Can't stand the constant whine "I'm hungry!" when DS gets in from school. Help!

[ruhavingalarf]

Normally try to do dinner for around 5pm dependent on after sch activities as DD in bed by 7.

Prob is DS1 starving when he comes out of school. Snack doesn't seem to cut it but don't want to give him too much so he doesn't eat his dinner.

But if there's no after school activity I have over 1 and a half hours of howling, whingeing, cajoling, tantrumming and assault on his sister because he's grumpy cos he's hungry. he's very, very

If I shift dinner forward, he's hungry again at 7pm. Any suggestions gladly welcomed.

all mine are starving after school. i take a sandwich for ds to eat on the walk home. does the trick

I take a snack to school as my DCs are starving, they might have another nibble when we get home, we eat around 5 pm, and they have supper around 7.30 , after bath etc

supper is crackers, cheese, banana or rice pudding or a couple of plain biscuits, something like that

and a drink

very often they are actually thirsty

could you give him a slice of toast or bread and jam, an apple or a bit of cheese when he gets in so then it'll tide him over till 5pm? It's quite a long time from lunch at 12 at school till 5pm and he may not have eaten much of his lunch ( for various reasons ). Or he could have his tea at 5 and then have a bit of cereal or toast for his supper. Hope this helps, it will fill him up a bit and then he won't whine !!!

he probably is hungry. DD has lunch at 11.45

just make a decent snack - i give mine a bowl of carrots, apple, cheese, breadstick, apricot etc... and a yoghurt if they want.

they still eat their dinner at 5.30. but as long as he's not eating rubbish does it matter if he eats less dinner later?

when they have an after school activity i always bring a sandwich/put extra in their lunch box for them to have just before it. they ARE starving. thirsty too as lulamama points out.

Lulu - Thirsty is a good point. I forget about that. Am now that I'm starving my child as well

I make sure that my two have a decent snack when they get in or take it with me if they are going to the park.

I also give them a large drink too.

They still eat all their dinner at 6pm, they are 3 and 4

DS has a sandwich on the way home from school (any time from 1515 to 1615), quite often something else (fruit) on arriving home and still manages to eat a full tea at 1700!! He then has a snack before bed (and there's not an ounce of fat on him). I agree with others who say that thirst is quite often the problem.

He is normal. Why can't you just give him an early dinner then supper later, or, give him a snack and dinner later. He is growing. It is a very long day at school. He is probably starving.

I am genuinely baffled.

Thanks everyone. I am def going to do "supper" as suggested after dinner at 7ish.

Its a new concept to me. I never had it and neither did my DH. Actually when I have given in to food at bedtime, my DH gets annoyed and says that DS should have eaten more at dinner time. He is a staunch believer in 3 meals a day with no snacks.

Wish me luck!

If they are hungry, feed them.

3 meals a day with no snacks is for fully grown adults who do minimal exercise. It is NOT enough for growing, active children. God help your Dh when he has teenagers in the house. Life will be one long battle. Who needs that?

If he is hungry feed him!

sorry to be thick but what's the difference between a snack and a small meal? I can see lulumama's supper is a small meal.

Why don't you want to give him food when he is hungry?

i tend to do my lot something toasted when they get in from school, fruit bread, crumpet etc or a mug of soup. It fills a gap, but isn't too junky.

My DS is home from school at 4pm and has dinner at 4.30pm. He is starving and can't wait and it saves having him scavenging for food and whining.

He almost always has a snack before bed, too - toast and banana or cereal or similar. He is at the age where he eats like a horse but is incredibly skinny.

seeker - I am wary as its his default sentence when he's bored. So am not sure if he is really hungry.

I have found out that just after school is the best time to get the famous "five a day" into DS' tummy. He is so hungry that would happily munch on carrots, broccoli or fruit.

I normally give him a plate with fruit or vegetables after school, so if he doesn't eat much at dinner time at least one important food group is sorted. Having said that... he would eat proteins and carbs no matter how full he is.

i find my worse after school dinners

soup is a good one, a good filler upper.

We have dinner at 4 when the dc get home, then we have supper at 8, before bedtime.

I dont think you CAN reasonably get away with just serving up ONE meal after school and before bed.

Dinner is dinner, and supper is sandwiches with fruit and milk/juice, or cereals with milk or youghurt, and milk/juice to drink. And some fruit.

young child = fruit at 3.30, dinner at 5.30, snack (bread and butter, biccie) if needed at bedtime.