Why do parents do this at pick up?

[Infomerkel]

I've name changed for this as I dont want to offend anyone I know IRL.

My DS is in a very small primary school. There is always a set of parents who meet their kids at the pick up doors with a 'treat' (bag of crisps, chocolate donuts, cupcakes etc). But I know where these kids live and its within a 3 minute walk of the school. Why do they need a snack at the door?

My DS is also usually starving after school but can manage the 3 min walk home, wash his hands and then sit at the table to eat.

I just don't get it? I'm foreign so maybe its a custom I haven't come across before? I've always wondered about it, but figured each to their own. But now, DS's best friends dad will often bring a 'treat' for DS as well. It's extremely kind and I'm always very grateful and thank him. But I don't want him having a treat every single day after school. I'm a bit strict at home about not making junk food into a habit but I don't want to come across as judgy or sanctimonious. I also feel odd not reciprocating and bringing treats in.

AIBU to not understand this?

Who gives a shit really

Let them eat cake, goddammit!

I don't care about the snacking. It's the dropping the wrappers in the woods that pisses me off. I know they are mainly from our school as it's the same treats my kids have given out for their birthdays.

givemesteel as I always say on these threads, I remember being constantly hungry, and we weren't poor, but I wasn't even allowed bread and butter between meals. I used to steal ginger biscuits, and my main reason for biting my nails was because I was hungry.

My children often have after school clubs - they sometimes go straight from school to these or we may pop home for them to change but there is not a lot of time so they eat in the car after school pickup.

It's soooo weird that you've noticed this and then thought about it, then decided it's bothering you enough to ask on mumsnet and pretend you don't understand because you're foreign.
Of course she noticed what’s going on. Someone has now taken it upon themselves to start bringing a ‘treat’ for her dc. I hope you would notice if someone was regularly giving your child food on the playground after you had picked them up!

There are a few parents who do this at our school, but they are the minority. If mine whine about it, I tell them they can wait until they get home and have a snack then. They all manage to wait (I’m a childminder, so have had lots of children over the years).
This country has a massive problem with obesity and i reckon it is partly because of the obsession in snacking that has consumed the nation. The children who are being given snacks at our school are not being given healthy snacks, it’s all sweets (which won’t do anything for the hunger), chocolate, crisps and other unhealthy crap.

Even as an adult I have to snack quite often.

Instant gratification.
Many kids today don't have to wait for anything because their parents are terrified of them getting upset. (Or can't deal with a tantrum outburst)

Crispbutty 😂

🍅

My DS has severe SEN and is unable to chew as well as having an extreme eating disorder. I would sell my soul to give him a huge bag of chips the minute he was led out of school. Stop judging OP, we and our kids are all different.

This is for your kids later

Haha!

I don't understand it either. Not a good habit to be in, so your child always expects some kind of sweets or crisps after leaving school. Maybe if it's something healthy that's OK. Like carrot sticks or something. Not sweet stuff.

This is for your kids later

I agree in British but a Nanny and I used to look after a boy who lived a 5 minute walk from the school and apparently I was mean making him wait till we got home for a snack!

Krispy Kreme doughnuts - if possible 2 - is the way to go.

🤪

Children need snacks:

kidshealth.org/en/parents/snacking.html#kha_31

Because when my child was hungry, he was prone to extreme meltdowns. Feeding him a biscuit before I even asked "how was your day" ensured he coped with hanging around for the other siblings, walking home and having a nice conversation without him having a huge meltdown over some minor problem. A meltdown caused a 5 min walk into a 30min "experience" that the whole street could enjoy. Solved by a biscuit or muesli bar... easy decision in my book.

Surely everyone gives their child a, Cadbury Fudge Bar, don't they?

I live in Abroad* and all the kids here have an afterschool snack. Lunch is 12.30/1.30 (depending on their age) and they get out at 4.30. Snacks i have seen include:

Fruit
Breadsticks
Sandwiches (nutella, ham, ham+cheese, fuet, pate etc)
Biscuits
Mini doughnuts (donetes)

Nobody gives a flying fart.

• east of Lichtenstein, north of Alsace.

A finger of fudge is just enough... yes Sunnymeg !

Proud British tradition and here's the documentary evidence:

We usually bring our son something to munch. Normally a lolly, biscuit or a little refreshers bar or something. The reason we do it is because he used to have well over an hours drive home and would get hungry so generally he had some cheese and crackers on the drive home. Now it’s a 15 minute walk and we generally let him have something simply because he is well behaved. If he collects enough “points” the night before/in the morning (10 points are the minimum requirement and the board shows how many points are avaliable for which task) by doing certain things (such as tidying his bedroom is 3 points, putting on his own school shoes is 1 point, completing a page in his workbook is 2 points etc) then he gets a treat for the walk home. He collects points for dessert (otherwise it’s fruit that is offered) and he collects points for things like a bubble bath he has asked for so if he has earnt enough points at the end of the week (50) he will be allowed to go to the shop to buy his bubble bath. It’s just a reward for us.
He’s 4 by the way in case anyone thinks anything is off.

My DS old primary school, stopped all snacks after school within the grounds. If they were given inside the grounds they were conviscated.. When it first happened there was a particular child, who had no SN who screamed and kicked his mother (, a good friend of mine) for not bringing ' sweeties'. It was crazy..
I never did it as a regular thing, normally if it was my day off and I actually remembered..
They also stopped coffee cups as lots of parents used to do Costa take away on the way. And also banned mobiles being used

I don’t understand it either and it’s not a British custom that I’ve heard of. Never happened at my kids school.