Lunchtime and break times

It is sometimes harder for some children at unstructured times, such as break and lunch times, especially in secondary school where your child may have to make decisions about who to talk to, what food to choose etc.

If your child is anxious you may want to talk to him or her about this time and give some strategies

Queuing for meals in a canteen – try watching  the person in front and see what they are doing e.g. taking a tray, pouring a drink, ordering the food.

Deciding what to eat and drink – see if you can get a set of menus from the school and talk through the choices and costs with your child so he or she is prepared

Give your child some change or the correct money if it is a cash till to pay

Where to sit – sitting next to the wrong person may cause difficulties. Talk with your child about choosing a seat close to people he or she knows and getting into a conversation when someone talks to them. If they say “the seat is taken”, say “sorry” and move to another seat at a different table.

Encourage your child to wait until someone else starts to talk to you – listen to the question and follow on the conversation from this topic area.

Check out what happens at the end of lunchtime, whether trays and plates are put on a rack or if plates are left on the table.