Schools ends 3:30, fruit after school then dinner 5pm and snack before bed ?! Is this too much or wrong

[Momofmanykids]

hello I used to do dinner 6-6;30
now I moved it to 5 and from what I come from it’s not the norm . The norm is 7pm but because we are in the uk I decided to give it a try. Yesterday was the first attempt. I gave my child fruit pear after school 3:30 and he ate dinner 5pm and then pudding 7:30!
should I skip the fruit after school and go straight to dinner ?

7pm is pretty late so not the norm

most working parents can’t feed their kids at 5pm - mine will have a snack after school with the childminder - croissant / fruit / toast etc then I do dinner for around 6 ish depending on after school activities - they’ll usually have another snack whilst it’s cooking. After dinner that’s it no more snacks. Bedtime is 730-830

I think all kids need something immediately after school
and fruit or vegetable crudités are great

I'd skip the eating right before bed and leave the rest in place. If you're giving a pudding give it directly after dinner. It's not recommended for adults to eat close to bedtime so I wouldn't intentionally get my children into that habit.

Do what works for you! Many working parents in the UK will be picking up children from wraparound care shortly before 6.00, dinner on the table between 6.30-7.00. That's been our routine since eldest started nursery at 1, and it works for us, unless there's an evening club that means someone needs a quick meal earlier (and then yes, usually a snack afterwards).

I grew up in a family (and country) where a decent and healthy post-school snack like toast or a small sandwich and fruit, followed by dinner at 7:30pm was the norm. I then went as an exchange student in my late teens to a country and family where we ate dinner at 5pm and then they put out cake or waffles or biscuits at 8pm. That was the time my body expected dinner, and also being tempted with sweet stuff when I wasn’t mostly full from just having finished dinner meant I ate far too much of the treats. I gained 7kg in 11 months.

I’ve never understood who all these people are on MN who eat dinner at 5pm and what jobs they do?!? Office hours are 9:30-5:30pm even if you are lucky enough just to have an 8 hours a day job; people who work in retail don’t generally shut up and leave until well after 6pm; teachers have after school activities to run and lesson planning and marking to do. Everyone I know feeds their kids at 6pm when they are little and the adults eat later, and then as the kids grow up everyone converges on something between 6:30pm-8pm on family dinner.

This is pretty much what I used to do for my DDs, they are 11 & 14 now and always been a healthy weight.
They were always starving coming home from school so wouldn’t have waited until 5.30 dinner

As long as the food is healthy and the overall amount is reasonable it doesn't really matter when it is given or how many meals/snacks there. Just do what works for your family; feed your child when they're hungry!

I think 5pm is too early for dinner, unless you have a baby who is going to bed at 6:30.

We’ve always had snacks (multiple but healthy) after school/nursery - fruit, toast, cheese and crackers, sometimes a bit more substantive than that. Then dinner 7/7:30pm with fruit after dinner if still hungry (or sometimes we have an actual pudding but not most nights).

I’ve done this since my eldest was a toddler. Eating dinner at 5pm only works when you have a parent home during the day to cook. We have generally both always worked. So snacks when in the door if you’re hungry, then a proper hot dinner about 2 hours later. Then fruit or toast after if still hungry. Snacks never interfered with dinner and mine are both athletic and a healthy weight.

Sounds fine to me - what exactly was your concern ?

is the child a healthy weight? Do they have lots of energy? If yes then whatever you feeding them is fine

edit I have my tea at 5 and don’t have a baby going to bed at 6! It whatever works for your family

I would be trying to get him eating dinner at the same time as you and the other adults in the house as soon as possible.

We do snack after school- scrambled eggs on toast or similar.
Dinner at 6.30pm as that is when we get home if we have been in the office. We alternate office days so the other one cooks dinner.

So you have food issues? This all sounds perfectly fine.

We always eat at 7pm to 7.30pm. 5pm is ridiculously early; I’m still at my desk even on a commute day.

Again in my country lunch is 1pm and here they give school Children lunch 11:45 ! That’s why thinking of changing it . Also he suffers from chronic constipation so I thought maybe if he have fruit after school 3:30 and then dinner 5 and maybe actimel with homemade biscuit can trigger a bm and I was right

Pudding I give 7:30 and he sleeps 8:15
thats 45mins before bed ? Is that still ok ?
today it was actimel and homemade biscuit and yesterday it was like milk with some nuts

It all sounds totally fine. Some people will do things earlier or later. Some will give more food etc etc .
You do what works for your family, as long as he’s healthy enough, sleeping and happy etc then it’s all good. Why are you so worried about it?

There isn't a right or wrong, as PPs says what works for you.

I always had to give DS a banana or something at home time, then a snack (small sandwiches/yoghurt/cheese) ) when we got home. He had a meal at about 6-6.30 then that was it, I wouldn't give him anything before bed.

If your DS is prone to constipation can you get him to drink more, or give him more water fruits and foods?

I’d personally skip the 7:30pm snack/pudding but the rest is fine. My Dd prefers to eat at 5pm-5:30 most days she doesn’t have a snack after school but if she does fruit or veg is fine

I used to do dinner straight after school as soon as they got home because they were so hungry. Then a snack before bed...like crackers, bread roll, yoghurt, cheese, fruit, biscuits etc

Mine used to have a snack (fruit at pick up, savoury when back home), dinner usually around 6pm. Bed for 8pm.

Do what works for your family. It all sounds good to me (maybe add more fluid).

He is small for his age
hence the pudding ! I am playing with the time because I read an article saying how chronic constipation is linked to eating habits and how late the main meal can be etc . He acc pood today after he ate after 5 which I am happy about as well as yesterday 🥹. Water doesn’t make no difference for his constipation 💔

Do what works best for you and the kids. Dont worry about the norm.We've changed things over the years depending on ages and routines. So it's not always fixed.

Currently, children will have a snack straight after school then main meal around 6. If they hungry again before bed they have a snack. (Bedtimes vary depending on ages)

Do whatever works for your family and fits into your routine. When dd was younger generally dinner would be 5/5:30 depending on whether I was in the office or wfh. Sometimes but not always a small supper before bedtime- toast, cereal, crackers, crumpet, something like that. As she’s gotten older (11 now) and bedtime has shifted later so too has dinner so now it can be nearer 6:30/7, especially in good weather when she likes to play outside with friends before dinner. Now that dinner is later she’ll normally have a snack straight after school. If she’s at after school care she’ll have a snack there. Sometimes she’ll ask for supper as well, but not always.

I am also from a country that has late lunches and dinners, so I understand where you are coming from!! We do snack after school (fruit, nuts, yoghurt, cheese) and then dinner is at 5.30. Then at 7-7.30 we do milk and snack while me and DH have dinner. Bedtime is 8.15, asleep by 9pm. They are 7 and 5yo.