DD's nursery feeds 'tea' at 3pm. What do I do for supper at 5:30pm?

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Hi all,

Not sure if this is on the right section - let me know if I should post this elsewhere.

DD (11months) has started settling at nursery this week and all is going well so far (fingers crossed). They feed the children at 3pm with a hot meal and for all intensive purposes, it's dinner. I'm not sure if this is common or not but I'm just curious as to what/how much I then feed her at night for supper (around 5:30pm).

Is it normal to have four 'meals' a day (although no snacks)? Do I go ahead and feed her a normal dinner on days that she goes to nursery or something a little smaller?

I do a mixture of things:

• sandwich
• small amount of pasta & veg
• beans/scrambled egg & toast
• small amount of what we're having

Usually with yoghurt and always with fruit

Sometimes DS eats it, sometimes he doesn't. I don't get too bothered about this as I know he eats all his food in nursery. I really don't think he's hungry at this time, but still I always feel like I should be giving him something. I should really check the nursery menu to see what he's had in the afternoon and fit round that but I never do

I don't do anything specific, DD usually picks at what we're having or she might ask for some toast. I leave it up to her really but she's a bit older.

Bloody hell 3pm is early. That's an afternoon snack!

I suspect they are doing it so early so they can feed the babies before the older ones and get it all cleared away nice and early.

I'd do what allnew says I think. I can't imagine your dd will fill herself up for the night at 3pm.

I don't know about that MrsTayto. DD is 2.8 and has been in nursery since she was 13 months and she's never been that interested in food when she gets home from nursery. They have two courses for each meal and she generally eats most of it. All she wants to do at home after is nibble and she doesn't go to bed till 8.30-9 ish.

Really Rockbird - does she eat at 3pm too?

3.30 yes. Seems absurdly early to me too and I did start off giving her a second tea but she never ate it, and this child could eat for England! So she'll get a small plate of what we're having but she never eats that really, just wants milk.

When DS was younger and at nursery I would just offer him some soup with bread/toast around 5.30ish.

Mine eats a fourth meal - we all eat our evening meal together at 6pm. It's a bit early for DH and I really, but we're back-ended by bedtime! When she first started nursery (10 months) she didn't eat much at dinner and still periodically goes through phases of mostly ignoring her dinner, but most nights she wolfs down a main course plus fruit. She has nursery friends who just have a piece of toast and a cup of milk, though. Depends on the child, I guess.

My DS gets his tea at nursery at 4 - 4:30 and still eats 'dinner' at home after a snack during the walk home (oat bar, banana or similar). He does enjoy his food!

DS is 23 months and has a snack around that time at nursery, and tea at 5 - that seems really early for tea!

Unfortunately he's in a 'don't like proper meals' stage at the moment, so has two mouthfuls of his tea, then spends the entire time he's at home before bed begging for snacks - yoghurt, bread, toast, breadstick, cheese, banana, biscuit? It's driving us a bit mad because if you put a bowl of pasta in front of him he's not interested.

(Ooh my rant went in a slightly different direction there didn't it?! But included snack suggestions :) )

My 16 month old DD has tea between 4 & 4.30 at nursery (on top of morning and afternoon snacks and big dinner at 11.30 and still eats another meal at about 5.30.

3pm is really early. DD has just started going to nursery 2 days a week. They have a hot meal at Noon a snack mid afternoon and I think tea is 4pm. Not sure on tea though as I pick her up at 3.

She could have a small portion of what you have or something simple like soup.

Thanks everyone - that's been really helpful. I'll just wait and see how hungry she is at the end of the day and go from there.

I'd agree with just something snacky e.g soup/sandwich/finger foods and yogurt/fruit etc. My nursery just give snacks and lunch, but actually thinking about it, its a good idea. My dc's after they are picked up from nursery at 4pm, literally scream the house down until they're eating their dinner. They are always soooo hungry and tired after their nursery days. I would love for them to be quite happy til 5.30 and then have a little snack.

If dh and I are eating before the boys go to bed they usually get a small plate of what we're having but if not I usually offer something like cereal or yogurt.

They don't always want anything tho as all the kids seem to do at our nursery is eat. They have breakfast when they arrive, mid morning snack, lunch 11.30am, mid afternoon snack, tea 3.45pm. The snacks are usally a fruit or veg with a carb, so maybe bananas with rice cake for eg. Lunch and tea are 2 course meals with seconds if they want it. Surprised any of the kids can move they will be so full...ahhh maybe that's the plan!!!

'normal to have 4 meals'? Absolutely normal! Just make sure portions are right size for her.

Yes, I have that dilemma as well! I think mine eat at 3.30pm and when they eat at home they're not really hungry and just eat a bit. I've started planning meals on Nursery days that you can choose how much you eat, eg. slice of pizza,garlic bread,eggs, salad, finger food etc. and put it all on the table - then they can choose how much/how little they want.And maybe a bit of supper as well - digestive biscuit and milk if they want it

My DH (coming up for 2) has her 'tea' at that time too. In her nursery they all eat together and I think if they didn't start it then the kids would still be eating when the parents who have older kids at school started to arrive to do pick-ups.

Anyway, I just offer nibbly things - toast fingers with humous or jam, sticks of cheese/cucumber/pepper, cheery toms etc. Plus yoghurt and fruit. When she gets a bit older and starts staying up later I'll prob do our tea for 6.30 so we can eat a proper meal together but until then that seems to work OK.

Maggie if your DH is 2 that would be oh so slightly wrong and illegal too .