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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get cross about snacks after school

116 replies

Effnjeff · 19/04/2015 16:53

My DCs finish school at 4pm and despite having had a hot lunch insist they are starving the moment they get in the car. I am then pestered with snack requests.

They normally have dinner around 5.30 but if they've stuffed
themselves with snacks never finish their meal. Hence then hungry again before bed.
I'm sick of waste, constant snacking
and being a 24/7 cafe.

I really don't know what the answer is - should I have dinner ready as soon as we get back? Is - 4.30 dinner too early?
Should I only let them have fruit and put up with constant whinging until dinner?

What do you give your DCs to eat and when, after school??

OP posts:

overmydeadbody · 19/04/2015 16:56

DS used to be like this, constantly hungry and eating far too much (IMO) until I cut out all carbs and sugar from his diet apart from the small amounts of carbs in vegetables and fruit (but limited to two portions of fruit a day).

It has worked wonders and he is now not hungry between meals, doesn't eat as much, and is also far happier and less moody. He wants to continue on this carb free diet and doesn't even seem tempted by carbs any more.

How old are your DC?

bonzo77 · 19/04/2015 16:57

DS1 finishes at 3.15. He gets a small snack when I collect him, like 2 plain digestives or a cereal bar. Then he's usually starving for dinner at 6. I think if I were in your situation with the later finish I'd give them dinner at 4.30 when they are ravenous, then a snack nearer bed time.

TwoOddSocks · 19/04/2015 16:57

Could you not let them snack then have dinner a bit later? Even hot school lunches are often fairly minimal and I think a snack after school is fairly normal.

Mrsbobdylan · 19/04/2015 16:58

Yanbu, I get sick of constant food requests too.
Mine have a snack after school and tea between 4.30 and 5pm. Then another snack before bed. Doesn't stop the feeling of constant catering but makes it more structured and controlled.

MummyLuce · 19/04/2015 16:59

5.30 is quite early for dinner! Give them a cereal bar and fruit and ten have dinner at 7 ish

HighwayDragon · 19/04/2015 16:59

We get in at 3.30 dd typically has a hot cross bun, a banana and an apple as a snack, then tea at 6.

glenthebattleostrich · 19/04/2015 17:01

DD has tea at 4.30 then a snack before bed weekdays

mousmous · 19/04/2015 17:01

is having dinner later an option? when do they go to bed?
we have snack after school (around 4) and dinner 6:30-7. bed at 8.

overmydeadbody · 19/04/2015 17:02

DS still have a small snack after school such as a handful of nuts, some cheese or a few slices of chicken, but he is not constantly hungry any more.

We have supper at 7 and then no more food between that and bed.

Piratespoo · 19/04/2015 17:03

5.30pm isn't early for dinner! I would say it is very common, especially when kids go to bed at 7pm

HelpMeGetOutOfHere · 19/04/2015 17:06

Dd finishes school at 3.15 and will have a snack when we get home about 3.45. Along the lines of a one slice of bread sandwich with Nutella or ham/chicken, veg sticks (cucumber, peppers, carrots and celery) with hummus, cereal bar, or just a few biscuits.

We then have dinner about 5-5.30 depending on activities. Dd will then have a banana with a glass of milk or a yogurt with a few strawberries, pomegranate seeds or a rice cake with peanut butter on or again sometimes I give in and it's a couple of cookies.

She's 9 and active, she goes to netball, cubs, karate and swimming each week and we walk the dogs for miles so I'm not worried about weight gain. If she did less active things I would be stricter on only having sweet or high fat/bad fat snacks but they are still growing and need a good balance and to learn to self discipline when it comes to food.

My mum never let me snack as a child and it did become an issue. I became a fat adult but have now learnt that not all snacking is bad and you can snack healthily.

Original poster

Effnjeff · 19/04/2015 17:08

Dcs are 7&9. DH doesn't normally get home til about 8 which is when I eat. My worry is that if they had a later dinner with early snacks they'd be so hungry they wouldn't stop snacking.

Whenever I offer fruit it gets sneered at as not filling enough (neither likes bananas or cereal bars!) and they are only happy with something carb/sugar loaded

OP posts:

Original poster

Effnjeff · 19/04/2015 17:09

Should add both DCs are very active and healthy!

OP posts:

steppemum · 19/04/2015 17:11

I think it is quite normal to be starving after school.
Mine have a snack as soon as we walk in. You could make it a healthy one - banana and glass of milk.

You could put dinner back to 6pm if it stops them eating dinner.

My mum used to say that a glass of milk stops you being hungry without filling you up. Don't know if it is true.

Once we have had snack, I tell my kids they have to wait til dinner.

PurpleSwift · 19/04/2015 17:13

I think it's normal. There isn't anything wrong with snacking either, especially if they are actually hungry.

lightsalive · 19/04/2015 17:13

We come home at 3.20 dinner goes on at 3.30 done for 4 or 4.30 depending what I'm cooking. Snack at 6.30 bed at 7.30 sleep by 8. This works well for them they are always hungry from school. I used to be too when I was younger. School dinners were hardly eaten as I didn't eat that type of food that they served. Try a earlier dinner if you can.

MummyLuce · 19/04/2015 17:13

Tbh it's not that bad for children to get a bit hungry! I often feel hungry for an hour or so before eating!
It's probably good to teach them that feeling hungry doesn't mean they automatically get a snack, and that they just need to wait for dinner. (Of course different for babies and little toddlers).

StarlingMurmuration · 19/04/2015 17:14

I don't get this snacking thing. When I was little, we never snacked, we just had 3 meals a day. We were very poor though? Was I deprived? I have a five month oldDS, it wouldn't have occurred to me to give him snacks when he's bigger if not for mumsnet.

Sunbury1986 · 19/04/2015 17:15

It's good to feel hungry.probably dehydrated rather than hungry.

SparklingCheerleader · 19/04/2015 17:16

When I was a kid (we drove to school as it was 8 miles away) we always had satsumas in the glove compartment which were offered immediately after we left school. Not sure what DM would have done if we walked, but the car always smelt lovely!

LynetteScavo · 19/04/2015 17:18

I would feed my DC at 5pm, and then fruit and milk before bed.

If they've had a hot lunch, cold tea at 4.30pm is fine.

DD doesn't eat her lunch, so always asks for a snack when I collect her (between 4 & 4.30). I give her fruit, which placates her.

evertonmint · 19/04/2015 17:20

I very recently came up with a proper snack plan and ditched all sweets/choc/biscuits pre-dinner (largely due to fussiness of 4yo, but also because 7yo would just snack all afternoon if I let him). They finish at 3 and now have a reasonably healthy (though carby for quick energy) snack - malt loaf, dried fruit, banana, yoghurt - then dinner at 5.30. Still often complain of hunger between snack and dinner so I then offer crudités and hummus which they sometimes refuse (clearly not that hungry!) or sometimes eat (I don't worry if they then don't eat their veg at dinner as they've already had it!)

I'd be tempted to only offer healthy snacks like raw veg and dip immediately after school but then serve dinner at 4.30 or so. That way they're not replacing their meal with junk. They can always have extra food later before bed after eating a good meal.

They'll probably whine about wanting biscuits but the whining will be short lived if dinner arrives soon after they get home, and if you don't give in in the first few days!

306235388 · 19/04/2015 17:21

Ds is 8 and starving after school especially if he's had a school dinner rather than packed lunch. This is because he doesn't get enough food for the hot meal IMO especially as he never has the soup of dessert.

He has a snack at 330 and dinner at 5ish because he has training most nights at 6. He's very active so then needs toast or cereal etc before bed at 8ish.

In your situation I'd do small snack in car - cheese / chicken / boiled egg etc with a biscuit then dinner at 630 if that's doable with your schedule? Otherwise dinner at 430 and supper at bedtime of cereal or toast.

dementedpixie · 19/04/2015 17:22

I take a snack for the kids to have in the car on the way home. Normally something like crisps tbh.

googoodolly · 19/04/2015 17:22

It's good to feel hunger but kids have small stomachs and cope better with five small meals as opposed to three big ones. Small breakfast at 7, snack at 10, lunch at 1, snack around 3 and tea at 6 sounds more manageable for small children than three big meals a day.

I always had a snack at after school ciub (toast and fruit) around 4pm and then dinner at half six. I was never overweight. School lunches are small and not particularly filling as kids often have break or sport straight away after. I think expecting kids to go from 12 to half five on a small school dinner is a bit daft, tbh.

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