Afternoon nursery session

[Scattaboy]

Ok so my eldest has just started nursery and the session is 12:30-3:30. Realistically to get there on time and get parked I need to leave at 12:10 latest-we are lucky it is not far!
If anyone else is in this situation what time do you give them lunch? 11:30 seems ridiculous but also the only time where I don't end up forcing them (eldest and youngest who is not quite 2) to eat in a mad rush,and gives me time to get uniform on after avoiding worrying about spills.
Then it means tea can be no later than 5 at the absolute latest as they are ravenous-even with a pm snack. In fact I'm thinking it might need to be earlier as I am constantly pulling youngest off my legs while cooking and telling him it's almost ready!
On a more minor note it means never having dinner all together as on the days I am in the office they end up having tea with childminder and on the days I'm at home DH would never be home in time.

Any suggestions of times that work for you without children being starving to the point of tantrums at dinner but not so early that it's too far ahead of bed?

1130 lunch
Afternoon snack
Family dinner

Would that work?

Is the morning session from 9-12? If so, what do they offer from 12.00-12.30? Ours did a supervised lunch club for those staying all day or those who wanted an extra 30 mins. You had to pay £2.00 I think as well as provide the packed lunch. Obviously it depends whether you can afford it or not but I ended up doing it twice a week with DD as I wanted her to get used to having lunch away from home and fit just gave me a bit more flexibility. Otherwise, it can be a logistical nightmare.

Unfortunately not they don't have anything like that.
I tend to find she is so hungry when she comes back that she just wants to have dinner asap,they have snack in nursery but because of various allergies they can only serve fruit which just doesn't seem to be enough. Also no2 wants his snack before we pick her up- about 2:30 if we have lunch at 11:30,and it can be earlier if he wakes sooner than normal. I'm kind of thinking I might try an early tea,maybe 4:45, and then they can have supper when Daddy gets home,so they're not going to bed hungry-I'm making my kids sound like ravenous beasts,but they sort of are!They eat very healthily and are very active it just seems like they need refuelling every few hours!

My ds is almost 2 and has lunch at nursery at 11.30 ish, an afternoon snack at 2/2.30 and nursery tea at 4
He then eats again with us at 6
Nursery tea is always different but puts him in till 'family tea'
Maybe tea cake, small soup and bread, cheese and crackers at nursery
And then a small portion if proper tea with us
They offer wrap around care for the children attending school nursery (age 3&4) so guess they have snack at school at 2.30 and nursery tea at 4 too

11am - Dress child in uniform, put in painting smock [ikea do huge ones]
11.30 - Feed child enormous stodgy lunch followed by pudding, shepherd pie, slice of dundee fruit cake/apple crumble
12.10 - leave for school. With kids eating apple in back if required.
3.30 - meet at school gate with home-made flapjack and piece of fruit.
4.45 - Bath
5.30/6pm - dinner, smock over pj's. More stodge/quick pasta etc.

Seriously - it's ridiculous but we had to feed DD1 two proper meals a day. Still do in Reception. She had a school lunch at 11.45 with her class though before starting the afternoon session. Just fruit for snack too.

She's a bottomless pit at the moment and pretty skinny for all the wolfing of food. Both she and DD2 had omelette's for dinner last night, followed by yoghurt, banana; then more snacks with DH at 6.30...

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/mar/10/how-to-cook-perfect-flapjacks
This is a great recipe

My ds is at the afternoon session too - 12.30pm until 3pm. I give no morning snack (breakfast is between 7am & 7.30am) so they are hungry (dd also follows the same routine) for lunch at 11.30am, home at about 3.15pm and they are given a large snack (almost like a second lunch - usually something carby - croissant, brioche, fruit loaf, soda bread etc and some fruit), then dinner at 5.30pm-ish.

My son used to do an afternoon session. It was easier when he could eat his lunch there, but if that's not an option I would just suggest having lunch at 11.30, then a snack after nursery - or you could have an early dinner but then there is a risk they will be hungry again before bed. I usually find my children are hungry by then anyway, especially if they haven't had a morning snack. I used to find it quite a rush to get cleaned up and changed after lunch - in some ways it's easier now we have to be there at 8.45am.