Reception age children..starving at 3.30 but if they have too much of a snack they then don't eat at teatime..any solutions?

[hattyyellow]

My DT's are 4 and a little bit and have just started school. By the time we get to the car after pick up it's 3.40pm and I've been giving them some fruit or a flapjack to keep them going until teatime.

They are eating fairly well at school according to friend's MIL who is the dinner lady and watched them for me!

It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

If I give them more of a snack on the way home they won't eat at teatime. But they are too hungry to go through to teatime on just a banana. If I bring teatime forward to 4.30 they don't eat much if they've had a snack on the way home. If I don't give them a snack pre-4.30 they can't make it through to teatime.

Anyone still with me? Any solutions?

How about a non carby/proteiny snack at pick up (ie just fruit) and shift tea-time a bit later?

That is what I do btw. Fruit as snack when they get home and diner between 5pm and 5.30. (I have a Y1 and a reception).

I just accepted that dd1 wants to eat eat eat when she gets in from school and give her a smaller tea accordingly (we eat 5.30-6.00). I could never get away with a bit of fruit or something small as she would be literally crying with hunger (drama queen I'm afraid!) She is better now though she is year 1 and can last on a smaller snack and drink.

i give ds a drink of milk, or hot chocolate and some fruit.
If he hasnt finished everything in his lunch bag then he has to finish that (fruit mostly!)
Sometimes a biscuit or crackers with butter and jam or cheese. Just a little something. I give him a smallish tea.

I know also that dd eats well at school so I gave generosly on snacks and have on occasion done tea as soon as we are in with a light snack later. She is better at eating earlier after tiring day at school so I just go with it.

My dd was like this, and I just fed her when she was hungry - I'm not that bothered if they don't eat much at tea time, as long as what they have eaten is healthy. They are still getting used to their new schedule - it'll all sort itself out as they get older

I always gave DD a snack after coming out of school - fruitm fruit flakes, snack bar, chocolate, cheese and cracker, toast, etc.

DD then ate dinner with me and Dh at 6:£0pm when DH was home from work. Worked well for us.

What time to the go to bed?
When ds2 was this age he was shattered after school and needed loads of sleep.

I used to give him a piece of fruit to eat on the way home and a drink when we got there. Then he'd go straight in the bath (this helped to wake him up a bit), and would have tea at 4.30 pm. Then reading/stories/bed. He was fast asleep by 6pm at the latest!

Later teatime, bath then bed.

I do cake-ish snack, then dinner at 6.

Have tea at 6

DD (who's 5 and just gone into Reception) has something like a cereal bar on the way back from school.

She'll sometimes ask for something else when we get home which will be bread and butter, some fruit or a yogurt.

She'll then have a light dinner and pudding at about 5.30/6pm

mine were the same hatty, we have gone the route of giving them a drink, often milkshake, as soon as they get in from school at 3.30, then their evening meal at dot-on 5pm. Works for us (for now ) DS1 now yr 4, ds2 yr 2, dd nursery class in school, she's almost 4yo.

DD needs a substantial snack when she gets home - usually her beloved bread and butter and milk. She would not be fobbed off with a piece of fruit.

Then she has a very light dinner at 5.30-6 which is basically a dinner with no carbs in it e.g. meat/fish/egg and veg (so it's like a large regular meal spread between snack and dinner - in theory).

We can no longer eat all together on a week day though - she can't wait until dh gets home.

Wrt bedtime - it has not had the effect I was hoping for - bedtime is still 8-8.30 although at least it doesn't run past 9 the way it used to.

Make dinner for as soon as you get back, ie so it's ready then. Prepare it beforehand and leave it to cook. Then give a snack later on instead. I find it's better, especially for the first year or two.

If they have a healthy snack and eat less tea, they've still had the same amount of nutrition.

Wow, thanks so much for all the replies. Will have a read through and experiment! All look extremely helpful. Cheers all!

My DD has a hot school meal, then dinner is actually about 3 snacks/small meals at hourly intervals til bed.

Fruit/fruity flapjack/veg and hummous and glass of milk on arrival home

Beans on toast/omlette/hot dog/bowl of soup and bread just before 5

Juice/milk and either a pancake or crumpet after bath, before bed.

Works for me

just swap things over and do tea 3.40pm then snack before bed - if they're hungry let them eat. My 2 DS's are 4 and 2 and tend to snack in the afternoons rather than eating a big tea. HTH

dd1 started reception last month, she gets a very small snack in car (cracker/biscuit/raisans etc) but I prepare tea before I go and then start cooking as soon as we get home (she gets a hot drink like milk/hot choc when we get in) and they eat at 4.30, dd2 goes to bed at 6pm and thankfully dd1 asking to go to bed at 6.30/6.45 at the mo (occasionally she has bowl of cereal/toast around 6pm if she is still hungry)

My 3 eat tea at 4.30pm and then have a snack of toast/cereal at 7pm before bed. That way they eat a proper meal as they are normally starving