Reception child came home ravenous!

[missy111]

My LB came home yesterday, and pretty much tried to eat a full days worth of food in 4 hours! He said they only got given cherry tomato at playtime (we were told not to send snack, but he doesn't eat tomato) and a 'small' portion at lunch (he said a lot less than nursery gave him).
Is this normal? He's asking for packed lunches, which I'd rather not do, given the lunch is free..but will if necessary! I'm sending him in today with an apple and banana for playtime, and will see how lunch goes. Also going to ask for a menu, so can see what the lunches are going to be..

It’s been a while, but I always had to take something for DS to eat when he came out of school. Malt loaf was a favourite, also those dried banana chips covered in yoghurt, but it was usually a marmite sandwich or something.

Perfectly normal!

Coming from school 'starving' is normal.

Mine (even at age 5ish) can eat a couple of crumpets, cheese, banana, a few biscuits and an ice cream.
(Or similar, but basically the same amount of food as a weekend lunch)
And then eat a full evening meal
(And some supper)

Dd is 14, skinny as a rake and picks at bits all day then picks at evening meal. Even she is starving after school and asks for her dinner with ds (4) rather than wait for me and dh to eat.

Ds has had his first day today. He is very Hangry when he is hungry so took a cereal bar with me to pick him up and he didn't even want it until we got home. Was pretty surprised as after nursery he was always ravenous and grumpy until I got food in him.

School is hard, hungry work.

@missy111 will he eat any cereals that are high in fibre that might help keep him going?
If he will eat cereal dry then that can also be a good snack.

Infants at my kids school got their lunch at 11.45
So by 3.30 my three were ravenous
There is a strong chance they are not eating all their lunch. Have a word with the teacher.

Mixed. A lot of the Reception children I see are already overweight, and some quite fat, meaning many have already been raised to eater bigger portions than they truly need in the first place. So now they'll want more... it's sad.

My little boy is in year 1 now but he was the same in reception. I ended up sending packed lunches as the school lunches weren't filling him. I really didn't want to because the school lunches are free but it has made a lot of difference. He's no longer as moody when he comes out of school for a start! Haha. I like that I can see what he's eaten as well.

A lot of the Reception children I see are already overweight, and some quite fat, meaning many have already been raised to eater bigger portions than they truly need in the first place. So now they'll want more... it's sad

DD1 is 9th centile for weight (25th for height) and still comes home absolutely ravenous.

@IHaveBrilloHair he will eat happily after he has been up a couple of hours, just not immediately! He has been at nursery for 3 years, and ate happily there, as they gave him breakfast when he asked for it.

He is not over weight 98% height, 75 weight) and very active (can walk 10miles in a day with me), therefore burns a lot of calories..

As I said, we are just trying to work out what is normal, given the change in routine. I shall give dinners until the end of next week and see how it goes.

We have literally tried everything for breakfast, and the issue is that his hunger doesn't kick in as soon as he wakes, so any food receives the same response!

We switched to packed lunches after ds told many a tale of getting hardly any food when he was on hot dinners.

Better/cheaper than having to come along with snacks after school....

In winter I give them a flask with warm pasta etc.

I’ll add mine are slim! My dd in particular is borderline underweight. She doesn’t each much when not at school.

Missy, that's the point I'm making.
It's a new routine, he may have to get I to a new way of eating.
It wasn't meant as a criticism at all.

Neither me or Dd like to eat first thing bit she's had to get used to it.

I gave up on school lunches as the portions were so small, I send in a packed lunch. Ds1 is impossible to fill, he’s like a dustbin. He’s 9 and 145cm tall with size 4 feet, he towers over some of his class mates.

You need to have a snack ready for pick-up time, OP:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3356597-Why-do-parents-do-this-at-pick-up?pg=1&order=

My daughter is that age and height, but with size 5 feet, ginger.

My kids were only ever hungry if they didn't eat the lunch but the caterer will vary from county to county so it's hard to know how the portion sizes compare.

I love the suggestion to ask the School for apple slices or grapes.

My 2 were "starving" in reception and yr 1, and then they got used to it. Now, (8&10), they eat a small breakfast, a normal size lunch, followed by a huge dinner and then a supper just before bed when they declare they can't possibly go to bed as they need more food.... it's like they are catching up on the missing calories of the school day.

Mine got home today (just statues reception) and ate a bowl of grapes and strawberries, 3 crackers with cheese, roast chicken, mash, brocolli, carrots and gravy, a bowl of Greek yoghurt with strawberries and honey, 2 satsumas and 2 more crackers with cheese!

*started

Whoop!! He's eating breakfast (ok so we had to get up at 6, so he's had time to come round before eating)..weetabix (chocolate chip but I don't care!) with warm milk..

Mine both got starving on starting school. With DS I moved to a big breakfast but remember one day he ate 2 slices of beans on toast and chocolate cake and ice cream for breakfast 😱 Still meant I didn't need to worry about him not eating at school.