When did your kids feed themselves?
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Anonymous
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When did your kids feed themselves - as in, they could go to the cabinet and pick out a snack - and what snack foods do you leave for self-feeding?
I have a 3.5yo and a 6.5 you and I swear, 80% of my day is getting them snacks. Our oldest is underweight so our pediatrician has told us to follow his lead with feeding. If he's hungry, he eats. While I understand the medical reasoning, it seriously feels like the minute I sit down someone is demanding food. My oldest has started getting some foods for himself, like cereal, but I'd like to offer a wider range of options that he can get himself. |
Anonymous
| Probably 7ish. She still has to ask for a snack now though and she’s 10. In general she can have cereal, oatmeal, granola bar, popcorn, any fruit, seaweed. We generally only do one snack a day unless extenuating circumstances. We eat dinner very early ( 330-4) because that’s when she’s hungriest, I also eat lunch early so don’t mind eating early. Switching to this stopped the constant afternoon snack requests. Now she generally only has a snack before bed. |
Anonymous
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I think that's the opposite of the advice most dieticians would give. I would see a professional with expertise in this area.
We did the Ellyn Satter approach with 3 kids, one of whom had major food issues. My healthy kids could go to the fridge or cupboard by 5 and prepare a snack. My kid with feeding issues also had major motor skills issues, and used a wheelchair, so I continued to prepare food for him. If you want to do unlimited snacking, what about preparing a bento box or something, that he can just take from the fridge and eat from. I think most kids who take packed lunch to daycare can open a bento box, and choose from there by about 3. That way you can also make sure to include more balanced foods, and higher calorie items. |
Anonymous
| The quality of what he is eating is a factor here. Is he eating food that’s filling and nutritious? If he’s eating goldfish or other crackers/crappy sugary cereal he’s not going to feel full for long. Cereal is not all the same. There is a huge difference between Cocoa Puffs or Trix vs a bowl of WG Oatmeal., |
Anonymous
OP here. We did. We consult with a pediatric nutritionist. Our plan may change at our next appointment, depending on weight gain. Love the bento box idea. Thanks. |
Anonymous
PP you're quoting here, I somehow misread as your youngest, which is why I said the thing about 6.5. I would think that most 6.5 year olds (not one of mine) could handle a lunch box full of snack, whether it's bento or not. |
Anonymous
| I specifically dont let my kids get snacks on their own. So your situation is different. You can do a fridge drawers/box with cheesesticks, yogurt, other protein/fat filled snacks. |
Anonymous
| NP but as someone with a similar issue, I really love that bento box idea. I am definitely do that during random days off from school and the two weeks this summer when we don't have camp lined up -- I can pack it in the morning the way I usually pack lunches. Genius. |
Anonymous
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I have a vivid memory of coming downstairs when my kid was 6, and she had made herself a big bowl of ice cream. It made me laugh so hard. I had no idea she could do that.
The reality is that a 6.5 year old should be able to get lots of their own snacks and get them for their younger sibling. I would encourage this. |
Anonymous
| middle school |
Anonymous
| My 10 and 5 year olds get their own snack. Rule in our house is you need to start with fruit or something in the fridge like yogurt or cheese and then if still hungry, you can have chips or crackers. They almost never are hungry for the chips/crackers after eating the healthier option first. |
Anonymous
| We have a shelf in the pantry which is for the kids’ snacks. They’ve been able to help themselves forever within reason - they can only have veggies, fruit or milk within an hour before dinner, and they pretty much self-regulate. Our eldest was never a big snacker and even today isn’t but the younger two always wants snacks after school - usually several different fruits and veggies, a yogurt or yogurt smoothie, something crunchy (popcorn, freeze dried snap peas, occasionally pita chips or crackers). They’re 8, 10 & 13 now and have definitely been feeding themselves for years. Even my youngest has been getting his own breakfast since he was about 5, and during the pandemic they all learned basic cooking skills. |
Anonymous
| My 6 year old will take out a knife and cut his own fruit so I try to do that for him, and leave it within easy reach in the fridge. |
jsmith123
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Why not let him do it himself with supervision? Those are good skills to learn! |
Anonymous
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3. I remember it well because my husband was often traveling and DC2 was a newborn. I moved a snack drawer to a low place in the kitchen, along with a plastic cup drawer. I was constantly breast feeding so DC1 could go grab a snack and get a cup to go get water from the fridge. I only put food in there I was okay with him eating and didn’t put too much at only one time.
Do things like this so your kids can get their own food. |