Did I create snack monsters, or is this normal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like my toddlers are snack monsters. And I think I created it. After daycare, they immediately expect a snack on the way home - usually raisins, goldfish, pretzles...something carb-ish out of a bag. They sometimes want a lot of it. On the weekends when we're out and about, I feel like I'm always handing them snacks.

So, my question is, how many snacks are your kids eating? Do you have a "snack time" like they would at daycare or can they get a snack whenever they want? And what are you giving them that is not Goldfish?

I'm in the middle of this, too. It's so frustrating!! My nearly 3-year-old DD demands 'SNACKS!' all the way home, and it drives me bananas. I try very hard to stay calm and before we drive home from daycare I open her lunch bag and say 'oh, I see you have grapes (cut in half), oranges and blueberries leftover from lunch. Would you like one of those before we start driving?' She'll usually say 'Yes please! ORANGES!'

If she demands goldfish, crackers, pretzels, etc. I tell her that she can have some when we get home, but we don't have those in the car.

I find myself repeating (over, and over, and over again): "I hear you and I know you want goldfish, but we just don't have them in the car. You can have them when we get home."

It sounds like I'm so calm and collected when typing this out, but trust and believe it's probably the most stressful part of my day.

Oh man re: stress. We are literally in the same boat. Very stressssffffulll. Demands!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have one mid-morning snack and one mid-afternoon snack. We are not feeding them snacks on demand. Snacks are things like cheese, pretzels, fresh fruit or veggies, nuts, yogurt, raisins or other dried fruit, peanut butter and crackers, or fig bars.

Carbs are fine; lots of highly processed carbs without a lot of fiber or protein aren't great.

This is what we do too and we try to really prioritize it so they can count on it, that way we don't have to do the dance as much. Generally no snacking in between these because it's usually only about 2 hours time, if hungry I mention that lunch (or if it's after lunch, the next snack) is x amount of time away and that it's okay to feel a little hungry before a meal, that's normal. I read somewhere that normalizing being hungry before a meal is helpful - we don't always have to satiate our hunger at every moment. This made sense to me so I went with it. If they are starving, growth spurts, whatever, we adjust but try to be consistent with the adjustment, it's not like we're militant. Although as others mentioned it's sometimes hard since snacking is so big with others, I feel like everywhere we go the parents always have snacks out so I don't like, prevent him from partaking with other kids during those times. But that's our general approach.

I agree with the person who said your kids are probably genuinely hungry now after daycare, so it will take some time to switch. Your body really does adjust to be hungry at the times you generally eat. That's why the set (with some flexibility) snack and meal times work well. I think this is why you don't see kids snacking/begging all day at daycare, they are ok because they know when to expect the next meal or snack and it's consistent.

[Anonymous]

We're on the "no snack ever" team. We got to that because DD wasn't eating at meal times. Now she's hungry and eats all the meal that's offered. If she's dying of hunger she can get nuts or fruit (apple, banana or orange). We always allow nuts and fruit.

[Anonymous]

Oh I meant to mention if they ask for a specific snack outside of our typical snack times, if it's something I think I can serve at lunch sometimes (not all the time) I will say oh it's not quite lunchtime yet, but we can put that on the menu for lunch.

[Anonymous]

I think a snack in the car after daycare pickup is pretty typical for most little kids. Every kid I see at pickup is getting a snack for the car or stroller. Heck, it is 6Pm - I'm hungry too. An applesauce pouch and a cheese stick are not going to hurt anything.

[Anonymous]

Mine never ate at that age. I envy you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a snack in the car after daycare pickup is pretty typical for most little kids. Every kid I see at pickup is getting a snack for the car or stroller. Heck, it is 6Pm - I'm hungry too. An applesauce pouch and a cheese stick are not going to hurt anything.

Yep. Me... careening down the beltway hurling half open cheese sticks into the back seat like I'm launching a grenade... every. damn. day.

[Anonymous]

To me, the request for snacks means I’m not giving MEALS at the right time. Apparently toddler time and adult time are different things.

DD will literally snack for 2 hours if I let her. But, she is growing, eats (and requests) healthy food, so I let it go. Her stomach is small, her appetite is big. There are bigger fights in my life - the request for one more clementine or yogurt is not one I’m fighting, when it comes to a hungry child who will then still eat her dinner (and ask for more snacks after).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have one mid-morning snack and one mid-afternoon snack. We are not feeding them snacks on demand. Snacks are things like cheese, pretzels, fresh fruit or veggies, nuts, yogurt, raisins or other dried fruit, peanut butter and crackers, or fig bars.

Carbs are fine; lots of highly processed carbs without a lot of fiber or protein aren't great.

This is what we do too and we try to really prioritize it so they can count on it, that way we don't have to do the dance as much. Generally no snacking in between these because it's usually only about 2 hours time, if hungry I mention that lunch (or if it's after lunch, the next snack) is x amount of time away and that it's okay to feel a little hungry before a meal, that's normal. I read somewhere that normalizing being hungry before a meal is helpful - we don't always have to satiate our hunger at every moment. This made sense to me so I went with it. If they are starving, growth spurts, whatever, we adjust but try to be consistent with the adjustment, it's not like we're militant. Although as others mentioned it's sometimes hard since snacking is so big with others, I feel like everywhere we go the parents always have snacks out so I don't like, prevent him from partaking with other kids during those times. But that's our general approach.

I agree with the person who said your kids are probably genuinely hungry now after daycare, so it will take some time to switch. Your body really does adjust to be hungry at the times you generally eat. That's why the set (with some flexibility) snack and meal times work well. I think this is why you don't see kids snacking/begging all day at daycare, they are ok because they know when to expect the next meal or snack and it's consistent.

Also want to clarify that we never restrict amounts at the planned snacks and meals. They can eat as much or as little as they want. Reading this back it sounds like oh i'm like oh it's cool you're hungry! I'll feed you a carrot later!

[Anonymous]

This is why I wish I could send my child to school with peanuts. They are the perfect protein snack and keep you full. Can't do that these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I wish I could send my child to school with peanuts. They are the perfect protein snack and keep you full. Can't do that these days.

So make them roasted chickpeas. Same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're on the "no snack ever" team. We got to that because DD wasn't eating at meal times. Now she's hungry and eats all the meal that's offered. If she's dying of hunger she can get nuts or fruit (apple, banana or orange). We always allow nuts and fruit.

Nuts and fruit between meals are snacks....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're on the "no snack ever" team. We got to that because DD wasn't eating at meal times. Now she's hungry and eats all the meal that's offered. If she's dying of hunger she can get nuts or fruit (apple, banana or orange). We always allow nuts and fruit.

Nuts and fruit between meals are snacks..[i]..

Oh no.. have we done it all wrong? We offer fruit, nuts, vegetables or yogurt. Dammit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're on the "no snack ever" team. We got to that because DD wasn't eating at meal times. Now she's hungry and eats all the meal that's offered. If she's dying of hunger she can get nuts or fruit (apple, banana or orange). We always allow nuts and fruit.

Nuts and fruit between meals are snacks..[i]..

Oh no.. have we done it all wrong? We offer fruit, nuts, vegetables or yogurt. Dammit.

There's nothing wrong with offering healthy snacks but to say "We're on the 'no snack ever' team" but we allow nuts and fruits seems a little contradictory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're on the "no snack ever" team. We got to that because DD wasn't eating at meal times. Now she's hungry and eats all the meal that's offered. If she's dying of hunger she can get nuts or fruit (apple, banana or orange). We always allow nuts and fruit.

Nuts and fruit between meals are snacks..[i]..

Oh no.. have we done it all wrong? We offer fruit, nuts, vegetables or yogurt. Dammit.

There's nothing wrong with offering healthy snacks but to say "We're on the 'no snack ever' team" but we allow nuts and fruits seems a little contradictory.[/quote

Ha ha I noticed that too. Makes me think of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding with the vegetarian getting offered lamb.