To think children can go a couple of hours without eating

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Not sure if this is just the people I hang out with but every park play date I go on at the moment (there’s quite a few- child is 4), the other parent brings with them copious amounts of snacks.
I’m in no way a food nazi, my child has a morning snack, the odd ice cream when out on hot days, a biscuit pudding after her dinner - I always carry water and an apple- but even I think she can manage 2 hrs in a park without me having to produce a family size bag of crisps, popcorn, a fruit shoot, a haribo.
I’m really fed up of it, firstly because I’m the grinch who says “no” when my daughter asks if she can stuff her face 2hrs before dinner and secondly, because then (unsurprisingly) the other kid sits there eating rather than playing.
If you take a picnic amount of food to a 2pm play date- pls why?

she fed them non-stop, even straight after lunch, even when they were actively pushing her away and refusing to eat what she offered, in which case the snacks would get progressively more sugary and crappy until they were all safely grazing again.

That sounds actively compulsive on her part - I've never seen a parent force their child to eat in that kind of situation when the child didn't want anything, or favour sweets over more healthy treats. It sounds far from ideal, but that kind of behaviour really is far from 'the norm' and it sounds like more than just generalised insecurity if she really was only content when her children were eating.

@JanisJ I took midget gems or party rings to school as a snack

Breaking news: Not all people are the same. One of my kids has inherited my fast metabolism so I’m sure you would have judged me harshly because I fed him what other people would think of as excessive amounts of snacks. He’s now a teen who eats enormous amounts all day long and has a BMI of 16. But please do advise, I should starve him so it doesn’t annoy people like you when we go out, right?

@Brooklyn999999

Breaking news: Not all people are the same. One of my kids has inherited my fast metabolism so I’m sure you would have judged me harshly because I fed him what other people would think of as excessive amounts of snacks. He’s now a teen who eats enormous amounts all day long and has a BMI of 16. But please do advise, I should starve him so it doesn’t annoy people like you when we go out, right?

Yes that’s exactly what I said

@Brooklyn999999

Breaking news: Not all people are the same. One of my kids has inherited my fast metabolism so I’m sure you would have judged me harshly because I fed him what other people would think of as excessive amounts of snacks. He’s now a teen who eats enormous amounts all day long and has a BMI of 16. But please do advise, I should starve him so it doesn’t annoy people like you when we go out, right?

A bit dramatic to say the least. The op hasn't suggested we all stop feeding our kids and starve them. Just that pulling out huge bags of sweets and crisps for pre school children on a trip to the park is a bit excessive.

I don't tend to bring my kids snacks out because they eat well at meals but they love food (even boring stuff like apples and cheese sandwiches) and if they know I have it they will badger me for it instead of playing. But I know other parents who have a hard time getting their kids to eat at meals so provide regular snacks. I don't judge- whatever works for other parents is their business- but I try to limit snacks for mine.

“Hangry” is an invention by snack marketeers! And an excuse for bad behaviour for parents who choose not to parent their children.

I didn’t eat snacks (60s & 70s) and my DCs didn’t get snacks (90s). Now you hardly pass a pushchair where the toddler isn’t sitting with a sausage roll or a Krispy Kreme. There really is no need for “snacks” when there is healthy food at mealtimes.

I get this too. Every bloody place we go revolves around "snacks" and/or "treat" food and it's a pain in the arse. The two families I know who are the worst for this use food in an attempt to bribe their spirited feral DC to behave. It's definitely a "thing" and one I certainly don't remember as a child. Can't be good for teeth either.

'Now you hardly pass a pushchair where the toddler isn’t sitting with a sausage roll or a Krispy Kreme.'

Where on earth do you live?! That's made me genuinely laugh out loud. I have never, ever seen anything like this.

@OllyBJolly

“Hangry” is an invention by snack marketeers! And an excuse for bad behaviour for parents who choose not to parent their children.

I didn’t eat snacks (60s & 70s) and my DCs didn’t get snacks (90s). Now you hardly pass a pushchair where the toddler isn’t sitting with a sausage roll or a Krispy Kreme. There really is no need for “snacks” when there is healthy food at mealtimes.

Snacks can be healthy.

I snack. As in I eat between meals. Not always, but as I need to. I'm fit, healthy & slim. I exercise a lot.

Also, what a person chooses to eat as a snack is very individual. I'd often have oatcakes with some Nutella & a banana mid morning. I'd already have exercised, and probably had a small breakfast, as that's the way my metabolism works. My snack is not healthy or unhealthy really. But it works for me.

Everyone is different.

I don't understand it either and suspect it's part of the reasons why we have an obesity crisis. Ditto to every toddler play session having to include a snack time or a snack table, even if it only runs for 90 minutes.

As for shaking after not eating for a few hours. This is completely not normal and you should see a doctor.

@Gwenhwyfar I have seen multiple doctors throughout my life and had various blood tests, the last one just a few months ago. They never find anything and the only thing the doctors ever tell me is just to eat little and often. It’s quite an inconvenience in my life as it can come on extremely quickly and I feel very faint and I always have to carry food, but whenever I raise it with a GP I just get told there’s nothing actually wrong, and to eat more often.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

I think toddlers tend to self regulate anyway

Omg they don't when just offered constant food. Newsflash: there are tons of fat kids in the UK.

Having just spent an afternoon at a UK beach I can confirm that sadly this is very true.

@Knittingupastorm

As for shaking after not eating for a few hours. This is completely not normal and you should see a doctor.

@Gwenhwyfar I have seen multiple doctors throughout my life and had various blood tests, the last one just a few months ago. They never find anything and the only thing the doctors ever tell me is just to eat little and often. It’s quite an inconvenience in my life as it can come on extremely quickly and I feel very faint and I always have to carry food, but whenever I raise it with a GP I just get told there’s nothing actually wrong, and to eat more often.

I get this too. I have yearly blood tests for diabetes due to previous GD and I'm not diabetic, I don't know why it happens, I guess some people are just like that.

You're saying your dd can't have it (which implies it's being offered to her) and that you're being directly offered it too. Sounds to me like they bring big portion sizes because they intend on sharing it round all the kids/families.

I don't understand it either and suspect it's part of the reasons why we have an obesity crisis.

Don't worry - it's not! Most obese people are in their 60s and 70s!

@OllyBJolly

“Hangry” is an invention by snack marketeers! And an excuse for bad behaviour for parents who choose not to parent their children.

I didn’t eat snacks (60s & 70s) and my DCs didn’t get snacks (90s). Now you hardly pass a pushchair where the toddler isn’t sitting with a sausage roll or a Krispy Kreme. There really is no need for “snacks” when there is healthy food at mealtimes.

I'm 40 and I definitely get hangry . In fact I try very hard to make sure I don't get very hungry (or very tired) as I then get very overwhelmed by other stuff which wouldn't normally bother me and it can cause a meltdown (suspected asd). So I can completely understand why a young child (or indeed anyone) can get grouchy when hungry.

Some DC aren't that bothered about food and don't eat much at mealtimes. You have to get calories in them somehow. They're not usually the overweight ones.

Really interesting thread this, everyone has different experiences.

I sympathise with the person who said when the other mom gets the snacks out and offers them round you feel like the unprepared wally as your children tuck in!

I do think everyone is different with food. My son loves food, he eat snacks if offered them and eats his meals too. We've never said he had to finish everything, in fact when we are out in a cafe or something and the portion is large we remind him he doesn't have to eat it all! He will leave food, but generally finishes an appropriate sized meal.

My DD is very different, she sees eating as a chore, and stops at soon as she's not hungry anything more. If she has a snack she eats even less at meal times. They were both fed and weaned the same, they are just different.

They don't snack particularly, I'll give something extra if I think they need it. However, I can quite believe there are other types of eaters and grazers who need to eat more regularly and that works for them.

I would say no one needs to be eating crisps and sweets as snacks though, especially not pre schoolers. They should be seen as treats not everyday snacks.

Most obese people are in their 60s and 70s

Not true. The number of fat kids at my GCs swimming lessons makes me weep. It’s bloody cruel - all because parents don’t say no. Skinny kids are rare now.

I’ve said this before but worth saying again. Compare a primary school class photo from the early 90s with a current one. Then say whether there is a childhood obesity crisis. Largely down to too much snacking and over processed fast food.

I fucking hate the word ‘hangry’.

Not true. The number of fat kids at my GCs swimming lessons makes me weep. It’s bloody cruel - all because parents don’t say no. Skinny kids are rare now.

Ok, well I'm going by statistical data compiled by the government rather than my own observations of a small handful of children at a swimming lesson. The data is all here:

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn03336/

@OllyBJolly

Most obese people are in their 60s and 70s

Not true. The number of fat kids at my GCs swimming lessons makes me weep. It’s bloody cruel - all because parents don’t say no. Skinny kids are rare now.

I’ve said this before but worth saying again. Compare a primary school class photo from the early 90s with a current one. Then say whether there is a childhood obesity crisis. Largely down to too much snacking and over processed fast food.

If you actually mean children who are a perfectly healthy weight for their height as opposed to 'skinny kids' of course they're not rare. How melodramatic.