Page 8 | Has afternoon tea food for a child changed significantly?

DeepBalonz · 2024-11-13T17:10:50+00:00

I’ve just moved back to the UK. DS (4) has a play date with the neighbour’s son. As a 90s kid I was given fish fingers and beans, dinosaurs and peas etc as tea at friends’ houses. Is that kind of food still the done thing or has it all gone a bit posh along with most other things? Too early for dinner but still a decent time since lunch so fruit and peanut butter probably won’t be enough.

BarbaraHoward · 13/11/2024 17:49

Ours get a similar meal at about 4 at nursery/after school club. They don't usually eat their dinner at home after that, so I wouldn't give that much if the family have dinner plans. A sandwich if they're starving, crackers, yoghurt, fruit etc would be our go to.

PercyPigInAWig · 13/11/2024 17:48

Gymmum82 · 13/11/2024 17:42

If this is between lunch and dinner then fish fingers chips and beans is too much. That would be my children’s dinner served at around 5pm.
Inbetween 12pm lunch and 5pm dinner there might be a snack around 3pm of fruit, yoghurt, breadsticks, cucumber or peppers etc. But definitely not a full meal

Me and DC would happily eat that and then dinner later (not overweight, just big appetites).

Chan9eusername · 13/11/2024 17:48

Gosh that's the world's longest playdate. Usually a couple of hours max.

Is the nursery lunch a proper meal at 11.30? Its very early. Id give your meal at 2 and call it lunch. "Tea" in the uk often means the main evening meal for children, served around 5pm. It means scones/cakes & tea at 4ish if you are posh adults who won't eat supper until 8.

Original poster

DeepBalonz · 13/11/2024 17:47

Floofypuppy · 13/11/2024 17:44

Crumpet and cheese, small sandwich, bagel thin.

kids - even boys gasp - don’t need 3 full meals after breakfast

How is what you suggested any less food than 2 fish fingers and 3/4 tablespoons of beans.

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mitogoshigg · 13/11/2024 17:47

You either feed dinner (5.30 pm ish) or just a light snack straight after school eg fruit m, a biscuit, no more - parents won't thank you for half a dinner

PercyPigInAWig · 13/11/2024 17:47

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 13/11/2024 17:22

Cheese and tomato pizza with cut up cucumber, red pepper and carrot sticks was a win for everyone even the fussiest eaters we knew.

If they’ll eat those they’re not fussy eaters!

Not fussy eaters in our house but in extended family it’s wild (wondering about possible ARFID).

I would ask the parents although would not be peeved about dinner being spoilt as a PP has said, as long as DC has eaten something and it’s not sugary rubbish I’d be happy enough.

Original poster

DeepBalonz · 13/11/2024 17:46

Floofypuppy · 13/11/2024 17:45

Just clocked they are only 4 too! Please don’t feed your kids this much on a regular basis….

The hysteria. I’m taking a couple of fish fingers and a few tablespoons of baled beans.

My child is rake thin.

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Floofypuppy · 13/11/2024 17:45

Just clocked they are only 4 too! Please don’t feed your kids this much on a regular basis….

EvilMama · 13/11/2024 17:44

Fruit or veg sticks and a slice of cake or a biscuit here. I'd also be annoyed if someone fed my DC a meal in the middle of the afternoon. Give a hot chocolate or a fruit tea if you want to give them something warm.

Floofypuppy · 13/11/2024 17:44

Crumpet and cheese, small sandwich, bagel thin.

kids - even boys gasp - don’t need 3 full meals after breakfast

Original poster

DeepBalonz · 13/11/2024 17:43

Gymmum82 · 13/11/2024 17:42

If this is between lunch and dinner then fish fingers chips and beans is too much. That would be my children’s dinner served at around 5pm.
Inbetween 12pm lunch and 5pm dinner there might be a snack around 3pm of fruit, yoghurt, breadsticks, cucumber or peppers etc. But definitely not a full meal

I guess my child is greedy because what I am suggesting would not put him off his dinner.

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saraclara · 13/11/2024 17:43

Jeeze, if my kids had that kind of meal in the afternoon, they'd not want their evening family meal. I wouldn't be too thrilled if a friend parent fed them a hot meal in the afternoon!

An afternoon snack would be fruit, biscuits, or something like a toasted teacake.

Gymmum82 · 13/11/2024 17:42

If this is between lunch and dinner then fish fingers chips and beans is too much. That would be my children’s dinner served at around 5pm.
Inbetween 12pm lunch and 5pm dinner there might be a snack around 3pm of fruit, yoghurt, breadsticks, cucumber or peppers etc. But definitely not a full meal

Original poster

DeepBalonz · 13/11/2024 17:40

The boys will have their lunch at nursery at 11:30. I’m picking them up pretty much straight after. Play date ends at 6. I’ve asked neighbour if I should give her son dinner but she politely declined as I believe they have plans with grandparents.

I thought it was best to give the boys who will be running around something slightly more substantial than fruit and cheese. We live in a colder part of the UK so my preference is something warm.

I was thinking 2/3 fishfingers and a few table spoons of beans at 3pm ish. Nothing massive.

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Mumtobabyhavoc · 13/11/2024 17:40

I did a plate with naan, hummus, spinach dip, cheese, grapes and added a small cup of miso soup yesterday around 4pm. 🤷‍♀️

FlingThatCarrot · 13/11/2024 17:39

That wouldn't be acceptable around here. Frozen food type stuff is pretty looked down on. My kids wouldn't eat nuggets or fish fingers but would eat chicken thighs/ an actual piece of fish.

Something like cheese and crackers or pitta and houmous with veggie sticks or crumpets or savory muffin with fruit would be more common.

5foot5 · 13/11/2024 17:39

DeepBalonz · 13/11/2024 17:18

It won’t be the evening meal. The boys go to a half day nursery. This will just be something to hold them over until dinner.

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So what will they have had for lunch and what sort of food will you be serving for evening meal and when? This sounds like a substantial amount for a put you on if the main meal is still to come.

Afternoon tea implies sandwich and cake to me

Disasterclass · 13/11/2024 17:38

I would give a snack plate in this scenario- cheese, crackers, fruit veg sticks etc

Floofypuppy · 13/11/2024 17:36

No wonder 25% of kids are obese if they’re getting lunch, then fish finger and chips for snack to tide them over until a proper dinner an hour or two later. Have you been living in the US?! 🇺🇸

HanSB · 13/11/2024 17:34

Definitely ask the parents, they might not want you to give much if child is having dinner at home afterwards. Also this way you will find out what the child will actually eat. I had a child last week who has recently turned veggie, would have been nice to have had a heads up from their parent!

AnneLovesGilbert · 13/11/2024 17:34

Round here it would be crackers and cheese and salads sticks or fruit at that time.

DilemmaDelilah · 13/11/2024 17:32

So just an afternoon snack rather than a meal? I wouldn't worry about a meal as such. Some fruit, (bananas are good and filling) some cubes of cheese, maybe a jam sandwich. Little bits they can pick from would be good. If you happen to have some leftover pizza or sausages they could be one of the options.

You should definitely try to find out likes and dislikes - and more importantly allergies or things they are not allowed to eat for whatever reason - beforehand though.

Floofypuppy · 13/11/2024 17:32

Hang on, are you suggesting a ‘tea’ of fish fingers, chips and peas and THEN serving a dinner later on?

PeloMom · 13/11/2024 17:32

I’d ask the parents

Anywherebuthere · 13/11/2024 17:31

Nothing wrong with that all. Always best to keep it simple for that age group in case they are fussy eaters and dont want anything that's more time consuming to make.