Child never given a snack

[PhilomenaButterfly]

DS2 goes to basketball club after school. The letter for clubs clearly states that children should bring a healthy snack to eat beforehand. DS2 has heard this boy ask his mum for a snack and she says he doesn't need one. Twice now he's been crying because he was hungry and DS2 has given him half his snack. I don't want to give DS2 extra because I can't afford to feed an extra child every week.

Should I mention it to the mum or the school?

sleeping I agree. Daniel Pelka was scavenging for food and begging. This child is crying and begging food off OP’s child. My conscience would not let me ignore that. It might be nothing but I would rather flag it up to be safe.

Gileswithachainsaw"I'm not saying this kiid is abused. But the whole general attitude on posts like this and many others. When people see stuff, should I report it? No, not your business. There was one last night regarding use of cocaine and the kids being hit. There was still a level of well you don't know what's going on for the mum, it might not actually be abuse, you shouldn't interfere!!
I remember in my first place hearing screaming and plate throwing etc next door, knowing they had kids. I'm sure if I'd have come on MN plenty of people would have told me to ignore it, not interfere and just turn the telly uo

Theres seeing stuff which van be concerning

And there's reporting a child who they know has eaten, just because everyone else feeds their kids every five mins and massive portions and thinks someone's being neglectful for not following suit.

The op has not reported he's skinny. Or that the dd is skinny or that she has anything more than he's crying because he's left out.

Maybe the letter meant if they are bringing a snack it had to be healthy.

@PhilomenaButterfly ah I see, the meals at my DC's school are small too and they come home hungry.

Lots of people are saying he can't be hungry and he doesn't need to snack. No one knows what he eats apart from a school lunch, which is small. He might not get given breakfast or an evening meal. If the child is crying hungry, then he's hungry. It could be something, it could be nothing. But I think it right to make the school aware if a child is crying in hunger begging for food.

DS2 will share his snack whether I give him extra or not, he does burn off a lot of calories, so I'd sooner give him extra to make sure he had enough. The boy doesn't have any allergies, we know the family, he is Muslim, but DS2 isn't taking any Haram food, unlike last year when he offered another Muslim friend a pig in a blanket! We had a long talk after that! 😂

Plus it is the school who has provided the last meal if a child say eats sufficient at 12.30 they shouldn't NEED another snack at 3.15. If the school portions are insufficient then maybe that is where the initial enquiries should be directed. Obviously if the child is really skinny then that is more concerning.

Coco the letter states that Children should bring a healthy snack, eg fruit or vegetable sticks. Water is available throughout the school.

The same letter is sent out every term.

To the pp who asked if the club has been running since the beginning of the year, not quite the beginning, from a couple of weeks in.

Why are people saying the OP shouldn't go against the other parents wishes? She isn't - her young son - who sounds lovely by the way - is sharing his snack with a friend who is crying because he says he is hungry.
If he's like this with food maybe his parents SHOULD provide a snack because their child is scrounging food off other kids!

From what DS2 said, the boy doesn't ask, he says he's hungry and stays sitting down, then starts crying.

I know that if my son's been at school all day, had 3 playtimes and PE already, he'll immediately ask for food. Not to mention running to school in the morning (he doesn't walk anywhere given the choice, everything's at top speed). PE day is also basketball club day.

But pe , is a short lesson most of which is spent getting changed in and out of pe kit and then trying keep going kids engaged long enough to do something the odd after school club and pe lesson and walk/jog to school was anywhere near enough actual exercise then these obese children wouldn't exist.

All this food cos they had to walk for 5 mins and didn't get dropped door to door in the car is unnecessary

Dd never has snacks, she’s just never wanted them when offered, so I stopped offering.

She eats three good sized meals a day and will sometimes have fruit afterwards.

Ds on the other hand does eat snacks.

Never really thought about it before but it may look odd when I offer ds snacks but not dd.

Giles PE is from after morning learning, so 9.30, until morning playtime at 11.

And they have a 20 minute walk (or in DS2's case, run) to school. A bread roll and a few carrot sticks is hardly "all this food".

DS2 does seem to burn off calories very quickly, possibly because he doesn't stop until he gets home, then he's exhausted.

Sounds like my DC Legouni.

So he has fruit presumably and lunch on between.

20 mins is a pretty short walk.

And a bread roll and carrot sticks is basically a second lunch.

Remember this is second hand information from an 8 year old so mother's 'refusal' to give a snack might not be as stark as interpreted. Also op, if only a fruit or veg snack are allowed how come your ds gets a bread roll? Maybe the friend brings a carrot but is crying because he wants a roll and mum says no!

Only healthy snacks are allowed Wednesday. They give examples of fruit and veg sticks. No crisps, chocolate or fizzy drinks basically. I suspect nothing processed either.

The friend brings nothing.

Snacking isn’t making our kids obese. It’s the lack of exercise.

My dcs are always hungry after school and they eat their packed lunches. I took my dcs off school dinners because they weren’t enough.

I snack. As do my dcs. They can regulate their appetites incredibly well and we aren’t a fat family (I’m a size 10!)

I think parents who overly control their kids eating eg not allowing them to snack between meals so that they’re massively hungry for a meal (and then risk gorging) are ridiculous.

To be honest, I wouldn't expect my DCs to need a snack if I was collecting them at 4! Unless preschoolers, a child should be able to go 3.5-4 hours without eating after lunch.
If the club finished at 5-6, then I'd say fair enough.
I can't really understand why the school encourages it either for a 45min club - why would they want to waste 5 minutes of it eating? No wonder we have a childhood obesity issue.

How often does this happen? You said your DS gave him food twice. Were those the only two times he cried in a couple of months or the only times your DS shared?

That I don't know Rebel. He's in bed now, so I can't ask him.

I'm just stunned at "you don't need a snack." My DC know when they're hungry. If it was close to a mealtime I'd say "you're hungry because it's nearly lunchtime. I'm making it now." I'd never tell them that they weren't hungry.

I don't understand the obsession with food and children in general but even less so here.
If my child wanted to share his snack with someone who doesn't have one, it would be up to them.
The kid eats lunch and will presumably eat dinner.
It is so easy to see why we have so many overweight children. Such hand wringing over what really is a non issue.

But what's wrong with being a bit hungry.

Means you will eat your dinner when it's given to you.

And just because your kid cab eat a secind lunch and still polish off dinner doesn't mean everyone else's does.

If you have my kids a roll and carrot sticks after school they wouldn't eat their dinner. Certainly not when it was served.

Why is it better they are fed snacks then end up going to bed late cos you had to wait for them to be able to eat dinner . Than to be a bit hungry and have dinner when they get home.

DS2 eats his snack and his dinner. DD never eats snacks. If I'm hungry and need to wait 2 hours for something to eat, I start feeling sick.

You dont even know if he is hungry though.

Morning break with snack at half 11?

Then lunch at what ? Half 12 ish? Why on earth would he be so hungry at 3.00 -3.15 he's crying

How do you know he's not given a snack when he gets home or dinner when he gets in?

You are making sone weird assumptions that he's ravenous and not fed for hours