Our children deserve sociable lunch – not silent meals – at school

My five-year-old’s school forced kids to eat a 15-minute lunch in silence. At what cost to their mental and emotional health?

• Parents in the US: are you happy with your child’s school lunch?

When my son started kindergarten, I wondered how he would adjust to a seven-hour school day without an afternoon nap and how quickly he would make new friends. I never imagined lunch would be the worst part of his day.

I was horrified to learn that his A-rated public school in one of North Carolina’s best school systems forced my five-year-old and his schoolmates to endure 15-minute silent lunches. Talking in a whisper would lead to a swift reprimand by the lunch monitor. He could even lose precious play time for excessive talking.