In my house the options are a cheese stick or a spoonful of peanut butter. I agree that you should offer something with lots of protein. Milk is okay in that regard but there’s a difference between being hungry and thirsty.

I’ve always been a “feed the kid” person. I don’t control my child’s hunger or food intake.

My maternal ancestry is Sicilian. The idea of a child going to bed hungry saddens me!

We offer fruit, bread with butter, toast with nut butter, or a bowl of cereal.

When my kid asks for food before bed, I assume it’s because she has that empty stomach feeling that can make it hard to sleep. It often happens when she’s in a growth spurt or her schedule recently changed (like at the beginning of the school year). I think she’s just burning calories like crazy snd needs more food. As long as it’s not junk I don’t see an issue.

My kids will fifteen had a bowl of cereal and milk for a “bednight snack”. Simple and filling.

My DD has always been a grazer. I think she can eat a solid healthy dinner and still be legitimately hungry after dinner. We just try to steer reasonably healthy and getting it herself when possible.

I only have boys, who are in elementary school. They eat a light breakfast, descent lunch if I pack it, after school snack, dinner (eat all or no snack), and a small snack before bed. Snack could be popcorn, medium apple or orange, nuts/raisins, yogurt, nutella/pretzels, small bowl of cheese crackers, etc. It depends. They get fruit throughout the day and veggies at lunch and dinner.

We offer choices:
Fruit (we almost always have bananas and clementines in the house)
Cheese+salami
A hawaiian roll

I do make post-dinner snacks boring for the most part, the cure the "stalling" issues. Banana, milk, cheese stick. I sometimes offer toast but not always.

Occasionally I can tell someone is really hungry and then we have something more substantial. Like my 7 year old has been eating huge portions at meals, doubling her normal breakfast etc, so I am pretty sure she is growing. So while that's going on, I will offer a bit more.

I still have a cutoff time for when food can be eaten so we can get to bed. And I stick to that. They can eat in the morning.

As with so many things, I think the answer is, IT DEPENDS.

1. does she eat a great dinner, and I mean as much food as she wants, doesn't refuse to eat most of it and only want to fill up on bread, or one item? is she NOT having a growth spurt?
Then this is a child who eats well, doesn't have any food issues, and isn't a picky eater. For this child, if bed is 2 hours after dinner or less, then I'd say offering just 2 or 3 options is fine. the kitchen is closed, for goodness sake, and she's stalling.

2. does she NOT eat a good dinner? does she get up a lot and get distracted and not eat? is she picky and only eats 5 carrots and 3 bites of main course or whatever? is she generally difficult to feed?
then i think she does need a larger snack before bed so she doesn't go to bed hungry, she doesn't wake up early because she's hungry, so maybe a few more substantial choices. I still wouldn't be fixing 2nd dinner, but leftovers from dinner, another yogurt and crackers, hummus and crackers, something.

3. For either of these, I'd ask her (at 3pm when she's calm, not at bedtime she she's crying and carrying on) what she does want for snack. You can probably agree on something that fits both of your needs and her needs (again, depending on if she's #1 or #2 above).

AND I would offer snack - or remind to get snack - 30 minutes before bedtime, not at bedtime. So if she wants a snack, have it at 7:30pm, because at 7:45pm you are going upstairs to brush teeth, pajamas, read books and bed. Period. that way it's not a delaying tactic - because there is no negotiation on snack.

Also, to get rid of negotiation, you could together come up with a list of items you usually have available and post on fridge. it's 7:30? Go choose 2 of what you want and have snack. Otherwise, up the golden stairs at 7:45pm.

My kid would have 1-2 bowls of wheaties, rice crispies, etc. and 1-2% milk every night before bed. He's very healthy and still underweight even as a teenager now.

Anonymous wrote:We eat dinner early because of activities. Sometimes 4 or 430. My now 8yo gets a snack around 7/730. Sometimes it’s something small like an apple or cereal bar and other times she wants oatmeal. As long as it’s nutritious and she’s not asking for crap I’m ok with it. OP you need to loosen up a bit on the snack choices.

How is a cereal bar not crap?

OP. What time is dinner? Does your kid eat dinner or is she still full from the afternoon snack. In any chase, I never let my kids go to bed hungry. If they don't finish dinner, I sometimes leave their plates on the table in case they are hungry before bed. They can finish their dinner ot have other snacks: fruit, vegetables, cheese. I don't make an extra second dinner for them though.

We eat dinner early because of activities. Sometimes 4 or 430. My now 8yo gets a snack around 7/730. Sometimes it’s something small like an apple or cereal bar and other times she wants oatmeal. As long as it’s nutritious and she’s not asking for crap I’m ok with it. OP you need to loosen up a bit on the snack choices.

Anonymous wrote:Ask her what she does want and see if it works for you. My rules would be nothing with chocolate, nothing that requires me to "prepare" it (not making mac and cheese ie)...

+1

Those growth spurts can sneak up on you - she may be hungry but tired of the same options.