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AIBU?

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Original poster

Endless snacking

79 replies

Hihosilver123 · 14/04/2023 19:20

I find it interesting how some parents feel the need to constantly feed their children. Amongst school parents (primary) there seems to be a high level of anxiety if the children don’t have a snack at playtime. Surely children can survive from breakfast to lunch? It’s ok for them to be hungry for a bit, as lunch approaches, isn’t it? It’s the same with water bottles. Children don’t need to be endlessly sucking on a water bottle do they? Perhaps I’m old fashioned but snacking was not a thing when we were kids. We just ate at mealtimes, which included tea after school and then an evening meal.

OP posts:
crossstitchingnana · 15/04/2023 09:01

SomethingInTheOrange
IMO a biscuit before bed was supper. Nobody I knew would sit and eat chocolate, crisps etc whilst watching TV. Snacking was just not a habit. It was three meals and a biscuit before bed.

No-one wants to be hungry, but it’s like we’ve lost the ability to let hunger build. I think the vast majority of people in this country are not in tune with their hunger as a result.

00100001 · 15/04/2023 09:33

junebirthdaygirl · 15/04/2023 08:47

Think, as a teacher the dc do really need a snack at early break. But a healthy one. Otherwise around 12 they really begin to droop. Often they have half their lunch then and the rest at next break giving them a longer playtime and no big hunger issues. They eat so slowly as busy chatting too. I am in lreland so no school dinners in my school. But there is a healthy eating policy.
When l was in school we had an early start with a big breakfast of porridge/ eggs..proper meal. Then no snacks until lunchtime. Now l feel children are rushing more in the morning with both dps trying to get out to work, dropping little ones to creche etc so breakfast may not be as substantial. Also in school it gives a nice pause in the day and they are ready to go again afterwards. But it's essential it's a healthy one.
As for the water bottles they do annoy me but as a person who could forget to drink all day they are probably the wise ones. Once a doctor couldn't take a blood sample from me as l was so dehydrated even though l felt fine. I have to very consciously remember to drink.

Quite. Loads of kids are sent to school on a crappy little bowl of rice Krispies or some other sugary nonsense. They're gonna be hungry really quickly against the child that had dippy egg and soldiers and a cup of milk or a bowl of porridge and a banana.

Original poster
Hihosilver123 · 15/04/2023 13:12

crossstitchingnana · 15/04/2023 09:01

SomethingInTheOrange
IMO a biscuit before bed was supper. Nobody I knew would sit and eat chocolate, crisps etc whilst watching TV. Snacking was just not a habit. It was three meals and a biscuit before bed.

No-one wants to be hungry, but it’s like we’ve lost the ability to let hunger build. I think the vast majority of people in this country are not in tune with their hunger as a result.

Couldn’t agree more and I think you’ve verbalised that perfectly.

OP posts:
DowntownKingston · 15/04/2023 14:13

Tea & an evening meal?

I agree, too many snacks & parents wonder why their kids won’t eat their meals. By the time they’ve had their grated carrot, snack sized cucumber, lettuce leaf, cheese slice, 5 different yoghurts, 9 grapes, a small apple, an orange, banana, & a pear, of course they can’t eat anything else.

Mrsjayy · 15/04/2023 14:16

I was in primary school 40 years ago,we always had something for playtime I don't think that's a new fanged thing. Kids are allowed a treat mid morning doesn't mean they are "hungry" .

Gistbury · 15/04/2023 14:17

Albiboba · 14/04/2023 19:34

There is literally a thread on this every single week.
Some people snack, some children snack!

For god sake get over it and stop pretending it’s more virtuous to go hungry between meals.

Well said

Mrsjayy · 15/04/2023 14:23

New fangled thing* I obviously meant to say.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 15/04/2023 14:26

Nobody I knew would sit and eat chocolate, crisps etc whilst watching TV.

It's hardly a new phenomenon though - I was in primary school in the nineties and snacking in front of the TV was totally normal. In our household, that would be a bowl of Kettle Chips (always the cheese ones), or some Dairy Milk, or a couple of oranges, or a couple of slices of toast. Not everyday or all the time, but it really wasn't unheard of.

My dad was in primary school in the late fifties/early sixties and even he remembers buying snacks with his sister on his way home from school in the afternoons.

These threads are always full of people who like to claim that snacking is totally abnormal and anyone who dares feed their children anything other than three meals a day is the reason we have an obesity crisis Wink

Whereas in reality, everyone is different and we all eat differently. In some Asian countries, they'll eat noodles or egg fried rice for breakfast. Some parts of Europe have bread with meat and cheese. Similarly, some people prefer to eat little and often whereas others prefer big meals. No one way of eating is superior to another.

Chocolatelabradorsarethebest · 15/04/2023 14:27

Gistbury · 15/04/2023 14:17

Well said

Show quote history

I completely agree too, what does it matter. The best thread recently on the topic was the poster who claimed not to even know what a snack was.

It’s disturbing how many food/calories/snacking threads there are at the moment.

Cinnamon23 · 15/04/2023 14:32

I can see the debate on snacking, some people snack and some don’t. But you’re coming for water, now? Really? 🤔

I’m sure dehydration is a hoot.

Toddlerteaplease · 15/04/2023 14:33

I'm 41 we had no shake and no drinks at all at school. Other than water at lunch time.

bussteward · 15/04/2023 14:38

In my day we didn’t even have meals, let alone snacks. Water was once a week: spare the dehydration and spoil the child.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 15/04/2023 14:47

bussteward · 15/04/2023 14:38

In my day we didn’t even have meals, let alone snacks. Water was once a week: spare the dehydration and spoil the child.

Once a week?

We had a drop of water once a month and we were damn grateful for it.

Albiboba · 15/04/2023 14:48

Toddlerteaplease · 15/04/2023 14:33

I'm 41 we had no shake and no drinks at all at school. Other than water at lunch time.

👏 🏅

Dollmeup · 15/04/2023 14:56

I always had a play piece when I was at school. And my mum used to give me juice and biscuits for snacks when I was at home. Definitely not a new thing. My kids have much healthier snacks than I ever did at least.

And I have no problem at all with constant water drinking, it prevents dehydration and isn't unhealthy at all. People are just more aware of the benefits of drinking water now I think.

Kic · 15/04/2023 15:04

In my day we all had to gather round a puddle in the street.

Parents and grandparents went first.

Then the rest of us shared the final drops before they evaporated.

And we were grateful for it.

Maple2023 · 15/04/2023 15:05

I'm 39 and we had snacks and a water bottle
After school I would get a sandwich/choc bar/fruit or something because I would go from school to the stables, muck out, ride etc and not be home until about 7pm. Then eat two portions of whatever was for tea
Plus I was growing to be 5ft 10 and permanently hungry!

Singapore4 · 15/04/2023 15:06

I think times have changed. 90s child here we had NO took shop in primary school but we did in high school.

I don't remember the children in my class being as big and I notice children are much taller today including my DS. He's 8 (just gone not long ago) he is 4ft 9.

Yerroblemom1923 · 15/04/2023 17:08

I think the water bottle thing is a good move as many of us (kids and adults) don't drink enough water and it's good to keep our bodies hydrated.
But the snacking thing I think stems from the early days eg when they're toddlers with little stomachs and can't go as long between meals and we always took some emergency fruit out with us on a day out eg library sing song event - if it was nearing lunch time and we needed to stave off a "hangry" tant. Needless to say as they get older they can go longer between meals/understand it's OK to feel hungry as it's nearly mealtime/learn to wait etc etc but I think some parents forget this and continue with the snacks and not necessarily healthy ones eg crisps/chocolate.
In our house we're pretty relaxed about food and it's no big deal if my kids want fruit/veg/hummus etc between meals - I only object if they ask as I'm about to dish up as know it'll ruin their appetite for their proper meal.

VioletMountainHare · 15/04/2023 17:16

The children in Enid Blyton stories always had snacks or went to cafes to buy cakes and sugary drinks. In boarding school stories written by various authors too the children come with tuck boxes which are topped up by deliveries of cakes and sweets from home. These books were written between the 40s and 60s, and although they are fictional they’ll have been based on common social customs of the time. The type of snacks may have changed but snacking certainly isn’t a new thing.

5128gap · 15/04/2023 17:20

70s child. We had crisps (7p) or snaps (6p) at break sold to us by the school. If we had pocket money we could spend it on sweets. A 'finger of fudge' and a milky way were marketed as full of Cadbury 'goodness' and able to be eaten between meals without spoiling the appetite respectively. So no, it's not a new thing.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 15/04/2023 17:24

Singapore4 · 15/04/2023 15:06

I think times have changed. 90s child here we had NO took shop in primary school but we did in high school.

I don't remember the children in my class being as big and I notice children are much taller today including my DS. He's 8 (just gone not long ago) he is 4ft 9.

I'm a nineties child too, and we definitely had overweight and obese children in school.

ThuMuClu · 15/04/2023 17:41

I have a DS who doesn’t eat big meals. He eats slowly and stops when he’s hungry. He prefers to snack than fill up on big meals. He’s also really active so needs energy but. It to be overly full. Everyone is different.

00100001 · 15/04/2023 19:53

Singapore4 · 15/04/2023 15:06

I think times have changed. 90s child here we had NO took shop in primary school but we did in high school.

I don't remember the children in my class being as big and I notice children are much taller today including my DS. He's 8 (just gone not long ago) he is 4ft 9.

We didn't have a tuck shop. But kids ate food between meals all the time. It was just utter shite food like chocolate, sweets, crisps and cake most of the time.

Kids weren't as fat then (grew up in 80s) but there were fat kids about, just not as many. But they were the ones who never played much at playtime and we're "greedy" so would have something like two cakes rather than one. It was noticed and kids would comment!

Whatkindofuckeryisthis · 15/04/2023 19:58

Kids need calories and if I had breakfast at 7am and lunch at 12 like my son, I’d want a snack! I’m not obese.. far from it and my son is tall and skinny despite breakfast of weetabix, blueberries and banana, peanut butter on toast for a snack or an oaty bar, a sandwich and fruit for lunch, a yoghurt as another snack and then a dinner of something like spag bol, curry or sausage and mash.
Also, kids need to drink water throughout the day, especially if running around a lot like my son who does karate and football etc… Not sure what the issue is! Pretty sure it’s recommended on the NHS website. I guess it also depends what kind of snacks! Crisps and a donut daily maybe not!!