Snacks at school pick-up?

[MyCatSnoresTooLoudly]

Do people at your school do this? DC2 is in reception and it seems most parents bring a snack for them to eat the minute they leave the classroom, often sugary. No judgement, whatever makes your day easier - but it means DC2 whines and moans for one as well.

We’re only ten minutes walk from school and he has something as soon as he gets back, I’m not anti-snacks per se, but I’m getting a bit irritated with having to constantly say no and feel like the bad guy because I don’t turn up with chocolate biscuits to be eaten standing outside the classroom door!

Is this a thing? Am I being mean not bringing something?

Yep, mine used to crash as soon as he got out in reception. I used to give him a chunk of pepper and he was happy

See, that is what I thought, but he is persistent! I will take one if I know we’ll be hanging around, like when DC1 has been in a trip and will be back 15 mins later than usual, but generally not. And then he starts inching up to his friends on the scrounge, which is embarrassing!

I am absolutely not judging anyone who does this, some kids will be going on to activities, etc, other kids may have additional needs or be very emotional when they come out and it’s whatever works for everyone. I have a feeling fruit will be rejected and then it’s the standing around eating as well….

Always a snack at pick-up, since reception – she’s Y1 now and still floppy with hunger at that time.

Generally fruit or cheesy oatcakes or something. Except Fridays when it’s fun-size chocolate 🥳 She’s generous though and will break a piece off and offer it to your DC though, don’t worry.

I don’t expect other people to align their parenting with mine! Bit of a reach. I totally understand that everyone has a different situation and way of doing things. I am just finding it a bit frustrating, that’s all. And wondering if I’m mean to keep DC2 waiting until he’s home for his bag of Cheddars and fruit!

The snack that the reception and year one children are given given by the school in the afternoon is fruit- I'm glad they're getting the vitamins and natural food, but it does spike their blood sugar and is generally low calorie, so for kids who are running around all day isn't going to keep them going until 4/5 pm.

I always send mine with a snack for in-between school and sports club, and if no sports club, they'll have a snack as soon as they finish school. Some days I can see their hands physically shaking from low blood sugar.

You are a bit, if you know he's hungry and you can just give them to him at school.

That sounds amazing. I wish my kids would eat half the variety yours does!
PS Can I come for dinner at yours?!

Yes I do as my daughter was always in a bad mood after school so this was suggested to me, not every time but often. We are not a 10 min walk

Yes. DTs are in reception and are HANGRY by the end of the day.

Either.

Children come out of school very hungry.

Nothing wrong with allowing them a cake or banana after school to eat on the way home.

Ten minutes' walk could take thirty five if DD2 was tired from the 12.00 - 12.10pm picking at the bare minimum to be rushed out into the playground for the next sitting before a whole afternoon of activity and noise. Or if she was hyper from it all and did dog miles with her friends.

A small snack would give her some energy if she was tired and would improve her recall (yes, like a dog, there's a reason why it's used to train them - it works) if she was all over the place. And if she was completely done with the entire day, it gave her a brief period of not having to speak or interact with annoying humans like her mother or other kids.

Didn't bother bringing her fruit, though - she was sick of the smell of bruised and sweaty lunchbox banana from her friends within a couple of weeks of starting school.

♥️

I do. 10 min walk home but he’s tired and hungry and it stops him getting hangry! We often stop at the park to play too. I vary what I take, usually mini cheddars, Pom bears, malt loaf, rice cakes, a brioche or every so often some mini cookies. Yep processed and yep not the healthiest but he eats a good diet otherwise!

Maybe I just need to bring what he has at home then?! Sounds like I might be being a bit unfair. It’s awkward as DC1 has ASD and is desperate to get out of the school gates, and DC2 can’t eat while walking so I either have one badgering for snacks or one letting off steam while the other eats. Fun times.

Oh yeah, whoever mentioned birthday sweets - there are a lot of those at our school too!

🙄

Yep I do it, but I don't judge you for not! Honestly, I like to spoil her l just at that moment. I don't do many pickups tho.

👏

Some days we are going straight to an activity so I'll bring him a fresh drink (he only really drinks milk or water doesn't like squash) a piece of fruit, some crackers and a baby Bel or something like that, but I leave them in the car and he'll eat them on the way to the activity, eg on a Monday he finishes school at 3:15 we drive straight to gymnastics which starts at 4 we usually get there 15-20 minutes early (but there's not enough time to go home and back out again home is the opposite direction) so he'll eat his snacks on the way, when we get there he'll do his school reading practice in the car then he gets changed in the gym changing rooms. His class finishes at 5 and we don't get home until around 5:20/5:30, he has school lunch at 12.
On a Friday, DH picks him up on his bike and shock horror they go to the farm shop café on the way to swimming, he'll have an apple and a soft pretzel or even (gasp) a sausage roll or Belgian bun!
Don't worry OP he's a skinny as a rake and his teeth are perfect.

Why can't they eat whilst walking?

If there's a reason for it, give him something like a yogurt drink/Kefir or something like that?

This sounds awful for all of you. I guess there’s no bus for the secondary kids?

Is it possible you are making the assumption that your child doesn’t need a snack straight after school, when perhaps they do? Maybe they are genuinely hungry and don’t want to wait 10 minutes, which can feel like an absolute eternity to a hungry child.

We were less than 10 minutes from school so I totally get the desire to just go home and deal with it there. But I do think they come out of school with low blood sugar, tired and well served by a snack. And while it won’t hurt them physically to walk home first, it can set up the end of day routine for the best start if they get a bit of fruit or something just when you meet them and don’t think about the walk home as this looming task they have to get through when they aren’t at their best.

If you’re going to feed them anyway, then doing it before the moaning and the bad feeling starts can keep things more pleasant for everyone.

My DD went through a phase where she practically inhaled food.gave her dinner at 3:45! Almost as we got in. Would either reheat a casserole and dumplings or have the slow cooker on for bean chilli and give her some wraps and salad and let her have at it..

Not at school but I have got into the habit of getting them a cookie on my pick up days (twice a week). They have them when they get home.

I refuse to do it too. Tbh the only parents I see handing snacks to their kids in the playground are the ones giving them chocolate bars.

DDs have a snack when they get home after school. It is perfectly possible for them to wait and I prefer them to eat sat down rather than walking home munching something. I do think mindless snacking has become a big problem and I say that as an overweight person!