox note

Mum is shocked to find a note in her three-year-old’s lunchbox scolding her for an ‘unhealthy’ addition – so how would YOU take it?

  • A note from a kindergarten teacher has divided parents across Australia
  • It advised a mum to pack healthier food after she gave her kid a chocolate slice
  • Aussie writer Melinda Tankard Reist said she would tell the teacher to ‘get lost’
  • The note sparked outrage among parents who feel they can ‘never win’ 


A note from a kindergarten teacher slamming a mother for packing an ‘unhealthy’ lunch has divided parents across Australia.

The woman was stunned when she opened her three-year-old’s lunchbox and discovered a letter criticising the food she had given the little one. 

‘Your child has a chocolate slice from the Red Food category. Please choose healthier options for Kindy,’ it said.

The mother is a friend of Australian writer, Melinda Tankard Reist, who shared a photo of the note on Facebook telling fans exactly what she thought of it.

This note from a kindergarten teacher slamming a mother for packing her child an ‘unhealthy’ lunch has divided parents across Australia

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Should teachers have a right to dictate what’s included in lunchboxes?

  • Yes 93 votes
  • No 1489 votes

‘My friend (mother of eight healthy children, what follows relating to number seven) received this today from her three-year-old’s kindy,’ she wrote.

‘I told her to put in two slices tomorrow and tell them to get lost.’

She added that her friend has a degree in health science, serves fresh food everyday and cooks almost everything from scratch, including bread.

The note is believed to refer to the ‘traffic light system’, healthy choice food guidelines used in educational facilities across Australia and New Zealand.

The green category relates to the healthiest food choices, covering snacks that are a good source of nutrients and low in saturated fat, salt and added sugar.

Foods in the amber category should be eaten in moderation, while things in the red category should be limited. This bracket contains junk food such as sugary drinks, lollies and slices.

The note, which has racked up almost 3,000 ‘likes’ since it was posted online, sparked outrage among parents who said they increasingly feel as though they can ‘never win’.

‘Looks like someone had nothing better to do with their time then to go on a lunchbox inspection,’ one woman wrote.

‘What’s next? That she’s gonna decide when the kids may take a breath?’

Another added: ‘I’d write a note to the teacher – I’m responsible for feeding my child… you’re responsible for educating him/her. Enjoy your day!’ 

The note is believed to be referring to the 'traffic light system', healthy choice food guidelines used in educational facilities across Australia and New Zealand

The note is believed to be referring to the ‘traffic light system’, healthy choice food guidelines used in educational facilities across Australia and New Zealand

A third revealed the constant policing of her son’s lunches led her to transfer him to a different school.

‘When my son was in kindy they used to take things from his lunch box if they deemed they were not healthy and not allow him to eat it. Hence the reason we pulled him out of that kindy and put him in another,’ she said. 

However others had a more balanced reaction.

‘As an early childhood educator I can see it from both sides,’ one woman wrote.

‘We have to conform to certain regulations regarding what food children are served while attending the service. We can actually lose our accreditation if an inspection happens and we are not adhering to those guidelines!’

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