Is It U To think children should ask for food?

[DreamCloud99]

DH and I can't agree . One of us was raised in a household where it was take as you please and one of us was raised as asking if we could have X, Y, Z . Never denied , just polite asking before taking .

We have almost 5 year old twins.

One of the twins would eat all day given the chance - out of boredom . He will not play or entertain himself and just constantly asks for food.

Fruit or veg is never denied (unless they've just eaten a piece ) . Snacks like crisps , biscuits etc are allowed in moderation .

Is it unreasonable to have them say "please can I have an apple/biscuit/etc " or should they just take as they please ?

Opinions ?

babybythesea Yeah, location makes a bit of a difference. We are a quick 5 minutes away from any store so if we're running low we can pop in for that one ingredient if we need to.

Generally we just get creative and use www.supercook.com/ for a base. If we're missing an ingredient we substitute something else. (Such as... baking powder can replace eggs). You'd be surprised what misc ingredients you have lying around can make instead.

I guess in your case I'd have a drawer/shelf of designated snack foods, or something. Depending on the age of your children, you can probably include them in meal planning so they know that if they eat the cheese, their baked ziti is going to be a plain spag bowl with penne noodles (and they'll of course lose privileges or something).

Mine always ask (they're teenagers now) and we always asked when we were growing up.

We very rarely say no, unless dinner is half an hour or so away.

They even ask for fruit, as one of them would snaffle a whole bunch of bananas in one day, leaving none for the other if we didn't keep an eye out.

But ultimately, what works for your family is what's right.

I kind of do have a designated snack cupboard but it's high up, so they still have to ask. The kids are 7 and 3 so although the seven year old does basically understand why I might say no the three year old just cries at me (I'm dishing up, look, you can't have a biscuit now, for goodness sake child....). I'm not risking putting snacks at a reachable height yet!! But I do plan on them being much more involved as they get older.
Interestingly the three year old has started to help herself to fruit. The result is we find loads of apples and pears scattered around the house half eaten, and we run out of fruit. So I'm thinking we need to stick to "You must ask" for a while yet!

I will check that website out, Senpai - useful tip, thanks! I hate cooking and am not a natural so replacing one ingredient with another wouldn't occur to me. (We have hens though, and have been averaging 5 eggs a day being laid, so egg is the one thing I'm not likely to run out of. Omelette every night for a week, anyone...?
Lunches are actually the biggest issue, trying to organise packed lunch for three people, (I don't make DH's but do make sure the necessary food is in the house). We don't pass a shop on the way to school, or indeed go anywhere near one, and then I am in a race against time to get to work so lunch stuff has to be in or people don't get to eat. (I don't get a proper lunch break so don't have time to go out and get something - it's stuffing a sandwich and some fruit in or nothing). It hasn't yet happened but I think if I went to make lunches and there wasn't enough there I'd froth at the mouth. I spend so much time trying to make sure the cupboards and fridge have all they need to have, taking into account lack of time to visit shops etc, I'd go spare if someone scuppered this by eating half of it leaving me with no time to replace them.

my DS (9) who asked tonight after snack 2 minutes before I served tea.Can I have something to eat ..Yes in 2 minutes.

He also thinks about it at inappropriate times..He has gone to bed.( just bed delay tactics)

I know when he is going through hungry phase ad bulk out his meals.

He has recently been on school trip and after shopping for packed lunch he was told not to eat anything without asking as he didn't know what I bought for trip..

I think it depends on your household and your child

I am quite a creative cook and rarely use recipes anyway, so that helps. Also, only cook once a day, and sometimes not at all (sometimes have bread, cheese/hummus/preboiled eggs/quorn, crudités/salad for a meal with fruit and/or yoghurt).