Are midnight feasts no longer acceptable

[arlie23]

Hello! I'm a newbie here. I've been blogging for five years but never really said hello on here, but a topic that came up on Twitter yesterday prompted me to post this very 'Mumsnet' question!

I promised my six year old a half term treat of a midnight feast and was met with sheer horror by one Twitter user that I could possibly contemplate waking up my son with sugar! I was really surprised!

So, I wondered what the general consensus is? I say that as long as a child has a healthy balanced diet and brushes their teeth, the occasional sweet treat is perfectly fine. The same as TV and computer games in moderation.

I've written a blog about it but not sure if i'm allowed to post the link?
Would love your opinions - midnight feasts - ok, or not?!

I think that it's not a good idea to link food, particularly sweet/fatty/junk type food, to rewarding good behaviour or as a treat. It sets up the idea that these foods are illicit, special, exciting and desirable and doesn't help with a healthy attitude towards food.

Also, are you actually going to wake your 6 yr old at midnight? Why would that be enjoyable for him or for you? I don't think I ever knew anybody that had a midnight feast as a child, and I never had one myself. Just you and him, or as part of a sleep over?

I remember being invited round to friends' for a midnight feast (and obviously a sleepover). I thought it was so fun, but my DM, who refused to give me anything normal to take and made me go with CAROB DROPS instead, obviously had the same concerns as your detractors.

Humbug!

That's a good point about the connection between treats and good behaviour - I do see your point.
For me, it's always worked well - treats are few and far between, not a given and only if they are deserved. They're also not forbidden which I think it important because children hanker after things they think they're not allowed to have.

Some of my favourite memories from my childhood are or being up late at night for special occasions or being given something as a rare treat, like candy floss at the fair. My all time favourite memories are of quality time with my parents doing something 1-1 - a really special moment, like drawing in chalk on the garden patio with my dad or eating the icing from the bowl with my mum. I think children find those experiences really exciting and memorable, and I think a midnight feast is the same.

The midnight part doesn't need to be set in stone I agree, the only other time he's had one was at a sleepover here with a friend when they went to bed. He still talks about it a year later.

Thanks for taking the time to comment, I really respect your opinions.

Blog off!

Ha ha I have a few memories like that - being given tracker bars instead of chocolate when my friends all had yo-yos or club bars!!!!

What usual said. Once in a while is fine. Usually as part of a sleepover with no sleep before the feast though.

Good point ladies, getting them back to sleep afterwards possibly not so much fun!

Ds1 had a midnight feast when he had a sleepover at his cousins' house recently. It was the absolute highlight of the night (he's 7, cousins are 6 & 8).

I say "midnight" though, I think it was more like a half past nine feast .

The point is the staying up later than normal and having nice snacks in your bedroom imo. I wouldn't get too obsessed about midnight, and I certainly wouldn't be doing any waking up.

No need for the feast to involve sweets. Ours tend to have Popcorn and chocolate biscuits.

HAving some sort of special treat, late in the evening as part of a sleepover is a nice memory to create, but it doesn't have to actually be at midnight you know - certainly you wouldn't wake a child up to do this. If he's normally off to sleep at 8, then you might do it at 9 or 9.30, not after he's gone to sleep.

x-posted!

My sister and I give our children a "midnight feast" at 10 pm. They get toast.

My Aunt used to wake my brother and I at midnight for midnight feasts. We would make quiche from scratch including the pastry! Weird but amazing! I have such fond memories of these feasts. Brilliant!

My mum changed all the clocks in the house the first time we had a "midnight feast", we never suspected!

I think you are right OP in thinking the odd treat doesn't matter. I have wonderful memories of midnight feasts with a friend who's family we used to stay with every year. We had a tablecloth and everything, and I seem to remember pickled onions featuring quite heavily!

I think you are trying too hard .
Gosh- lets have Midnight feast
what a wheeze eh Tarquin ?

No 6 year olds don't want to wake up to eat crap - they want to sleep!

Changing the clocks is a great idea!

Wish I'd have thought of that when I was trying to get them to bed early.

My children (6&8) have had a sleepover this evening in daughters room, mattress on floor. They asked for a midnight feast and have had lots of different chopped fruits on a plate (bananas, grapes, pear and strawberries) at 8.30pm! They seem happy with that because it's what they usually get and expect.

Happily, or sadly for me, whichever way you prefer to look at it, my six year old would choose treats over sleep any day of the week!!

That's a good point, it's about expectation and what you show them to be treats! We quite often give a plate with raisins, breadsticks, cucumber sticks and so on.
Last night was an extra special treat and was very sweetie heavy - which is fine by me, once in a blue moon!

Midnight feast = fab fun now and again. Just secretly forward the clocks in the house\room so they think it's midnight when it's actually only 9.30 or so .....

I could possibly contemplate waking up my son with sugar! I was really surprised

Is this real? You'd wake him up at midnight and make him eat sweets? And you're surprised that people think this is a bad idea?