Snack hounding driving me mad

[Relocatiorelocation]

We've come to a play village place this morning. Both dc are presently stood in different corners of the place sulking as I've said no to more snacks.

They drive me bloody mad.

Just a whiff of a cafe / shop / ice cream cart and they can completely ruin a day out. They both just stand there like starving Street dogs giving me eyes for snacks. They absolutely aren't hungry, they have adequate snacks and treats, but nothing is ever enough.

From a health, finance and not wanting Verucca Salt children I limit snacks and treats but they certainly don't go without.
I've cut outings short before as their keeping on has driven me mad. They don't have any additional needs or physical conditions or anything, they are just annoying sugar hounds.

Any tips?

I second the money for snacks idea as mentioned above, never too early to learn about money, ds was getting pocket money at 6.

I love a snack and have to confess to usually being the first one to suggest it. I can understand if money is an issue, but I honestly can't see why anyone would avoid snacks otherwise. As long as children are generally eating a healthy diet, a snack every so often isn't going to cause them any harm.

Has everyone missed the bit where the OP says they’ve already had a muffin from behind the counter? They want more on top of that.

These types of places charge so much for snacks. I always said no.

I'd just stop with the snacks completely so they break the connection between a day out (which is a treat in itself) and food.

If kids have eaten a meal and will be eating one later, parents don't need to carry food with them at all times.

Isn’t it one of those things that the more you restrict access to certain foods the more children fixate on them?

Fair enough if they’ve had a muffin already OP, but perhaps they need a bit more availability in between the healthy and practically forbidden to keep everyone happy.

Constant grazing isn't a good habit to get into. My 3 year old doesn't snack. He doesn't need to. He runs around all day and has plenty of energy without snacks.
You need to get everyone on board though. There's no point in you trying to bring in new snacking rules if their dad or grandparents are just going to be giving them ice cream and sweets every day as soon as your back is turned.

One of mine does this. Be careful with lots of snacking on fruit & raisins, dc needed a filing.

The op did buy a snack, a muffin.

The problem is OP that you're giving them snacks and what they want are treats! Snacks are just something small you have between meals - OP has plenty of them - but the kids want junk aka 'treats'.

At 3 and 6 they really don't need the sugary crap and I'm amazed at the number of people who can't go out (even to something as basic as soft play!) without having to buy their kids 'treats' every time.

I think I'd start being very clear beforehand that we won't be buying anything from the counter and if they start moaning we'll be leaving - then stick to it. I find if you never buy anything then they don't expect it - as soon as you start they expect it every single time! Best not to start up these sort of expectations IME - or put a complete stop to them as soon as it becomes an issue.

It's really annoying. But you just have to sit through it /go home if they're not using the play stuff. A pp suggested pre-warning there would be no snacks which might be an idea next time but either way a bit of sulking is something you can just bear the discomfort of. I hate the discomfort of the kids' displeasure too but you're not doing them any favours giving in to it.

We do the same here. I love a nice predictable timetable (and so do my kids).

And if we're out around lunchtime we take sandwiches etc and then buy a snack in the afternoon snack time, to save money on expensive cafe food.

Same. I couldn't afford to do it more than once in a blue moon so they never expected it. My parents would always buy them an ice cream and they'd whine about it until they got one when with them. think I'd just go cold turkey on it and stop buying food when you're out entirely. It's not a treat if you do it every time, just an expectation and a regular expense.

This does seem to be what half the posters on the dieting boards say but then the other half say they wish their parents hadn't allowed them to eat all the time because now they're in the habit of non-stop grazing.

I think the language you use matters. Using negative words in regards to food eg that's bad/unhealthy/grim is different to just saying, "you're not having a snack. You're getting lunch in an hour."

Exactly what I was thinking!!

Isn’t it one of those things that the more you restrict access to certain foods the more children fixate on them?

Fair enough if they’ve had a muffin already OP, but perhaps they need a bit more availability in between the healthy and practically forbidden to keep everyone happy
It doesn't sound like the OP has forbidden foods, just that she's not allowing her children to graze on sugary crap on demand.
It's hard being a parent who doesn't buy into endless grazing culture. As long as the language is neutral (eg this is what's on offer for snack and then there's nothing until lunch / you've had a cake in the cafe, so if you're still hungry you can have a piece of fruit) then it's not forbidding anything.

Make the times simple, easy to tell on the hands. Mine are a similar age and can manage fine.

" I left my purse at home"

Sorted!

We have 11 o clock and 3 o clock. They know where the hands need to be pointing for it to be that time. You need to wait for the little hand to reach number 11 etc.

I don't think six is too young to start learning about time and money.

Just use simple times so it's easy - say, 10am and 3pm. When the big hand is here and the little hand is here, you can have a snack.

And maybe offer more of a choice too - not just dried fruit all the time as it's not particularly filling.

We used to have rule that the outing was the treat, and that they weren't going to get treat food as well. If snacks were needed it would be something from my bag.
I was really consistent with this, being really skint when they were young, and they never expected to be bought treats while we were out. Even now ( all adults) they will buy a snack from a shop before going to a venue, rather than at the venue.
If they are never bought treats from a venue, they don't expect it. They don't feel hard done by, because it's not part of their lexicon. Just say no. Keep bottles of water and a few apples or whatever in your bag, they don't need to be constantly eating.

I have tried the "if you keep nagging we're going home" and my eldest is so bloody minded we've gone through with it, annoying when I've thrown £20 at a paid for outing.

Equally annoying is if we go to a time limited thing and they waste half of it nagging. Or if weve

Oops posted too early. Or if we've met up with friends and I can't even speak to the other mother due to nagging. My toddler will third himself to the floor screeching "huuuunnggrryyyy tummmmyyy, owwwww".

Even with just a picnic lunch they want to get in to it straight away when we get somewhere so they can see what the goodies are.

I think pp who suggested "I've forgotten my purse" had probably hit on the solution.

I would stop taking the places for a while they are runing rings round you . Also there is always just leaving I know ifs expensive but they are not playing and enjoying it so just 6eave after your second no.

I think your attitude is completely OTT OP.