5.8 DS refusing to eat breakfast, but no snacks allowed at morning break.

[nappyaddict]

Anyone else in the same boat?

He will sometimes eat fruit or yoghurt. If not he can sometimes be persuaded to drink a smoothie or glass of milk.

How long between waking up and breakfast?

I find that getting my children up earlier and giving them 30 minutes or so before offering breakfast helps as their bodies are more awake and ready for breakfast.

Sorry that policy is cruel you need to get a doctor's note.Our GP told us kids are designed to graze not to go nearly 6 hours without food,only dieters need to do that.

We got a doctor's note for our dc(underweight and dizzy if too long between meals).

As part of a government iniative all children in nursery to year 2 are supplied with fruit everyday.

Are you saying that your child isnt offered anything at break time or does'nt want the fruit supplied therefore the school wont allow him to bring in an alternative?

Unless your child has a medical problem and cant eat fruit then the school is correct in not allowing them to eat other "snacks" at breaktime.

Doesn't he get school fruit? At DD2's school they eat that just before morning break.

I thought that schools provided fruit at morning break? Would u not be allowed to put a pack of raisins or grapes or a fruit he would eat in his bag if he's refusing what's provided? School shouldn't have a problem if its a healthy snack and not biscuits/crisps/ sweets etc. schools often have a list they can give u of what's acceptable :)

You can easily get a doctor's note for not being able to go that long between meals.We saw 2 different GPs for 2 different kids.One didn't have a medical prob as such he simply can't go that long between meals on an apple,the other finds it hard to maintain weight.

Sadly at our school they don't have a healthy snack list it's fruit or nothing-simply not enough for many kids and actually both GPS told us kids need carbs and fruit is the worst thing to eat mid morning because of the sugar high then dip.

You'll get a letter no problem.You could try cutting down on tea the night before and loading them up at breakfast with things like croissants but I frankly I thought this was ridiculous for the sake of a couple of oatcakes midmorning.

Many kids with working parents have to eat breakfast at 7am,many kids don't feel like eating a huge amount at this time.

If he will drink a smoothies perhaps you could add some banana oats and full fat thick yogurt to it to bulk it up a bit might help him last that little bit longer and as it's blended you don't really notice the oats :)

Ds (2.5) is like that, he won't eat in the mornings. He wakes between 5:30 and 6, he then needs 3 hot chocolates (on milk substitute so choc makes it palatable) to take away his morning grumps. We always give him breakfast, but he never eats anything before 11. The rest of the day he eats enough to compensate. He will occassionally eat a fruit puree, but even food he loves is refused.

Is he complaining of being hungry? Skipping breakfast isn't great from a weight control perspective, but at this age it's probably best not to turn it into a battle ground. I know I feel that to be a 'good mother' I should make sure they eat, but am resigned at the moment that ds is more of a coffee on the run commuter than a sitting down to full english in a greasy cafe person.

Have you tried say introducing e.g. scotch pancakes as a 'yummy pudding', then one morning saying 'oh I really fancy a pancake from last night, do you want some of last night's pudding?' amazing what a little rebranding can do. Maybe trying out alternative breakfasts on the weekend too (does he eat breakfast on the weekend?). Things ours like are ready brek, toast, ham + cheese, waffles, scotch pancakes (heat them in toaster), mixing up different cereals, would he eat a bacon buttie on the way to school even?

I know how he feels as I can't stomach brekky too early. I second (third, fourth..) the smoothie idea. Especially if its made with milk its as good as a bowl of cereal. But agree that school should be allowing fruit at break, even if kids have to bring it in themselves (many schools provide it).

DS1 who's at secondary school often doesn't fancy brekky so he makes a banana smoothie with a dollop of peanut butter in for protein (if I'm lucky I get the leftovers from the blender - yum!)

I quite often make myself one with various fruits, some milk or juice and even a weetabix or Belvita biscuit blended into it for some fibre.

Also those Belvita breakfast biscuits are handy if he would eat a biscuit with a drink of milk. Just cereal and milk, but separately.

They have their fruit snack in the afternoon. He gets up at 7am and leaves the house at 8:15.

DS isn't underweight so I don't know if we could get a note? Also I don't want to single him out.

I do put oats, greek yoghurts etc in the smoothie so it's not too much of a worry if I can get something into him. However sometimes even this he refuses.

MrsH "both GPS told us kids need carbs and fruit is the worst thing to eat mid morning because of the sugar high then dip."

Would this apply to just having fruit for breakfast too?

We send in a fruit snack for morning and they get free fruit in the afternoon iirc

i think having fruit as a snack in the morning's bad too.
they should have something like cheese on crackers - something with carbs that's slow to digest.

what is wrong with schools that they get basics so wrong?

My DS was a bit like that.

I told him he had to sit down at the table with us all anyway, even if he didn't eat. Usually he got bored and started eating.

He would have rather watched TV or computer, but when those options were removed he got into a "might as well" mindset. He now has a bowl of cereal every morning.

our school has a fruit only policy for snack time. However DS1 has never liked fruit, so now he is limited to a few carrott sticks every day for snack. I used to worry too, but he seems fine and doesn't seem to mind. He does have breakfast though. It really irritates me, this obsession with fruit schools seem to have.

One thing to watch is what he is eating/drinking in the evening.

If he is eating dinner late or having supper it may be affecting his morning appetite.

I don't usually have much appetite in the morning but do notice when I am dieting and don't snack in the evening I find breakfast easier to eat.

My ds is like this too. Our school only allows fruit mid morning, and I find it hard to get fruit into him in the normal way so often won't eat until lunch. He will drink juice, smoothies and banana milkshakes, or will eat sliced apple and grapes if I give them with cheese. Or he'll eat mango or melon or orange chopped up if he can use a fork. But that doesn't help at snack time when most children have a nice convenient apple or a banana as they come!

The only thing I find helps is waking him up earlier, and then he will eat most of a slice of honey on toast, or a yoghurt. If I'm really lucky he will eat ready brek if I put chocolate buttons in. On the days he says he doesn't want to eat anything I still make him sit there, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Sorry, I cant really offer any gems of wisdom, but I do feel your pain!

I'm going to sound rude, but I think lots of you need to take Chandon's advice. It sounds like your children are running rings round you. Fruit is provided in schools FREE OF CHARGE because many children's diets are poor and it's a opportunity for them to try fruit when it is not provided at home.

I wouldn't take this to a doctor unless you have a pre-existing weight/nutrition/metabolic issue.

No child is going to come to harm because there is no food in school until lunchtime. And children adapt to school routines very quickly if they (school and children) are left to get on with it.

You can either offer breakfast, and wait until he come to accept it. Or do what you can to insist he eats. Obviously you cannot force-feed, but what do you do when he is defiant on other issues?

On my soap box a little I'm afraid.

" get a doctors note" seems to be the mums net answer for anything and usually it's not appropriate.

What could the doc say- the child is well, they will have a smoothie - have you tried a banana or hard boiled egg in the walk ( drive ?) to school if it's all too early?

A GP letter saying
" nappy addict tells me her ds won't eat breakfast and o SE wants him to be allowed a snack at break"
Isn't really going to be any more use than you explaining to school is it? And what else could she/ he say??

Yes ok if " nappy addicts ds in underweight and not grown , medically he needs more calories therefore a sneak is required" but this isn't the case.

He goes to school by minibus so he can't really eat on the way unfortunately.

Does he have to sit at the table and watch the rest of the family eat their breakfast with no distractions such as TV, radio or books? If not then this is best way to get a reluctant eater to eat but ensure no pressure just chat about something other than food.

If you already do this and he still doesnt want to eat then I would let it be his choice and dont let it become a battle.

Riversidemum : "I'm going to sound rude, but I think lots of you need to take Chandon's advice. It sounds like your children are running rings round you. Fruit is provided in schools FREE OF CHARGE because many children's diets are poor and it's a opportunity for them to try fruit when it is not provided at home."

that's a good and fair point, but the school seems to be taking it to mean that they aren't allowed anything else! fair enough, they get the free fruit, but they should be allowed to have another snack if it's brought in from home.

Should they?
Why is that?