Grandson hiding food.

Is he having a problem with other children, about his looks/weight etc? I think I would speak to him gently so that he knows he can confide in you and trust you. Then you might get to the bottom of the problem.

I hated sandwiches as a child and every day without fail, I'd chuck mine away until I was about 13/14. Horribly wasteful and I don't know what I was thinking, I must have been very hungry as my mother would only pack a snack, some fruit and cheese along with the sandwich. I just didn't like eating them so in the bin they went!

Talk to him first and find out what is behind the behaviour. Is he getting 'lunch' from someone else?

I’d ignore a one off incident, not a regular occurrence. Hiding food is different to simply not being hungry. One of ours often comes out of school with little lunch eaten but is soon eating it on the way home saying ‘I’m starving’. Too busy talking to eat at lunch time. The hiding of the food concerns me as does a lack of hunger. I’d be having a gentle chat and be guided by what your grandson says. If it’s just this one week don’t worry too much, just be interested.

I absolutely agree with not telling Dad, your dgs will never trust you again if you do.

Just as others have said, sit with him quietly and explain that you found his lunch in the bin and was he feeling sick that day or just too busy to eat?

Telling Dad makes the problem worse - asking grandson might make it better.

Don't tell dad, just have a kind word with him about the sandwiches going in the bin and ask him to explain.
It may be something as simple as not liking the sandwich or he may be filling up on afters or sweets.
Give him a cuddle and let him know you don't think he did anything wrong or that you are cross.
He needs to know that he can tell his gran anything and you will listen.

My GSs both 11 (cousins) don’t like sandwiches for their school lunches. Both of them would bring their lunch home if they didn’t want to eat it.

That’s true Deedaa
One of my grandchildren never has time to finish her lunch, admittedly she is a slow eater, but they seem to have very little time

There has been a lot of publicity lately about lunch breaks being so short that slow eaters don't get time to finish their sandwiches.

A friend of mine caught her 9 year old daughter throwing away her lunch because someone had called her ‘ Fatty’.
I’d be inclined to say casually that you noticed he’d thrown away his lunch, and ask him why.

And it could be the beginning of an eating disorder. I dont want to alarm OP, but EDs are not exclusive to girls, and can appear as early as seven or eight. It is important to find out why the little lad is not eating his lunch and if the problem is also evident at other mealtimes.

GREENFINCH they're constantly being told about food waste ,he likely thinks he'll be in trouble for throwing it out.My GD eats like a horse ,she just doesn't like eating away from her friends

The problem is not so much not eating as why he feels the need to be secretive about disposing of it. Is he on any medication ? The tablets my grandson was given for ADHD suppressed his appetite and his whole lunch would come back home. I would ask him why he is not eating if I were you and tell him it doesn't matter.

I agree, the parents need to know if it happens more than once, but tread carefully.

All of the above ideas are probably true, but I am going to disagree with how previous posters would deal with this issue. I think that mum or dad need to know right away. They can watch out for any other food related issues at home, just in case there is more to this than others have suggested. If they feel that there is any eating problem, it should be dealt with as soon as possible. If your talk to your grandson first, and if he is hiding food, he will get clever about how he hides it and any issue will be masked. That said, it is most likely a desire to get out to play that is resulting in lunch not being eaten. Is your grandson hungry during his time with you? I would be famished if I had passed on lunch.

my almost 10 year old does this ,she says its because all her friends sit at the school lunch end of the room and she's stuck on her own at the packed lunch side.When she spends schoolnights with us she gets lunch money ...problem solved

My 14 yr old GD often turns up with her sandwich/wrap uneaten she says she’s just not hungry but does eat her fruit and cheese. I wouldn’t worry too much as long as hes eating breakfast and an evening meal.
Years ago one of my GS lived on just bowls of cereal that’s all he would eat and now he’s 6’2 and a strapping man.

one of mine did this but used to throw the offending sandwich out for the birds!
He said he wanted to sit with his friends who had dinners and had spent his pocket money on chips
Apparently it was embarrassing to take a nutritious packed lunch. However he was at secondary school, so about 13 at the time.
Peer pressure.

The filling is cheese and ham, the only thing he likes. He didn't eat the fruit or yogurt either. I will speak to him next time.

It's unusual for the lunch staff to not realise that a child is not eating his lunch. By not tackling this issue though and pretending you do not know what your grandson is doing ,you are encouraging him to think problems can be just swept away without being solved. Why didn't you tell his parent straight away? Is there a chance there could be peanut butter in the sandwiches and that is not allowed in schools?

To love0c- school will not allow a child to eat their lunch in the playground, surely you know that.

It could be that he is more interested in playing football or something at lunchtime. He may simply not be very hungry at lunch time (my son was never worried about eating lunch - still often doesn't), what else is in his lunchbox and does he eat that?

The only way to find out is to gently ask him.

I agree, he possibly doesn’t like the sandwich filling!

Or maybe he’s finding something far more exiting to rush off and do, you won’t know till you ask him!

Oh bless him. Little people’s worries are big to them. Something has upset him. Ask him gently, tell him you love him and ask him to share his worry.

Could you look to see what's inside the sandwiches and either avoid the filling yourself or make sandwiches with the same filling, that way you'll find out what the problem is ?

I wouldn't 'tell his dad' unless you've spoken with your grandson. Maybe he doesn't like the sandwiches he's given. Maybe he's avoiding the section of the hall where the 'sandwich children' sit. Be curious not critical best of luck