'Why should she miss out?': Aussie mum's bizzare school lunch box demand

"You keep doing what you're doing, her situation is not your responsibility!"

An Aussie mum was left scratching her head after receiving an unusual request from another parent to stop including fresh berries in her daughter's school lunch box. 

Steph, a mum-of-four from Sydney, took to TikTok to share the story and ask for advice after the parent of her daughter’s friend asked her not to pack the fruits for her eight-year-old daughter. 

The request came because the other parent said she couldn't afford to give her own child berries and didn’t want her daughter to feel upset.

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Image: IStock

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"I get it... but why should my daughter miss out?"

"A part of me feels bad… they play together and she can't afford the strawberries and the blueberries, like I get it," she said in the clip, which has since gone viral. "But then why should my daughter miss out?"

"I don't want conflict, but, I don't know," she said, before asking her followers for tips on the awkward scenario. 

One viewer suggested this diplomatic solution: "Send extra and tell your kid it's for them and their friend." 

Another added that they would also "send extra blueberries and strawberries." 

However, Steph pointed out that this wouldn’t work, as the school has strict rules against food sharing. "Students can't share food at school," she commented, adding that her daughter "always offers and then gets in trouble."

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Others chimed in with more suggestions, such as buying groceries for the other parent or even providing them with seeds to grow their own berries.

"You buy the berries and take them over to her house so her mum can pack them into her girl's lunch box," one person recommended. 

But Steph replied sarcastically, "Yes, cause I'm going to drive over to her house (15 mins each way), drop her off shopping every week so her daughter can have the same as mine, despite me having my own four children to look after."

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"I won't be changing what I pack"

Steph later told Yahoo, "Initially I felt uncomfortable like I was doing something wrong, like I was the minority of mum sending these types of fruit.

"But then quickly realised I was just doing what my daughter liked for her fruit break. I won't be changing what I pack.

"Like always, it's her choice for fruit break, and I'll continue to pack what she likes."

"Keep doing what you're doing"

Many viewers backed Steph, saying this was an opportunity for the other parent to teach their child about managing expectations.

"As hard as it is, this isn't a you problem, you have every right to send berries for your daughter," one commenter said.

Another added: "You keep doing what you're doing, her situation is not your responsibility. Period."

Interestingly, another parent, who admitted to being in a similar situation to the cash-strapped mum, offered a different perspective. 

"Sometimes my son asks for them and I can't afford them.

"I just tell him 'not this time mate, they are too expensive,'" she commented. "It's not your issue, keep giving them to your daughter."

Originally published as 'Why should she miss out?': Aussie mum's bizzare school lunch box demand