I eat lunch with my kids all the time, not as much this year because they lunch at the same time on the opposite sides of the lunchroom and I don't want one to think I am spending more time with the other one! I have showed them the clock and explained how I would spend 1/2 my time with each.

Lunching with students is extremely encouraged. At $2 per plate why not? Our school sells more adult lunch trays than any in our district.

We also have one week that is devoted to grandparents. The head cook makes a schedule for each class room, it gets a little crowded in there and the ones who don't have a grandparent able to come just share a grandma or grandpa. My kids uncle has even come and eat with them.

I have heard that the other elementary in our district doesn't really encourage this, why I don't know besides the postive effect on the kids it generates more money for them.

I eat with my kids as much as possible. Since they are in different schools and they eat luch within 10 minutes of each other, I plan it out. Also, we have several parents who do eat at our schools. On a daily basis we will have one or two tables that have to be shared with other classes because their class table if full. We have a problem with ours though. We have the same parents there all the time and bring their friends and all of their kids who are not in school yet and they fill it up. I don't have a problem with the parents enjoying meals with their kids. I do have a problem about them being the one's who complain about everything at the school. These are also the ones who expect tons of food on their kids trays and they get free lunch.

A problem that I do have is that when I go to eat with my child, that is what I want to do. A lot of the kids will swarm around and talk to me and my child can't get a word in edgewise. It's always nice to say hello to the other kids and know who their friends are, but I want to spend a few minutes with my daughter. So this discourages me from eating a lot with her. Both of my kids will be attending a different school next year and both will be in the same school. This school will allow us to take our kids out for lunch so long as we get back in the allotted time.

I have five, two that are in school. I bring everyone and we have so much fun! The little ones are tickled to eat with their big sister and I have yet to hear anything from bad from the staff. They kids do know we are in school and they NEED to stay by Mom but the only real issue I have encountered is a teenage gal that likes to take the baby to her class after lunch. YES very scary to turn around and not see the baby, just an empty stroller! Niped it in the bud, thanks to an excellent Dean that handled the situation calmly but very firm. me on the other hand......Anyway I love eating with the kids, even breakfast! I think of it as time well spent (when the baby doesn't disappear!)

I've eaten lunch with all of my children, but after thinking about it, not when they were in OK, but yes in Houston and here. Why? Logistics, I guess. I had a toddler who would have been disruptive in OK, but then was in MDO in Houston. I quit going in Houston when my baby got too active to sit in the stroller during lunch. The school in Houston highly discourage younger siblings in the school with the parent, so that could be a factor for some. My oldest daughter would sooner die than for me to eat lunch at school with her this year. Doesn't matter that everyone knows me. Sooooo...depends on the situation, the child, the school, etc.

Our K-5 school encourages parents to have lunch with their kids. I have had lunch in the cafeteria many times. I assumed this was typical with most schools, but today my wife had lunch with my eldest daughter and her new teacher was surprised. This teacher just started here recently after my daughter's old teacher moved out of town. She said she has taught school in New York (catholic school, I believe) and in all that time has never had a parent come to school for lunch.

My question is this? How common is it for parents to eat lunch with their kids at school? Who has done this?