Daycare Lunches

Tales from the Monkey-Brained Boy part whatever...
The boy has been, mostly, behaving pretty well.  Apparently this was to lull me into a false sense of security so I would let down my guard.  Today he struck.  I have him in daycare, and my choices are to either send a lunch or give them money to buy a lunch for him.  We shopped and I let him pick out his lunches, he chose a specific selection of Lunchables, some fruit punches, ext.  I bought him a little insulated cooler with some refreezable cold packs to carry his lunch in and keep the food poisoning to a minimum.  Well, he was a bit excited the first day, because the center served pizza, but I explained it wasn't free, and he seemed fine with it.  But at some point, he decided one of the lunches he picked out wasn't to his liking.  He is funny about food, and will often through a fit over a particular food, declaring it his favor food ever, only to later reveal he doesn't like it and had never tried it before.  His truthfulness, or total lack thereof has been a major issue, and it recently came to the front.  The wonderful, sweet, kindhearted friend who picks him up when I work late, keeps him for me when I have to be out of town, and to whom I owe way to many favors to ever possibly pay back has even had trouble with him lying.  Up until recently he was on his super best behavior, but apparently he feels comfortable enough there he is starting to be himself.  After lying to her husband the previous day, he was given a talking to by her.  Then I confronted him about it this morning again and tried to explain why it was important to be truthful.  I have also refused to buy him anything new until he eats whatever food he had me buy him special.  I hope to stop the falsehoods and teach him to be truthful.  If I decide to try something new, I eat it whether I like it or not, perhaps this is a bit much to expect of a nine-year old, but I was not allowed to waste food as a child, so I don't think I should allow one to waste food either, especially if he lies to get the food.  It seems there should be multiple lessons in there, at least in theory.    Friday was swim day, so I was planning to give the daycare money to buy him lunch at the pool.  So I packed his last lunch, the one he had decided he didn't want.   I signed him into daycare.  When my friend picked him up, she was informed I owed the daycare $4.50 because I hadn't packed him a lunch and he ate 3 pieces of pizza.  Apparently he gave his lunch to another boy and told everyone I hadn't packed him a lunch.  Were there not a rule in place that says no physical punishment, and were I not the sort of person who believes in following rules and who's career is built around trying to insure people who don't want to follow the rules are following them, the boy would not be able to use the lower rear part of his anatomy to rest on for a month.  I haven't yet decided on the full extent of his punishment, but there will be consequences.  First he took a bath, ate supper and went straight to bed, this was mostly because my hand was twitching and my eye kept finding paddle-shaped objects.  I think I shall make sure daycare workers become much better acquainted with the boy and with me.  Next, I will see if he can be allowed to not participate in swimming and in the skating field trip next week.  If his being in daycare means he has to participate, then I'll have to come up with a daycare substitute for next Wednesday, he's been looking so forward to that field trip to the skating rink.