Page 6 | The snack requests are going to kill me off.

3AndStopping · 2023-07-25T15:57:47+00:00

One week into the summer holidays and if I hear ‘I’m hungry.’ One more time I might actually bang my head against a brick wall!! Helppppp! (light hearted(ish) of course.)

Lauz841 · 25/07/2023 20:13

My 1 year old has now starting saying 'nacks, pleeeeese' because she's learned it from her brother, and sees that it gets him fruit, crackers, a yoghurt etc! I thought I had a few years before she caught on! 🤣

elkiedee · 25/07/2023 20:15

I've left it far too late for some of the good ideas here. At home there were cream crackers and ryvita and stuff like that - as an older kid I had to buy sweets and crisps myself a lot of the time. But my problem now is that dp has let the kids expect to have a lot of treats and snacks bought for them, and in large quantities as well.

As for not having snacks at school, I think with the private companies running cafeterias at secondary school they ban taking stuff in which would at least be more affordable and could actually be shared between a group of friends, but there is a snack kiosk selling food at breaks. It was closed for a while in the COVID era and we started sending them in with a snack for morning break.

Though DS1 used the kiosk much more than DS2 has so far, DS2 just eats ridiculous amounts of junk food in the afternoon.

Begonne · 25/07/2023 20:22

I’ve created a flow chart for mine to consult with yes/no arrows to questions like
did you brush your teeth?
is there a meal due in the next hour?
Is the house tidy?
how many snacks have you had today
etc

It’s a thing of beauty and the ensuing peace is marvellous.

Waffle78 · 25/07/2023 20:23

What's up with a slice of toast or a banana?

Bignanny30 · 25/07/2023 20:25

When they’re at school do they constantly say to the teacher ‘I’m hungry’ ?! No of course they don’t, they’re just bored.

feelforyou2 · 25/07/2023 20:26

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 25/07/2023 17:05

If I ever said "I'm hungry", my dad would just say "Hi hungry, I'm dad" and that would be the end of that

Just the best. V funny!😂

Vettrianofan · 25/07/2023 20:27

We are three weeks into summer holidays and fed up with the mantra "I am hungry!".

Three weeks to go 😭

Shutupyoutart · 25/07/2023 20:37

Solidarity op! I'm in Ireland so the kids have been off school since the end of June and if I hear "I'm hungry" one more time I think I will scream!im going out to buy snack baskets for each child tomorrow and when the contents of it's gone tough they can use their school stomachs!

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 25/07/2023 20:43

I found/find with my boys, they would only ask for food when they were bored.

They are older teens now however I make a large bowl of pasta (meat/fish plus veg combo) and keep in the fridge for them to eat.

I also make toasties (meat and cheese) by the dozen and freeze, so they just need to bung in the toastie maker when they wanted.

On Sunday I made chicken, sweetcorn and broccoli pasta (leftovers from Sundays chicken dinner) and I made “pizza” toasties (pepperoni, tomato and mixed cheese)

Tomorrow is franks (hot sauce) cheese and veg pasta with chicken. (loads of hidden veg, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, courgette, onion, mushroom and squash)

For toasties it’s ham, cheese and tomato.

Cheap and cheerful.

Theredjellybean · 25/07/2023 20:53

They are bored...
Really...do children need to eat constantly ? No..
Do they do this at school...no...
No wonder we have a childhood obesity epidemic.
If they complain of being hungry and you offer something healthier...carrot sticks, fruit...and it's turned down ..they are not hungry...they just "fancy" food as a quick gratification fix.

WibblyWobblyLane · 25/07/2023 21:35

I make DD5 reflect on the reason for her hunger. If she's eaten all her lunch/breakfast than she is missing nutrients and she knows to ask for a healthy snack and we have cucumber sticks, carrot sticks, humus and a full fruit bowl. Is she just bored? OK let's do something and see how you feel in a bit. Is she just after some sweets/chocolate? That's fine but not too much and if she says she's hungry again after that, then it's only fruit or veg. I'm not for the snack boxes because children don't have the will power not to just stuff their faces and then be genuinely hungry later, so it almost punishes them for not having fully developed brains.

femfemlicious · 25/07/2023 21:47

Didiplanthis · 25/07/2023 19:28

My ASD child turned himself orange with easy peelers.... I never left all.the family fruit out in the bowl after that 🤣... it was entirely sensory seeking and no interoception to.tell him he was full !

Show quote history

I hide them but then I forget about them and they go bad. Looks like easy peelers are an autism fave😁

Littlejacksmummy · 25/07/2023 21:48

I have a 3 year old boy and a 2 year old girl, both with fruit bowl addictions. Tesco delivery guys must think we have a squad of monkey living in the back. They raid through the delivery as it's being transferred from the van as I'd they have never seen food before. Toddlers have no shame. 🤣

Thelonelygiraffe · 25/07/2023 22:20

@Whowhatwherewhenwhy1 - great plan!

Hill1991 · 26/07/2023 02:10

I have is 5yo who's a serial snacker for the last 2days I've given him a protein Rich brunch he has fruit or cereal in a morning that's lasted him to dinner time with a small snack mid afternoon so not had the constant asking for his usual snacks

mercutio84 · 26/07/2023 02:44

Oh god my 4 yo just picks at meals but between them looks at me as if i'm starving him - 'Im so hungry!!!!' I'm trying to limit the snacks so he eats more meals but soooo hard.

TheWomanTheyCallJayne · 26/07/2023 11:58

WitcheryDivine · 25/07/2023 19:26

My mum and dad were hard-nosed about snacks.

If obviously not really hungry just bored, "there's fruit in the fruit bowl" (whether there was or not)
If probably peckish e.g. after school or while playing lots of active games outside - a piece of toast with usually something savoury - cheese or tuna or marmite
If basically starving e.g. post swimming it'd be a combination of the two - toast + fruit.

A biscuit or two maybe once a day when they were having one with a cuppa.

They couldn't afford to get individually wrapped snacks for us and didn't keep many snacks in the house. I don't think either would recognise a babybel or a pepperami if it slapped them in the face. It was fine.

This was similar to my methods.

If you’re not hungry enough to eat fruit (that I know you eat) then you’re bored not hungry.

sgtmajormum · 26/07/2023 12:00

Feel your pain! I have two boys 15 & 13, they eat nothing all day at school, maybe half a sandwich and a biscuit bar if I'm lucky. At home they are locusts constantly rummaging through cupboards looking for snacks, but heaven forbid they make themselves a sandwich or eat a proper meal!
I've had my cooking insulted all holidays so far as they'd much rather have a takeaway (so not happening)
I've had success with a snack box which I refill twice a week.
I'm tempted to let them shop for their own food as I really can't stand it any longer (the food fussiness has been going on for about a year now)

LuluGuinea · 26/07/2023 12:03

Gerrataere · 25/07/2023 17:08

I mean as a kid I’d empty that into the bin. Or I’d eat all 12 then follow my mother around doing world class rancid farts for the rest of the day until she gave me a damn Kit Kat…..

Show quote history

😂as soon as I read 12 boiled eggs I was thinking of the farts! 12? WTF??

LuluGuinea · 26/07/2023 12:05

WibblyWobblyLane · 25/07/2023 21:35

I make DD5 reflect on the reason for her hunger. If she's eaten all her lunch/breakfast than she is missing nutrients and she knows to ask for a healthy snack and we have cucumber sticks, carrot sticks, humus and a full fruit bowl. Is she just bored? OK let's do something and see how you feel in a bit. Is she just after some sweets/chocolate? That's fine but not too much and if she says she's hungry again after that, then it's only fruit or veg. I'm not for the snack boxes because children don't have the will power not to just stuff their faces and then be genuinely hungry later, so it almost punishes them for not having fully developed brains.

This is very sensible advice.

liveforsummer · 26/07/2023 12:08

Yours are a bit young but I found mine stopped eating so incessantly once they could be expected to prepare snacks themselves. (Your 6 yo is just about there). Don't have too much instant stuff in then there is no option if they are hungry they can have fruit, toast or something like crackers and cheese

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 26/07/2023 12:08

When I was small a snack was an apple or a carrot. If it was a meal time soon you didn't even get that you'd have to wait.

If you didn't want an apple or a carrot you were deemed not that hungry then and sent off.

80's moms didn't have all this.

AmyandPhilipfan · 26/07/2023 12:12

I started weekly snack boxes for my 3 a few months ago to stop the pinching of things from cupboards. It worked quite well for a while but this week I've had snacky bits in a cupboard for packed lunches for holiday clubs and noticed today that lots of it has been taken so for my older two I think I'm going to up their pocket money but say all snacks have to now be bought by themselves.

Monster80 · 26/07/2023 12:17

I make my daughter a packed lunch each morning during summer hols and get her to select from it during the day - whether we are home or our. Everything is packed in tupperware (as it would usually be) - I refuse other food requests, this is no different to if she was attending camp. Don’t let them rattle you! 😬

Monster80 · 26/07/2023 12:19

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 25/07/2023 17:05

If I ever said "I'm hungry", my dad would just say "Hi hungry, I'm dad" and that would be the end of that

This is amazing - I’m stealing it!