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Original poster

The constant feeding / snacking of children

416 replies

Lordofthebantams · 02/07/2026 16:17

At swimming lessons tonight I've sat next to two children chomping their way through a packet of crisps and a packet of chocolate biscuits at 4pm. ( No eating on the poolside but never mind that, the little darlings need some salty junk).

We had a day out with friends on Tuesday at a farm park and kids are being handed food every 5 minutes.

You go down the street and everywhere you look the toddlers in buggies have their little hands stuffed in packets of puffs or gripping a biscuit.

It's no wonder we have such chubby children everywhere.

OP posts:
Honeyhonayboo · 02/07/2026 16:32

Lordofthebantams · 02/07/2026 16:29

They do snack. At 10 am and 3 pm they have fruit. Occasionally something else but I feed them proper meals.

Also in our house, food is something that happens sitting down at a table. Unless you go for a picnic, you sit properly to eat.

Edited
Show quote history

So you feed your children a snack at 3pm but it’s world ending because someone else does it at 4pm?

I’m sure you are the only parent in the world to feed your own children proper meals.

ToffeeCrabApple · 02/07/2026 16:32

Yanbu. Eldest is 9 and a growing portion of kids in his class are really fat, being given crisps and ice creams and chocolate brioche at the school gate. The girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier because they are fat.

They come for dinner & i put a big dish of vegetables out & they wont eat any of them

backformoreofthesame · 02/07/2026 16:30

I guess one reason is that my taxes pay for the bad health that these parents are pushing their children towards

Regularly feeding children junk feels like abuse to me. You would be shocked if a child was given alcohol every evening? If a child was smacked ? But set a child up for a life of ill health is fine ?

outerspacepotato · 02/07/2026 16:30

Back in the Jurassic when dinos roamed the land, I got a piece of fruit for my snack. Apple, pear, banana, plum, a piece of fruit. That was it.

Sartre · 02/07/2026 16:29

TooOrangey · 02/07/2026 16:29

It’s ridiculous. My kids’ primary has an open air pool we could use throughout the summer holidays. I was often amazed at the sheer volume of crap some mums would bring for their children. Entire packets of biscuits, bags of crisps, fruit shoots, sweets. I never did any of that.

All hail saint @TooOrangey , we are most unworthy.

WhisperingHi · 02/07/2026 16:29

Lordofthebantams · 02/07/2026 16:21

Oh don't start me on that!!

We sat behind a family in a restaurant at the weekend and the boy around 7 or 8 asked for the chicken curry and was told he wouldn't like it! He then aid ok steak and was told he's never tried that either so should have nuggets.....

How sad.

Show quote history

You’re so judgemental!

Maybe they wanted him to choose the kids meal to keep the cost down, or maybe they’ve been there before where he chooses a new meal and doesn’t touch it.

Stop with the judgement, this is a societal problem.

Original poster
Lordofthebantams · 02/07/2026 16:29

Honeyhonayboo · 02/07/2026 16:28

Yawn.
How many threads do we need on the eating habits of children that don’t belong to the posters.

You are not more saintly because your own little darlings have never snacked.

They do snack. At 10 am and 3 pm they have fruit. Occasionally something else but I feed them proper meals.

Also in our house, food is something that happens sitting down at a table. Unless you go for a picnic, you sit properly to eat.

OP posts:
TooOrangey · 02/07/2026 16:29

It’s ridiculous. My kids’ primary has an open air pool we could use throughout the summer holidays. I was often amazed at the sheer volume of crap some mums would bring for their children. Entire packets of biscuits, bags of crisps, fruit shoots, sweets. I never did any of that.

VyeBrator · 02/07/2026 16:28

YANBU

In the 15 years I've been on Mumsnet there's been an insane amount of posts telling OPs to 'make sure their kids have plenty of snacks to keep them quiet and occupied'.

This is when they've asked how to keep a small child quiet during parents evening, a wedding, a long journey, siblings after school activities etc.

And considering the amount of adults who struggle not to boredom eat, you'd think they'd know better than to encourage their kids to do it.

Honeyhonayboo · 02/07/2026 16:28

Yawn.
How many threads do we need on the eating habits of children that don’t belong to the posters.

You are not more saintly because your own little darlings have never snacked.

Original poster
Lordofthebantams · 02/07/2026 16:27

ViaRia01 · 02/07/2026 16:26

I’m just wondering, OP, how old are your children?

2, 4, 5

OP posts:
Hotafternoon · 02/07/2026 16:27

When I used to take my dad shopping to Tesco, we'd get there about 9.15 am ish and outside the entrance there was usually two or three young women with buggies and very young kids, all eating doughnuts or sausage rolls. The women all smoking.

Did they not have breakfast or was this their usual breakfast, fat, sugar and additives or in the mums case, nicotine?

Poor kids 😕

ViaRia01 · 02/07/2026 16:26

I’m just wondering, OP, how old are your children?

ChinaKing · 02/07/2026 16:24

This completely winds me up. I’m with you OP. The snack culture in this country is doing everyone a huge disservice IMO.

Original poster
Lordofthebantams · 02/07/2026 16:21

ScrollingLeaves · 02/07/2026 16:20

It also can mean they do not have enough appetite for actual meals, and importantly, for trying new foods like vegetables and fruits because of feeling hungry enough to try.

Oh don't start me on that!!

We sat behind a family in a restaurant at the weekend and the boy around 7 or 8 asked for the chicken curry and was told he wouldn't like it! He then aid ok steak and was told he's never tried that either so should have nuggets.....

How sad.

OP posts:
ScrollingLeaves · 02/07/2026 16:20

It also can mean they do not have enough appetite for actual meals, and importantly, for trying new foods like vegetables and fruits because of feeling hungry enough to try.