What do you make for dinner after a day at nursery?

[timealone]

For those with babies/toddlers at nursery, I'm just wondering what you give them for dinner? DS (9 months) is starting nursery soon 3 days/week, and they have a schedule of breakfast 8am (toast and cereal), lunch 11.30am (hot meal), tea 3.30pm (sandwiches and finger food).

I figure he is still going to need some supper before bed, but not sure whether to do something quick like scrambled eggs, or whether to make a proper meal that we all sit down and eat together. I always feel like we should sit down and eat one meal per day together, but not sure if I'm putting too much pressure on myself as I won't have seen him all day and then would be cooking rather than spending time with him. Would be easier if I just did something quick for him and then me and DH could eat later and decide whether to have a proper cooked meal or just something quick.

I always feel DS is pretty tired and not hungry after a day at nursery (as he gets 3pm snack and often a 5pm one too!). I usually prep smaller portions of whatever we had the night before so that it's no big loss if he doesn't eat it. I've also seen me give his cheese on toast or porridge for quickness!

Yes, you're putting too much pressure on yourself. He has had ample opportunity to eat something more complicated at lunch. I would really do eggy bread, scrambled egg, a sandwich, a couple of biscuits and milk, a bit of toast, an apple. Something picnic ish. Give yourself and him a break instead to have a cuddle, he'll probably prefer milk still for a while at night.

Mine just have toast and some fruit when they come home. I don't collect them until 6 so there isn't really time to do more than that and they wouldn't eat it anyway!

Mine has a similar food schedule at nursery. He's very picky so I just give him fruit and yoghurt as at least I know he'll have it.

Our kids eat at 4pm with the CM so we use the time between pick up and bed for play/baths/stories. They have a bowl of warm porridge before bed (and have done since theu weaned).

DH and I then cook dinner together and sit and eat together with some good tv.

I actually like the way we do it - though being on MN has compounded the guilt as it always seems to be argued on here that I shpuld force the kids to stay awake later to eat with us.

We eat breakfast together. We eat together at the weekends. It works for all of us.

I agree with you thinkivebeenhacked! Our DS goes to bed around 7, I make a nice meal for me and th hubby (usually something DS wouldn't/can't have) and just enjoy each other's company. I spend a lot of time with DS and it's equally important u get time as a couple. If your not happy then how can kids be happy!

DD has cheese and crackers, piece of fruit, piece of toast or similar. They eat a hot lunch, have an afternoon snack and then a finger tea around 4 - absolutely no need for another meal

Oh I'm glad to hear this, it will definitely take the pressure off! Even now on mat leave (when I theoretically have all day to prepare dinner), I often find it difficult to make something "proper" that we can all eat together at 5.30pm. I suppose I will stil try and do a hot dinner for us all on the 4 days that he isn't at nursery.

Like others we just give DS snacky foods - some crackers, a babybel, some soreen, fruit. That kind of thing.

I really struggle to eat with DS though. Because we stick broadly to nursery schedule when he's not there eating dinner at 11.30 and a light-ish tea at about 5 just doesn't work.

Apart from my parents, I dont know any grown ups who would choose to eat their evening meal at 5.30. It is just so early!

And keeping the dcs up and hungry til 7pm just seems counter productive. At that time they are ready for bed, not a big dinner. Not at the ages mine are anyways.

My daughter is 14 months and has her breakfast at home (porridge) a hot meal at nursery and they then give them sandwiches/Beans on toast or something like this at 4pm. Her stomach is huge when I bath her In the evenings, so assuming she is eating well at nursery. She is too exhausted for food so I give her milk ( only bottle she has) and she is sound asleep by 6.30.

Ds is 12 months, and has been at nursery for three weeks. He eats well there (usually double portions) and has tea there at 4. We pick up around half 5, and he's both exhausted and ravenous! I figure he has such a busy day he needs extra fuel. Initially I'd just give him an Ellas pouch or a banana and rice cakes, but it wasn't enough, so now I usually grab a portion if spag bol or whatever I've got in the freezer for him.
Dh and I eat at 7.30 when ds is in bed

My chap normally has something cold after nursery, sometimes breakfast cereal as he adores it.
He also has a bowl before nursery to.. So on a nursery day he has 5 meals and two substantial snacks with them! Nursery is exhausting!
We use nursery days to have a dinner he won't like.

Our DS went to nursery about the same age and we tried to eat together at 7 but we didn't get back from nursery/work until 6.30. I became an expert at quick dinners. On nights when I knew DH wouldn't be back in time I would give DS something like fishfingers when we got back in and I would eat with DH later.
I've tried to generally stick to the making one dinner for everyone rule but some nights I was too tired and reached for a snacky fishfinger / cheese & biscuits / sandwich dinner for DS and got us takeaway. It's important to work out what works for your family. I know some kids that just weren't hungry but my DS has always been a kid that eats loads of breakfast, picks at lunch, and then is ravenous in the evening.
Everyone is different, you can always change what you are doing.
We have stuck with a similar schedule / food and DS is now 7 - the challenge is now to get him to help with dinner ????

I tend to do something quick and easy, maybe cheese sticks, tomatoes, bread stick and cucumber. Or scrambled egg, toast and yogurt.

Though to be honest, if they've eaten a lot at nursery, could just be a banana and yoghurt.

DH and I eat together once kids are in bed on nursery days. None nursery days we all eat together.

Dd 12 months has a huge appetite and I feel that finger foods at tea isn't enough to fill her, I'd rather the hot meal was for tea but it's only 1 day a week so if she seems hungry I give her weetabix before her bedtime bottle.