Stimulants + eating lunch at school

[Anonymous]

Does he have a big breakfast now? I know everyone is saying big breakfast but I would consider going the other way. I’m a teacher and I can tell some kids have big hot breakfasts because they don’t want to eat at our 11:45 AM lunch. Maybe a light breakfast, if at all, and then he’d be hungry at lunch?

Also, are they doing a morning snack? Some of our kids eat their lunch at morning snack and I’m totally fine with that. They have a snack at lunchtime. I think it’s rare that a seven-year-old needs breakfast, snack, and lunch all by 12:30 but that’s how we’re set up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7 year old started methylphenidate recently. His teacher has noticed a growing pattern where he is not eating his lunch in the cafeteria, but then is hangry during afternoon work and is ravenous by mid/late afternoon. This becomes disruptive when he demands to eat during afternoon instruction and his behavior declines.

Open to any and all ideas on how to support him to make sure he is eating his meal during lunch.

Thank you.

Yes, the teacher lets him have a snack. You can have this written into his IEP or 504 plan.

[Anonymous]

My son drinks a protein shake for lunch. I pack a granola bar and bag of chips also which he sometimes will eat, if not at lunch on the walk home. Dont try to make him eat a meal, dont fight that battle. Just find something with enough calories to hold him over, and adjust your before and after school schedules to allow heartier meals then.

[Anonymous]

I am a middle school teacher and I work in the autism program. A lot of my students do not eat their lunch in the cafeteria for various reasons…. I make it known during back to school night that a protein drink is an acceptable option during class. No issues.

[Anonymous]

Big breakfast (we added a protein shake on some days); packed lunch needs to be filled with options of safe foods - goal is to turn lunch into a snack; if you can the afternoon snack at home is more of a meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does he have a big breakfast now? I know everyone is saying big breakfast but I would consider going the other way. I’m a teacher and I can tell some kids have big hot breakfasts because they don’t want to eat at our 11:45 AM lunch. Maybe a light breakfast, if at all, and then he’d be hungry at lunch?

Also, are they doing a morning snack? Some of our kids eat their lunch at morning snack and I’m totally fine with that. They have a snack at lunchtime. I think it’s rare that a seven-year-old needs breakfast, snack, and lunch all by 12:30 but that’s how we’re set up.

Do you know anything about adhd meds?
They’re an appetite suppressant.
We are giving our kids big breakfasts BEFORE we give meds or BEFORE they kick in and suppress their appetite.