School Cafeteria Is a Mad House (IMO)

Oh my gosh!! That's absolutely horrible!!! I have volunteered many times in different schools and I've never had anything that bad. It has been very orderly and sometimes actually too quiet!! The kids are usually told they have to stay in their chairs until dismissed; and even then they get into a line and empty their trays, etc. and either go outside or back to the classroom on rainy days. In fact, one of the schools, which I absolutely loved for soooooooooo many reasons, even had a different child assigned every day to wipe off the table with a big sponge. Didn't do a perfect job but always made a great attempt.

Maybe you could talk to the principal and/or other moms and put in force a new cafeteria policy!!! That's insane!!!

Good luck!!!

This tells me that I would not like this school and would really try to get the kids moved to one that teaches kids to still have fun but at the right times.

I worked for three years (from 2007 to 2010) as a classroom aide and my experience was almost the opposite...
Our school had two aides, one or two parent volunteers and (usually) the principal supervising during lunch. Everyone had to remain seated, you needed to sit with your class, you had to raise your hand and be excused before getting up and no more than two kids could go to the bathroom at once. And toys were NOT allowed at school, let alone at lunch.
Sounds good, right?
Well you better believe there was a VERY vocal group of parents unhappy with the principal for these policies. They believed the kids should have more freedom at lunch, they should be allowed to get up and move around, sit with their friends in other classes, etc.
The thing that these parents didn't get was that the kids only had twenty minutes to eat. That may be enough time to finish a meal at home but lunch and recess is the only time these kids have at school to chat with each other. So there is a LOT of talking going on, and if you add in getting up and moving around then lunches don't get finished.
Sigh. Just one of many reasons I'm no longer interested in working in education, the parents are ALWAYS trying to undermine the professionals, instead of just letting them do what they are trained and paid for :(

Maybe set up a friendly meeting with the principal or ask to speak at a PTA meeting about some ideas you have to improve lunch time for kindergarten. I would ask for.

1) An additional table or 2 to allievate crowding.
2) Cafeteria supervisors enforce children stay seated and don't bounce the seats or crawl under tables.
3) Perhaps one volunteer or teacher to remove the very disruptive children to a smaller grouping with more direct supervision so the majority can eat their lunch free of distraction.
4) A rule that no toys be brought to school unless approved by a classroom teacher. An adult should be monitoring kids entering the caferteria, and if they are carrying toys, they should be directed back to their locker or classroom to put them in their backpacks. Habitual offenders could have the toys held by the office to be returned only to a parent (like many middle schools do with cell phones).
5) If the issue is they do not have enough help, see if you can organize a parent volunteer schedule.

I don't think school workers or volunteers should be policing what kids eat, how much, and when. Too controling. I know my kid eats her treat first, so I just make sure it's really small and the rest of her lunch is full of healthy foods. No big deal to have this little bit of freedom.

First -- do go back repeatedly over several weeks and see if this is the daily norm for this cafeteria or if perhaps you caught it on a day when (a) the kids were wound up from something (an assembly? A fire drill? Bring your toy to school day?) or (b) the parents supervising were just particularly wimpy about stopping these shenanigans (maybe other days, other parent volunteers keep better order). Check it out more than once before taking action. But DO take actioin if this is the norm.

I would bet the lack of supervision is at least partly because the "supervisors" are, other than the principal, parent volunteers. Many parents will willingly tell someone else's kid to stop doing something, or will remove them from one place to another, or take away something out of that child's hands -- but many other parents are not willing to do those things because they fear beiing seen as "parenting someone else's child" or fear the kids will whine to mom and dad about how someone else's mom dared tell them to sit down or quiet down.

How are the volunteers organized? Is there a regular, formal roster of who has cafeteria duty and when, or is it all too casual? Are they trained in ANY way, even a talk by a more experienced parent who has done it? Or are they parents who just turn up -- maybe because their own kids are having issues with all the chaos in this lunchroom, so the volunteers really are there to make sure their own kids are not going hungry and getting stressed? (I would not blame them for that!)

If you continue to see a chaotic cafeteria, I would put in writing what you saw, exact date and time included and exact incidents too. Give it to the principal and ask for a meeting. Before that you might consider getting other concerned parents involved so it's not just "Oh, that one mom is so uptight about lunch...." I'm sure other parents might be willing to come with you to meet the principal.

This level of chaos, if it's daily, is very bad for learning, not just lunching. My friend's son has had serious issues in their lunchroom (second grade) and it has spilled over into the classroom -- the kids who are wildest in the lunchroom are wildest in the classroom, and after a wound-up lunch everyone returns to the classroom wound up and wild.

If the principal won't get involved or says (my friend's son's school said this) "We don't have money for paid supervisors for the lunchroom," get the PTA involved, see if you can organize a formal roster, and be CLEAR what the volunteer parents are there to do and how far they can go: Can they tell a child to sit down? To take hands off another child? To move to another seat in order to separate two kids who are too wild when together? It's sad to have to be that specific but you may have to be.

If your school needs more lunch tables find out if the PTA can find or raise funds for them, perhaps. But be sure first that the school will permit them -- you might hear "We don't have room" or "More tables would put us in violation of the fire code because we can only have X tables in that space." You may be amazed at the obstacles you could have tossed at you in an attempt to calm down this cafeteria. But if parents don't get involved now and show the administration they really mean business, by the time these kids are in higher grades it could be worse, as it has been at my friend's school.

That's upseting to me that she is such a good girl and doesn't get to eat her dessert....poor thing! I think I'm gonna ask my kindergartner if her luch room is this way...that would make me VERY upset! I wouldn't know what to do either, just wanted to let you know I feel for you and your sweety. Glad you asked this question!

No way! That is NOT been my experience with ANY kindergarten lunch table at any school I have ever been to or visited.

Unacceptable

From the very beginning they should walk into the lunch room, no talking. sit down and use "inside voices" and stay seated for the entire lunch.

They can raise their hands if they need assistance or ask to go to the potty.

They keep their hands to themselves and NO sharing food.

No toys at lunch time.

This is the behavior we have at home for meals and in public..

What you described is just crazy!!!!

Why would they think this was acceptable?

In a larger school if all of the kindergarten classes were in the cafeteria at the same time, there will be a low roar and that is expected..

How do they expect these children to act next year in 1st grade?

Heck I remember even when our child was in day care in the toddler room, they sat down and ate and spoke quietly. raised their hands to ask for "more please".

Meet with the teachers first and ask them if this was just a strange day, or if this was an example of a normal lunch.. Then work from there.

Cafeterias are crazy for sure, but yours sounds like it needs more supervision. I would talk with the principal and give them some possible solutions. They probably need to talk to each class and establish some rules.

I've heard many complaints from my daughter about the whole lunch fiasco. I usually pack a healthy snack, because I know she won't eat much lunch. I pack a luna bar in the morning - it has protein and fiber.

She's a bad eater anyway and with all the chaos at lunch...forget it! I always tell myself, it's only one meal, we make up for it when she eats dinner and she has a snack after school.

I work in an elementary school (I'm home with a sick little one right now), and that sounds like an accurate description of an elementary school cafeteria. I am the monitor for my school, and there are a few teachers that choose to eat in there with their class, and they help out as well. I spend the entire hour I am in there making sure the kids are sitting down and eating their lunch. for the most part, they eat the main lunch first, then dessert, but there are the few that go for dessert first. I am fortunate that we are a small enough school that I know most of our parents and usually telling the kids that I know mom wouldn't be happy with them eating dessert first will get them back to the main part of lunch.

I would have a talk with the principal about your concerns with your daughter not being able to finish her lunch and maybe separate the kids out to where there are less at each table (it worked wonders in our cafeteria!)

I would seriously look for a new school.. this lunchtime chaos and eating in coats is crazy.. I have heard good things abnout huron academy on 16 and dodge park..

take some time and look around at schools in your area to see if there is a better choice for your child.

Ok, not to make light of your question by any means, but that was the BEST (and funniest) description of lunch hour EVER! (especially the bouncing table)
on a side note, I have noticed that my son's school the lunch hours actually get better as the children get older - in K is was pretty crazy - now he is in 2nd grade and they understand the rules, recess is strategically placed an hour before lunch and the teachers use a color coding system before the kids have to go to silence.
I'd talk to the administration and see if there is anything that can be done or even if more parent volunteers monitoring would help?

wow really? My kid's school is almost like military school. Single file line, no talking, no moving around, if you need help opening something or have a spill you raise your hands, everything is done in an orderly fashion. I have gotten reprimanded several times for having lunch w/my son and getting all the kids riled up from all the joking around we do. One time I brought a book to read to my kid - quietly - during lunch and all the other kids ketp getting up to look at the pictures, so my book was taken way by the nice but stern cafeteria lady :(

Granted, it does get crazy too, and sometimes the din is so great, I stress out and leave early.

I had lunch with my Kindergartner once this year and it was pretty much as you describe, minus the toys. (The school is very strict about children about leaving toys at home) I figure that in K many of the kids lack the maturity to stay seated without the constant evil eye of an adult and this problem will get better as he gets older.
What bothered me more was the hot lunch menu: Cheeseburger, chips, italian ice, apple juice, and chocolate milk. There was no fruit or vegetable choice (oh, excuse me there was ketchup LOL!)

Wow. And they have people there to supervise that don't? I would definitely bring this up, especially if the principle is there in the first place. I volunteered at my kids' school when they wree in kindergarten. Yes, some can be more hyper than others but we always got them to sit down and eat their food. Supervisers were there to help the kids open their lunch, make sure they did not goof off too much, no one jumped around and if they did they were told to sit down. I can't believe no one stepped in to stop the little girl. And why would they let them take the animals to lunch.
And then your question about the coats and such at lunch...At my kids' school they would take their coats so they could go out but put them either between their legs or at a side spot so they did not get food on them and they were not near the tables on the floor. That lunchroom would drive me nuts.
Even now with my kids in middle school, there is supervision and detention if someone goofs off beyond a reasonable amount.

I am surprised that they let the kids get so wired. Can you talk to the principle about it? Maybe it can be brought up at the next PTA meeting (if they still have them). I grew up in the north (in NJ) and I know that wearing your coats inside will make you sweaty and then once you get outside you are colder because of the sweat drying (it gives you the chills). I also don't recall going out if it was that cold out, I think if it was freezing (32 degrees) we would stay inside.

My daughter is in kindergarten and they get a 25 minute lunch. Her class joins the first grade and the teachers make sure they eat. Mostly the kids are chatty, they are not allowed to bring toys to the table or to school unless they have show and tell. This is also a small private school so I am not sure if that makes a difference. As for playing outside the kids here go out all the time unless it is raining.

I checked my son's lunchbox every night...most times he notes that he didn't have time to eat more than a few bites at lunch because it is much like you describe... and this is with 4th graders who are older and more controlled in their actions. I try to keep in mind that he has an opportunity to have 3(!) breakfasts - home, before-school care, and once he gets into class, as well as having an afternoon snack in class and another one in after-school care before coming home for dinner. He is by no means starving, and yet says he needs food the second we walk out of child care.

The real problem I have (and many other mamas are sounding out too) is the food provided by the school. A pop tart and juice box is not a suitable breakfast for my child. A hot lunch of fatty chicken nuggets or pizza and some canned peas served on a styrofoam tray that gives off carcinogens when in contact with hot food is totally unacceptable. More pop tarts for an afternoon snack if the child does not have one brought from home (in my case, it's my son's leftover lunch). And then for those who are in the after-school extra-academic-help programs, repeat the hot lunch for dinner. Ugh! We are slowing killing our kids this way.