Thinking about those school visits

My son has been really enjoying his holiday time off - we took a trip, he has had family visit and we are about to visit more family in the days to come. He's had nothing but fun and time with the people he loves.

I reminded him last night that he will need to go back to school eventually, so if there is anything special he wanted to do before then, I wanted to know. He made a face at the idea of returning to school and said he sometimes missed me during the school day.

He and I have had this conversation before and it ends with him admitting that he doesn't really want me at school with him. 

Over the past few years, my son has brought up that there are a few parents who are "always at his school." Sometimes they are room parents that take that job way too seriously; sometimes they are just parents who are checking in on their child. My son and I have talked about those parents and he came to the conclusion that school is for kids and that he should be allowed to have his own experiences there without me.

I've also noticed that the school's lunch policy has changed to reflect that thinking. When he first started elementary school, the policy was that parents could have lunch with their child and even invite a friend to sit at a special table together. Then, the invitation of a friend was removed from the policy. Now, the parent visiting table has been removed from the cafeteria and there is a separate room for it.

With the increased security measures in our schools, I understand all these changes. And, while I have enjoyed surprising my son at school with lunch once a quarter, I know that it can be a nightmare for most schools to deal with all us parents dropping in.  

I wouldn't be surprised if my son's school policy changes again before he transitions to middle school. I definitely will support them in whatever decision they make, even if that means parents are banned altogether. 

Does your child's school allow parent visits at lunch? Let me know if the comments.