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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

What do you give your DC for tea when they already have had tea in nursery?

18 replies

angel1976 · 01/02/2009 21:06

Hi,

A quick question to get some ideas. My DS will be going to nursery from 8am-6pm 4 days a week starting tomorrow (GULP!). He's been doing settling in for 2 weeks and it's going well (well, as well as it can be!) so far. He gets tea at 3.30pm in the nursery. What do I give him when we get in from the nursery? I imagine he will need a small snack/meal when we get in at just gone 6 but as his bedtime and bottle is at 7-7.15pm, I can't give him too much in case it impacts on that. Any good ideas for something fast and easy that he can eat with his fingers (he doesn't like being spoonfed). He's eating well at the nursery so it's just something so he doesn't get hungry at night? Thanks!

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bodiddly · 01/02/2009 21:14

Our ds goes to nursery 5 days a week 7.30am until about 5pm. They have tea at about 3-3.30pm and a snack at 5pm. When he gets home he is usually pretty hungry but only has something pretty quick as he is in bed by 6/6.30pm. I either give him a sandwich and raisins or a piece of cake and some fruit. He is nearly 4 now and his appetite has changed since he started there at 6 months. I think when he was small he wasn't as hungry and more often than not some rice cakes or bread sticks were enough. Depending on his age you may find he is over-tired to begin with when he starts and that his bed time will move a little earlier as it is pretty exhausting for them. You could always take some snacks with you to have in the car on the way home. Some days ds is starving (probably those days when he doesnt really eat much at lunch time if he doesnt like it) and will eat me out of house and home. I never cook anything hot but do a plate of a sandwich, cucumber sticks, a few crisps and a cake/biscuit or raisins on a day like this.

Hope it all goes well .... expect some over-tired meltdown days .. we certainly had plenty but he came through the phase and copes pretty well now!

FairLadyRantALot · 01/02/2009 21:16

I would just give toast/roll with butter or sandwiches....stuff like that...
or maybe a banana, nice and filling without being to heavy...
breadsticks/crackers might also be good...

MrsMattie · 01/02/2009 21:17

I used to give my son weetabix, cheese on toast, yoghurt & banana - something filling but easy to prepare.

callmeovercautious · 01/02/2009 21:22

It varies. I look at what was on the menu and how much they say she has had. When she was little 12m - 18m probably, I still did her a meal as she was a bad sleeper!

Now she is nearly 2.5 and I give her a snack if she has eaten well - she likes cheese and crackers or toast. If she has not eaten much I do something quick like scrambled egg or crumpets and cheese. She always has a yoghurt and maybe some raisin or fruit too. It never stopped her wanting her BM at bedtime

Good Luck for tomorrow!

pavlovthecat · 01/02/2009 21:24

DD (2.5) is usually starving after nursery! 8am-6pm with tea at 4pm ish, although sometimes we get her a bit earlier/she goes in a bit late.

I usually give her:
toast and marmite/jam/cream cheese
cereal
cheese/breadsticks/fruit (although not always as she eats lots of fruit at nursery)
Ice cream and cake
Pasta and pesto
A tube of Ella's kitchen fruit/veg puree - she still loves this!
Whatever we are eating (if we are eating while she is up, which we do sometimes if one of us is going out).
scrambled egg

I have no probs it impacting on her milk before bed, she drinks far far too much and I am trying to cut it down!

pavlovthecat · 01/02/2009 21:25

Oh, and good luck this week for DS at nursery!

Ceebee74 · 01/02/2009 21:30

Pretty much what the others have said.

Toast - plain/marmite/peanut butter
Crumpets
Fruit toast (his fave)
Breadsticks and cheese
Dry cereal

He is getting to the age (2.7) now that he can ask for what he wants when he gets back so it is usually up to him.

Tbh, the 'tea' he gets at nursery is what I would call a snack, not a meal - sandwiches, crumpets, garlic bread - but he eats so little anyway that he wouldn't eat a proper meal when he got home if I made the effort to do one!!

bodiddly · 01/02/2009 21:30

even at nearly 4 ds still drinks milk at bedtime - food doesnt seem to impact on his intake capacity.... but then again if yours is a littlie I can understand your concern!

cmotdibbler · 01/02/2009 21:40

DS usually has some toast and fruit, much as the others have said. He eats very well at nursery, but just likes something whilst we chill out

Original poster

angel1976 · 01/02/2009 21:44

Thanks! Good ideas all... DH suggested fruit but surely he needs something more filling than that! He's only 11.5 months so his milk intake is still a bit of a hit and miss... I ALWAYS worry about his milk / food intake. I see how much the children eat (or not eat) at nursery and it worries me as they seem to eat so little... I.e. They get a few bits of fruit at snack time but this morning for breakfast, DS had cheerios and a whole kiwi!

DS loves breadstick but I worry about them being 'empty' calories, I mean how much calories can one breadstick have? LOL! I think he gets a proper tea at the nursery, last time he had spag bol, toast, yoghurt and flapjack. In fact I think he eats better than me...

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Original poster

angel1976 · 01/02/2009 21:45

Oh yes, and thanks for the good luck vibes for tomorrow, we need it!

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bodiddly · 01/02/2009 21:46

You just reminded me ds went through a phase of having weetabix when he got home from nursery .. it is filling and its another way of adding a little milk!

Original poster

angel1976 · 01/02/2009 21:54

Note to self - Must buy Weetabix tomorrow! Thanks bodiddly (and others who have suggested Weetabix)...

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callmeovercautious · 02/02/2009 21:11

Hope today went well angel. What did you do for his Dinner then?

DD had Spagghetti with butter and cheese as she refused lunch today, in the car home she told me her tummy was sore - which usually means she is really hungry However she snaffled a choc bicci off DH (who was home early) so only ate about 3 strings then a yoghurt and some jelly!

Original poster

angel1976 · 02/02/2009 21:30

Thanks callmeovercautious. But it's been a bad day. Turned up at he nursery to find a note to say the school (it's attached to a primary school) is closed! Anyway, we should have checked... I made it halfway to work (DH was home as well as he didn't make it to his work trip as all trains cancelled!) to have my boss call me to say don't come in as she couldn't make it in.

Didn't really expect this and didn't have much prepared... So DS had odds and ends all day, he was being a fusspot. Just had a really difficult day as I was really looking forward to going back to work and DS being in nursery. I know it's terrible to say this but we've worked so hard to get him settled in nursery and he was eating so well in there. Now it feels like taking a step back.

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callmeovercautious · 02/02/2009 22:25

Oh no! Poor you. DS will not realise, just an upsetting day for him with all the back and forth. You however! You need wine.

Are you in tomorrow?

Original poster

angel1976 · 02/02/2009 22:33

Looks like it might not happen again tomorrow. We are in SE London, the worst hit today. A colleague of mine has already said that work has advised that ONLY essential staff to travel in tomorrow, I guess I will call my manager first thing tomorrow.

DS thinks it's great as Mummy and Daddy are both at home, for his entertainment. I have no doubt that is why he is being a bit difficult today! Not to mention, we literally have no food in the fridge/freezer. Argh! I so cannot do another day of this!

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Original poster

angel1976 · 02/02/2009 22:38

Oh, that sounds really bad, reading back. Like I can't wait to get rid of DS...

Don't get me wrong, I love DS and know I am very lucky to be able to have that much time off to look after him. I just feel he is so ready for nursery (he gets so so bored at home sometimes). But it's just so annoying that just as I am mentally ready to get back into work, this happens and it just feels like a setback. Argh!

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