Do you give your children afternoon tea?

[SupersonicDave]

If so, what do you give them? I know this is popular in some nurseries.

We tend to have an early lunch (11.30) because DD starts preschool at 12.30. Because of this, we rarely have a morning snack. We tend to have dinner around 6.30.

This does mean that we are all starving by 4pm and tempers are starting to fray.

I was thinking that instead of a snack, having some sandwiches and fruit/bowl of cereal/something on toast would be a good idea, then having smaller portions of dinner.

Am i just being soft? DD is 3yrs and very active and DS is 8m (BLW)

sounds sensible - lunch at 12.30 here and tea at 5.30 and then still a snack is needed inbetween sometimes.

Better a sandwich and fruit than something more unhealthy

Yes. Normally chopped fruit (apples, strawberries etc) and a box of raisins and supper is at 5.30.

we have crumpets, hot cross buns etc after school. Keeps us all going til 6. sometimes home made biscuits or cake. or smoothies.

But yes, all in favour of afternoon tea.

Thank you [csmile]

It just seems so daft for us all to be hungry and grumpy with each other when a sandwich or something would stop that!

My three DC eat at 7.30 am, 12 and 6pm with no snacks at all as a rule! Just water at 10.30 to 11ish and 3.30 to 4 ish. However, if tempers are really fraying I find half a rice cake or an apple shared between three is enough to take the edge off!

On a preschool day yes. Because she starts preschool at midday so has a sandwich at 11.30am, a snack at preschool but then is very hungry by 4pm and dinner isn't until 6 or later. She has a small roll or some fruit, cereal, yoghurt, whatever really. She is allowed to help herself within reason.

My 15 m.o. eats at 7.30am, substantial snack at 10.30/11, light lunch 2pm, possibly another snack mid-afternoon and dinner at 5.30pm. I'd definitely have a snack in your situation. Lots of children do better with smaller, more frequent meals (as do plenty of adults!)

For snacky things we have American pancakes (made in bulk & frozen), crackers, rice cakes, breadsticks, fruit, and salad type veg (not all at once!)

Things like savoury cheese biscuits (again, made in bulk & frozen) and cheesy vegetable nuggets (there's a recipe on the BLW forum) go down well here too.

If my DD (2) eats anything between meals, she won't eat her dinner. So no snacks in our house unless she's in bed and they're for me!!!

I wouldn't be able to go from 1130 to 1830 without a snack!

Sticks & dips are popular between meal snacks here, current favourite is red pepper sticks & hummus, before that it was celery & peanut butter

We just have tea earlier (before 5pm) and don't have snacks. There is no way my dc could wait until 6.30 for tea, it's a pain if we're all eating together as I don't like eating so early but it's also quite nice to have it all over with an a free evening.