Not to give DC a snack on way home from school?

[chainedtothedesk]

Quite happy to let them snack once we are home but my DD (9) has asked that I arrive at school gates to collect her with a snack. She's noticed other parents arrive with a snack and says she's hungry too at the end of the school day (often doesn't eat the fruit I give her for morning break though!) And doesnt want to wait the 15-20 min it takes to get her home. I suspect hunger doesn't come into it , she's just hoping she is more likely to get a bag of crisps or similar, rather than toast, if they eat on the way home rather than once we get there.
Today we saw a family eating a chocolate bar and small pother of Pringles on the way home which prompted the question (though not for the first time)
AIBU to make my DC just wait a little until they get home and suggest that they have something a bit healthier than chocolate and crisps?

Also, having seen the school dinners in a number of schools (can't vouch for them all obviously)-they are really really small portions. E.g 3 small meatballs, a dessert spoon of peas and 5 chips. I was at school my school dinner was my main meal of the day with just some egg on toast or something for tea. There's no way I could do that for my children now-they'd be gnawing their own arms off.

DD1 hardly says anything about school, it's like pulling teeth lol. DD2 is very chatty and tells me everything. They're sisters and yet totally different!!

Tbh, they're both so skinny that I worry about them not eating enough if anything. So I'm happy to give them snacks sometimes. As I said, they're very active so I don't worry about it.

We have dinner at half 5 when their Dad gets home and if it's not raining, we go to the park after school for half hour-hour so I take a snack. Usually a few biscuits or a dairylea dunker. Maybe not 100% healthy but it keeps them going and they're both on the slim side.

If mine were so hungry all afternoon because school dinners were horrible/too small that they couldn't wait 15/20mins til they'd got home for a snack then I'd change to packed lunch.

Has all this snack at the gate business come in as a response to school dinners then? (I remember Jamie Oliver's school mums trying to push snacks through the gate but that was ages ago!!)

I do wonder about these children who can't seem to wait a short period of time to eat, what are we teaching them? I include mine in this, I am guilty as charged. Yes, some children are hungry when they come out of school but is waiting until they get home such a hardship? They don't need instant gratification all the time. It's different if you have a long walk or you're going somewhere afterwards. I know there are children at our school who live a very short drive/walk away and go home straight away, yet they're munching as soon as they see their parent/carer. I admit that I have caved too, so I'm not saying that I am some saint. I don't remember if it was like this when I was younger...?

Pizza some people really need that free school lunch...or, like my DD, their DC don't eat much at school.

Will definitely be taking a snack today as we've got an hour walk into town, then swimming

As a person with no kids, who lives in a big city centre, the one thing that I notice about today's children is that they are always eating. Small kids, toddlers.
From what I can see, they never ask for the food but are handed it in order to keep then busy while mum / dad are shopping etc... Same with iPads / phones.

In reception my son was inside out with hunger at the end of school. I would bring half a sandwich or something and he would wolf it down and then eat his supper. I was really struck by it as he wasn't like that at nursery, and wouldn't ask for food at random times of day generally. I think it was partly the mental effort and the stress and the difference of it all. He also slept for 12 hours a night. He's just gone into year 2 and I wouldn't bother bringing something now - maybe fruit if I have some.

notarehearsal ha! Sorry to disappoint!

Just to be clear, I'm not against snacking as such, I just don't think I am being unreasonable asking DC to wait until they get home before eating. I agree with others that theres absolutely no need for constant grazing though.

Banana most days and a treat on friday.

Nobody had a snack after school when I was at school, nor was there a snack at break time, just school milk. My own children never had a snack at break time either and that is the 1995-2004

I never had a snack after school at her age. I would wait for an early dinner around five. If you can be bothered give her a carrot or an apple but I doubt that she will die of starvation

Pizzaexpress-I did change one of mine to packed lunch after I saw the dinners. The other really likes the dinners (and they are free for now!) so he has them but I'm aware that they are less of a main meal than I'd expect.

I clearly remember most children having sweets or crisps in the playground for morning break in the 80s.

I would give a piece of fruit. DS used to be really bad tempered on our walk home because he was hungry so I started bringing a banana and it made a real difference, it also made doing homework before dinner easier as he was able to concentrate on the work rather than how hungry he was.

Not in our school PolarBear!

some children are hungry when they come out of school but is waiting until they get home such a hardship?

but again, why do you think that they go straight from home? Even my little ones have swimming, dance or rugby, and the eldest have something on every evening of the week. As a family, we do not eat early. DH and I usually have diner around 9pm most days, when we are both back home - and we both have an afternoon snack most days as well.

It's not about instant gratification, it's not a reward, it's just people being hungry. What's the big deal? Some kids do not snack, but have a horrendous diet, drink fizzy drink and squash, have adult portions.
You can't judge a family based on one "meal".

Being more relaxed about food, and making sure that they have a really varied diet is the important thing. We always had afternoon snacks when I was little, because our parents used to have afternoon snacks themselves after school, including homemade cakes in the summer holiday and smoothies (I can't remember what we called them before), and we are all reasonably fit and healthy. No one is overweight in my family. It's different to have a set afternoon snack, than eat all day.

I clearly remember most children having sweets or crisps in the playground for morning break in the 80s

I went to school in the 90's and we never had snacks.

I went straight from school to the stables so i did have a banana and half a sandwich when i got there daily, but that's because I wouldn't get dinner until 7pm ish every day.

YNBU You're teaching and instilling in her the importance of healthy eating and preventing her from learning bad habits that could lead to problems with weight and health later in life. Being hungry for another 20 minutes or so until she can access healthy food will not hurt her and instead will teach her discipline with food intake. As others have suggested maybe carrots or something similar as a healthy snack - too much fruit is not overly healthy, the natural sugars can be terrible for teeth.

Great - I changed one of mine to packed as she wasn't eating them. Other one eats them fine. I still usually do a proper cooked dinner though as I don't think they're the same size/whatever as a normal dinner!

My 5 year old is starving after school. She eats a good breakfast, has a fruit snack and a school dinner at 12o clock. By 3.25 she is in need of a snack and she will still eat all of her dinner. Sometimes it's apple and cheese or something and sometimes it's a small piece of chocolate or a packet of crisps. It's really not a big deal to give a snack after school.

I don't think the OP has a problem with a snack after school, just don't see why not have it 15/20 mins later sat down at home.

Or at least that's how I see it!