AIBU playgroup snacktime

[boursin]

The playgroup (stay and play) we usually go to with my 2yr old was closed so we went to one in a nearby town.
In my usual one each parent brings a piece of fruit and we cut it up and dish it out. I thought this was normal....
Yesterday for 11am snack my child was offered bread, wotsits, cheese crackers, biscuits and chocolate cake and cheese.
Children of course loved it and I was slightly AIBU as it wasn't a party but happens every week apparently.
Is this what happens at other mum run play groups?

Didn't even notice but now it's making me giggle!

Once a week is hardly going to induce a coronary is it?

YANBU. The new group sounds dangerous.

:o @ puppymonkey and limitedperiodonly!!!
OP...if you go again make sure you leave before cake (mmm) time or take lots of small tubs with carrot sticks/ fruit in them... I know I am being sarcastic but really... pffft.. too much.

I would like to know how many mums who have posted comments like pfffft are over weight?

Some parents are trying to be responsible with there childrens health and hearts in this obese society and rising cases of diabetes.

I do allow my dd treats I just hate that groups cannot seem to grasp that there are healthier options that kids like.

^not overweight

pfffft

Serving biscuits and squash/water/tea/coffee will cost you about £2 per session and requires very little prep & washing up. Our entrance fee was only 50p per family and in some areas it's important not to price people out.

As someone says how much do kids really need between breakfast and lunch anyway? Or just say No.

Surely being responsible means teaching your children about having a balanced diet, supergreenuk? There is nothing wrong with chocolate cake, biscuits, wotsits etc in moderation - and I believe it is far better to teach a child that, than to act as if some foods are utterly evil and to be Avoided At All Costs.

I do think,though, that the selection of foods the OP described is not terribly good, because it lacked any fruit or veg options, and is pretty unbalanced in the direction of the less healthy snacks. Had there been one or two of these foods, balanced by the bread and cheese, and by some fruit, veg and plain biscuits/rice cakes, it would have been better.

A healthy diet for children is not the same as a healthy diet for adults - children need fat in their diet - omega3s and omega6s are essential for their development, for example, and sufficient fat in their diets to ensure that they can absorb the fat-soluble vitamins (a low fat/fat free diet could mean they became vitamin deficient).

Balance and moderation are key, not denial and demonising of certain foods.

davidtennatsgirl - I don't think you can get healthy omega fats from biscuits and cake. you can get unhealthy hydrogenated fats though. ofcourse these foods aren't good for kids.

I'm not averse to DS having an occassional biscuits (even then Goodies ones, lucky in that DS prefers them to normal ones) or cake, but at a toddler groups, snacks should be healthy. And if you have fruit alongside confectionary, toddlers will usually go for the sugary stuff anyway.

at my toddler group 10-12pm, it is only fruit (A surestart one). Some mums do give thier kids additional food. I really wouldn't like it if they gave them junk, as it would be just before lunch and then DS wouldn't have much of an appetite for lunch.
and I also hate it when other mothers offer DS things like whotsits and cake without asking me.
If it were an afternoon playroup and DS had already had his lunch then that's OK, it'd be fine with that.

but even then whotsis??! for a toddler?

OMFG! CHOCOLATE CAKE?! WOTSITS! THE HORROR!

I run a group. We have biscuits and a fruit/veg option, as well as toast on offer if people wish.

A couple of biscuits will not make a child fat. Eating nothing but biscuits will. Plus, fruit can be as sugary as a biscuit, and just as bad for teeth. When will the holier than thou crew get their rice cake filled heads round that?

Choceyes - my point about fats was related to the provision of cheese, not the cakes - perhaps I should have been clearer about that.

Vis a vis the cakes and biscuits - as I said, no food should be demonised or catagorised as evil, and I believe it is better for children to learn that they can enjoy these foods but in moderation and as part of a balanced diet.

you really consider wotsits an acceptable food for a child??

but choc cake, yes that is acceptable..choc has got some antioxidants in it afterall

Oh and for the record supergreen, I'm not overweight

Are you sure the cake wasn't meant for the adults?

slarty it was cake not crack

I don't consider Wotsits acceptable cause of the bloody mess they make. Quavers are a much less messier option

Two biscuits a week?! I am lucky if I can restrict DS to two biscuits in a 5 minute period. Particularly since he has now figured out how to scale the shelves in his gran's kitchen, retrieve the biscuit tin, open it and help himself. All in absolute silence.

We only know about it when he comes back into the room, lifts his top, points at his belly and announces "gone in there".

Pfft.

(me - size 10 when not pregnant, DS - skinny as a skinny thing)

yes but fruit also has nutrients. and refined sugar is metabolised differently in the body. It is stored as fat in the liver. not the case with fruit sugar.

I'm not saying a couple of biscuits will make a kid obese. My DS is skinny and I would love to give him something that would put some weight on him but I don't want to stuff him (and a couple of biscuits will take his appetite away) with crap.

I help to run a toddler group and each week snack is a bit different depending on either what's available in the local shop or what's on offer in the supermarket. Usually it's a breadstick/raisins/banana type snack, occassionally there's biscuits, sometimes some kind of crisp or cracker and sometimes cake if it's someones birthday.

But, we also provide coffee and cake and/or biscuits for the adults, and many of the adults give some of their cake/biscuits to their DC.

Anyway, the way I always look at it is that it is one snack, not a full meal, not a huge serving, and not going to do any harm.

Are you sure they were wotsits not those puffed wheat finger food 'goodies' things that look like wotsits. My playgroup: sultanas, bananas, cheese, puffed wheat wotsit look-alikes, biscuits and cake.

Depends on the group - one we go to gives the DC loads of less than healthy food others are better.

TBH with older two I had more energy and time to worry and would take along own snacks or find groups with better options. Tend to think with youngest - oh well the rest of her diet is good.

Not sure if it is coincidence but eldest has grown into one of those people who automaticly makes health choices - second one bit less so third is a cake monster. None of the DC are overweight or obese though.

I think we are in agreement stayingdavidtennentsgirl. My point is though that we regularly attend these groups so regularly every week she is offered them.

I am not removing fat from her diet. She has cheese, yoghurts, fish and meats. Why does her fat allowance require a biscuit?

I am no saint trust me. She had a hand full of wotsits at lunch but after she had olives, cucumber, cheese and bread. This is very rare though and does not expect crisps at all. Infact like another poster has said she really likes goodies crisps and animal biscuits.

Yes there is sugar in fruit. Don't think I mind that though as it's natural sugar and has the advantage of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

At the toddler group I go to with DD the children get a choice of toast, fruit & raisins at snack time. The mummies get cake! :o (This is usually shared with the kiddies!) I know when DD is at Playgroup they get fruit/toast/crackers at morning snack & a single biscuit in the afternoon.

I would have been a bit at cake & crisps being given as a snack. Seems like a lot & more like lunch than snack IMO, at our local group that is the kind of thing they get at the Christmas/Summer party. But the organisers have obviously gone to alot of trouble, so I suppose it doesn't hurt for one day! I would be more concerned that if my DD got given all of that as a snack she wouldn't eat her lunch or dinner!