that some of my most vivid memories of childhood are of wanting some nice snack?

[slightlysoupstained]

All these coffee shop threads are reminding me of all those gazillion times when my parents would grumpily drag us past various cafes or pastry shops, ignoring our pleas to stop for a burger/cake/milkshake/icecream/bun shaped like childrens' tv character with vast amounts of tasty icing?

Was I just a greedy child, or do most small children devote large amounts of time to campaigning for the next sugar/fat laden treat? DS is still only tiny, so rice cakes are the most awesome thing ever and I can supply those.

Poor you Koala

Dame I laughed at 'I secretly wished for a burger I could call my own.

Am and for Binky and MrsKoala. Food is such an important way of showing love and care, heartbreaking to think of dad being the cause of a small child being hungry.

We were only allowed water to drink and got a glass of milk with our evening meal [whether we liked it or not-boak]

I used to wish we had squash like everyone else seemed to have when I visited their homes.

However, we did get lots of amazing delights at christmas and birthdays so we really weren't deprived at all and I know my Mum was just ahead of her time on the healthy stakes.

When I left home I always bought orange squash and Vimto, both of which I don't even like now!

We had 'a Saturday treat' growing up! No treats through the week but on Saturdays after dancing we went to the shop and were allowed EITHER one chocolate bar/packet of sweets/crisps or a quater of sweets from the jars or 25p worth of pick & mix (each sweet was priced, not this by weight shenanigans they have now!) then we had to save them for after tea to eat whole watching Saturday night family TV!!

At parties we were never allowed biscuits or cake until we had had at least one sandwich first and no fizzy pop either!

AlyssB - we had sweeties only on Saturday too, tho I don't remember any party restrictions.

All foiled by my grandmother who kept up a steady stream of chocolates, cakes, toffees etc despite my mother's protests.

Grandma spoilt us too, we visited every Sunday after church and there was ALWAYS a plate of biscuits and cake and she let us eat as much as we liked (although my mum still made us have at least one sandwich first! :) )

No. We had a cupboard of treats we could help ourselves to and often had things when out and about.

I had one friend who the second she arrived at our house would be asking to go there. Her parents were really controlling and she went on to develop an eating disorder.

No surprise that my stepsons get crisps and treats.

For me as a child, there was something in the whole combination of bright lights, big windows that let you see everyone else eating inside, wipe-clean banquettes with vinyl that stuck to your legs, and laminated menus (sometimes with PHOTOS!) that was like catnip. Somehow it was just a million times more exciting to eat a toasted teacake in Wimpy's than it was to have the same toasted teacake at home.

I did, and I was often indulged. If they got cake we would get cake too.

Only, I was obsessed with the pastry case, canned cream, pink or yellow icing with jam under it fucking awful buns. I always asked for one, but when I got it I never liked it. Mum once said 'You know you don't like them, if I get it and you don't like it you still have to eat it all.'

Well I got it and didn't like it, and after eating it all anyway never asked for it again. I moved on to the far superior Custard Slice.

My mum was obsessed with my weight when i was a child (despite being a normal size) so sweets were rationed. We sometimes got a Wagon wheel for pudding which was very exciting. Seedless grapes were my Friday treat!

I loved Saturdays as we went to my grandparents. My gran had a cupboard full sweets which we could scoff. Tea was always fish and chips then at night me and my brother and cousins would walk to the bakers to buy rolls and we were allowed to choose a cake each for going. I loved Saturday.

Growing up in Scotland I had quite a sweet heavy diet. I used to be given a stick of rhubarb and a small pot of granulated sugar to take out in the garden when I was playing. Chew end of rhubarb and dip in sugar to get a truly tooth rotting snack.

When we went shopping on Saturdays with Mum, Gran and Auntie we used to stop in for tea and cake at Bremners, the cakes came out on a cake stand and I always picked the biggest/ most heavily iced one. Gran always had Party Rings, Battenburg and Jammie Dodgers in the house ( which constituted the majority of her diet alongside liver, potted meat and value horse beef burgers)

I remember going to Wimpy for my birthday and being determined that I would eat as much as my older brother. Two cheeseburgers and chips and a knickerbocker glory later and I vomited luxuriously on the pavement outside. I remember the horrified faces of the people at the bus stop!

When my parents split up and Dad visited for his monthly duty visit Little Chef was a real treat.

I like to treat DS but I am aware that what i was brought up to consider as a reasonable amount of sweet things in a diet isnt healthy and I am conscious how many treats he gets offered if we visit home, my family definitely goes overboard shoving cake at you. Remarkably none of us is too overweight.

Oh, and just remembered I used to get half a pound of sweets on a Saturday, usually Kola Kubes, proper Lemon Bon Bons or Midget Gems. Amazed I have any teeth left!

I'm hunnnnnngreeeeee!
Have a cheese sandwich then
But I'm hungry for something niiiiiiiiice!

We only ever had water or milk to drink and I was madly jealous of friends who had robinsons orange and lemon barley water. we did get a treat sat nights during starsky and hutch, a lion bar each.

I had a friend who was allowed cans of Coke all to herself whenever she wanted them. (In hindsight I think her parents bought a six-pack on a Saturday and adopted the when it's gone it's gone' philosophy.)

I remember being like this the first time I was round at hers and she flung me a can of coke and took one for herself. We didn't even have to share. It was as out there as martians landing in the back green...

LazyFaire I LOVE Custard slices! Me and Dsis used to look forward to Christmas Time at Grans' she used to have some lovely biscuits that always appeared from nowhere John Lewis ~

I always wanted desserts when went out to eat.

Whenever we went out to eat (not often) we were never allowed a dessert, even if we had finished all our meal, because it was a waste of money and we wouldn't finish it.

Now whenever I go to restaurants the first thing I look at is the dessert menu!

frogspoon There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating dessert first, you know. Just to make sure you have room

Our teacher in y6 was trying to get us to understand the phrase "It's like music to my ears", she explained and we then had to write our own example. Mine was the salad tray in the fridge being opened, because that's where the chocolate was kept!