About toddler group snacks?

[youcankeepyourhead]

I wanted to mention/discuss with you my concerns about some toddler groups snack options.

I went to a group last week - at snack time, they gave the children: crisps, biscuits and juice (squash that's full of sugar). I changed the juice for water and gave my child the snack I'd brought with me (cheese sandwich and quartered grapes)

It does not teach the children healthy eating nor does it show a good example to parents. I believe that these groups should be offering fruit, raisins, rice cakes, milk or water.

Am I the only mum who thinks these unhealthy snakes are unacceptable? So my question is, do you think it's acceptable for these groups to offer our children unhealthy snacks?

*survived

My head hurts on the waters shit debate.

I run a 0-5 group for two and a half hours three times a week. You can pay 50p or bring in fruit/veg to share. We provide breadsticks, bananas, Milk and water out of our own pockets.
Luckily we get plenty of donations, a few mums bring in biscuits, cakes ect and they go round the parents and if nays left then the kids get some., No parents kids off or faint dead away at little Johnny being offered a jammy dodger.

"I am a pathologist."

That's interesting, Blue14-you were a teacher yesterday..........

I've not seen this at toddler group! My ones serve things like cheese biscuits, breadsticks, fruit and raisins with water. When my 12 year old went to them it was toast and fruit and the biscuits were with the tea and coffee for mums! Now I don't see biscuits anywhere! Never ever seen crisps except at parties. Yanbu that sucks

I am a Pathologist.

It's like that sketch on Only Fools and Horses when the fraudster's pretending to have a heart attack and Boycey steps forward and says I am a Doctor.

Yes of course you are..

Maybe she's a teacher Monday, Wednesday and Friday and a pathologist Tuesday and Thursday.

I particularly like the blood cells exploding on contact with water.....

And haveyou see her on the troll thread in Relationships, it's amazing what knowledge she has.

Jesus anyone would think they were handing out crack or something, a few Pom bears and a rich tea biscuit isn't going to kill a kid! Seriously.

Yup Blue states st 16.30 yesterday that she is a "London teacher"
That pathology degree was quick

I saw a similar issue on the Simpsons last week. The baby group mums were horrified that Marge was giving the children junk food when it was her time to provide snacks.

Our toddler group has parents that volunteer to bring along fruit or veg each week. These are served with biscuits and a choice of water or squash.

I do kind of take the point that you want snacks to be healthy, because while you may only come to my group once a week, presumably you are at others on at least some other days. If they all serve lots of junk, then that means your child is getting junk every day. But really, if the group exists on volunteers and donations (or small payments per session) then unless you and some others are able and willing to volunteer to change things, you'll just need to bring your own snacks and a cup of water.

In terms of juice being the easy option, it is if it's what most parents want. You can't feasibly offer a choice, so you either have to do all juice or all water. If people think you're being stingy by only giving water, and then stop coming, you're out of pocket. In my experience, people who want their children to have water tend to bring it with them.

Personally, I always bring a cup of water, because I don't like DS drinking too much juice. I let him dig in to the snacks usually, as he'll normally only take a little bit of pancake and some banana. If he was snarfing down biscuits every time, I'd keep a closer eye on him.

I am actually very worried by Blues bollocks theory. I hardly ever drink squash - am I dead already, and I just haven't noticed?

Should I be campaigning for DeadsNet alongside DadsNet on here - since I can clearly still post From Beyond?

A biscuit once a week at a toddler group won't hurt. Bid odd to have crisps though.

I saw the same at a baby to preschool group last week (same one maybe)! All crisps, cocktail sausages, sausage rolls etc. It didn't bother me per se, but it was about 45 mins before 1yo DD has her lunch and we weren't planning on staying long anyway so I just didn't give her any. She's as happy with a banana as something less healthy at 1yo so I don't really see why I would give her a sausage roll or something before lunch when she doesn't really know what she's missing.

"Children die of water over doses every year"

WTAF

The only cases I have heard of were like Leah betts after taking exstacy and some women in America who entered a water drinking contest.

They must be a Troll or some foil hatted person, I worry what they are doing to their kids and turning them into to these paranoid wrecks frightened to eat or drink anything.

Our bodies are designed for water since our inception,If your seriously deydrated then a little salt and sugar can help i,e rehyration drinks but not everyday use!!

Take your own snacks in if you don't want your child to have the ones provided, some people don't mind their children having an occasional snack.

I really don't get the issue, just take your own snacks.

really don't get the issue, just take your own snacks.

Exactly.

I don't see the problem with crisps or biscuits at toddlers once a week. Ours served a range of the following, four or five crisps or mini cheddars, some cheese cubes, cut up fruit, a yoghurt, crackers, toast, crumpet or scotch pancake.
The group was free they just asked for a donation for the tea and coffee.

Are the biscuits etc definitely for the toddlers? At ours, we serve tea/coffee and biscuits for the parents, not for the children! Some parents do share with their children but the aim is for the adults to get out of the house and chat/relax, while the children are occupied by the activity.

I'd be sad to think anyone was online complaining about it. We do serve the finest river water for the infants, though. :)

echlefechan. It is a bit sad. It's quite easy just not to feed your DC any snacks at toddler group or else bring your own... Why complain? It's not like anyone is force feeding crisps to the toddlers!

I agree you can bring your own but I do think it would be helpful if toddler groups made snacks healthy. It's a pain if a toddler sees crisps and biscuits and isn't allowed any! I go to 3 groups a week so would actually find it annoying if mine did this (luckily they don't). Parents are up against it enough with junk food and sweets offered everywhere, it's never just 'once a week' that's the problem. It's a bit thoughtless imo. Also none of the group I go to are free! They're all £2+

Toddler groups are completely optional. Go and enjoy the fruits of someone's hard work and organisation or stay at home feeding your toddler exactly what you like. Supervise your own child and bring your own snack. You can not please all of the people all of the time, and anyway - i can't keep up with what is 'good' food and what is 'bad' food and have decided that everything in moderation for my kids is fine. Raisins, fruit, squash, fruit juice - all full of sugar. Rice cakes are apparently carcinogenic - so really is a wee biccy that bad after all?

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/high-levels-of-arsenic-in-rice-why-isnt-it-regulated-in-our-food-9836900.html

I really don't think a couple of biscuits are going to hurt are they? And squash? It's mostly water anyway and besides the link with aspartame with ill effects has been disproved with robust studies time and time again. Even some sugar in moderation is fine as long as teeth are brushed twice daily . It's common sense, no need for hand wringing in my opinion. Are all you posters saying you never eat biscuits and crisps? Really?!!!!