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View Full Version : do you offer a snack after school?



francinejayne
30-09-2010, 08:10 PM
because I don't!!!

I have tried to, but as we only get back from the school run at 3.45, it's just too late to give the little ones a snack, as it's not long until tea time!

I realise the older children would probably eat a snack as well as tea, but I haven't figured out a way of giving them something to eat without the little ones wanting it too!!

how do you do it, what times do you give snack and then tea, and what do you give them?

and do you think it's OK to carry on as I am doing?

thanks!!!

MAWI
30-09-2010, 08:16 PM
Yes, always. Even if they dont eat, I would sit them down with a drink. Sometimes the 6/7 year olds dont always regulate their fluid intake during school, so I always ensure they have a drink.
I find it a good opportunity for social time around the table, school children with the little ones (as some have siblings).I have normal dining table with a smaller table for LO's next to it. I provide snack for all of them, however I do not cook for them. They leave betwwen 4.30 and 5pm to go home and have tea and never had any complaints about not eating tea. I dont think a small piece of fruit would affect their tea.

curlycathy
30-09-2010, 08:16 PM
I dont for the same reasons. I used to get all stressed out about it as so many minders seem to give afternoon snacks but I do tea two days a week and like you say it is hard to give them something without it spoiling their tea. If a child is really hungry they might get something small - grapes or raisins, and they can always have a drink. You could try giving the older ones a drink - maybe milk? - and see if this helps.

My parents are all happy with what I do!

Gizmo
30-09-2010, 08:18 PM
I have started giving my los a pkt of raisins before we leave for school then when we come home they have a breadstick, the school kids will have a Frube and a cheesestring and a drink when we come home :D

sarah707
30-09-2010, 08:18 PM
Nutritionists recommend children have a mid morning and a mid afternoon snack to keep their energy levels constant through the day.

It does not have to be a big snack - a piece of fruit or a slice of toast / crumpet / waffle maybe.

It is also important that they sit down with a drink before going off to play.

:D

juejue
30-09-2010, 08:24 PM
I do.......We get in at 3.45 as well. They enjoy a little snack.

Today we had cheese/crackers with branston pickle and a pears with cup mik.

loocyloo
30-09-2010, 08:36 PM
i don't.

we usually don't get home till around 4pm, and tea can be anytime from 4.20 (usually 4.30) onwards. i have a couple of children collected at 5.15 AFTER tea !!! (:panic: but thats another story!)

i used to offer a snack, but no one was eating tea! those children who don't have tea ( just 1 or 2 afterschoolies ), then have a snack sitting at the table with those eating tea.

if we've gone to the park to play or are waiting for a club to finish, then they will usually have a piece of fruit/breadstick or a biscuit whilst we are out! (LO have something before we do the school run to keep them going) sometimes in the summer we stop at the shop on the way home and get ice lollies or once in a blue moon, sweeties! but then they don't eat tea so well!

my parents are all happy with what i do!

The Juggler
30-09-2010, 08:46 PM
i have always done tea for mindees so always offer/they know they can have fruit and a drink when they get in from school. Baby who doesn't have tea has a snack at 4.15.

from tomorrow I'm not doing teas anymore (from tomorrow :clapping: :clapping: )so there's going to be snacks for everyone at around 4.15.

clio0602
30-09-2010, 09:06 PM
At the moment all mine 11mths, 3 and 6yrs have their tea at 4.30!! Way too early if you ask me seeing as they only have a drink between then and coming back to me at 7.30 the next morning.

Going to try and talk parents into me just giving a snack around 4ish then having their tea at home as a family :D

gigglinggoblin
30-09-2010, 09:14 PM
Mine would eat the furniture if I didnt! Some woud eat the snack and carry on munching until tea was ready then scoff that too. I tend to do a plate of toast cut into quarters and a jug of juice in the middle of the table so they can help themselves or big ones will help littlies. If I do tea early then I will cut down on snack but wouldnt not give one unless they werent hungry (as if). I do find that brown toast gets eaten less quickly than biscuity type stuff, they only eat the toast if they are hungry rather than for the sake of it which makes a difference

emmadines
30-09-2010, 09:17 PM
Hello, my minded kiddies range from 4 to 8 years they are collected between 5.30 - 6pm - at 4 they have a snack - usually half a sandwich, a crumpet or half a wrap, then a mixture of chopped up fruit and if they are good maybe a small treat (like those rocky road minis in the tubs they sell at tescos) and of course juice.... as of yet ive never had a complaint from any of the mums. i try to keep in mind the kids dinner time as my two eat after they have gone too.

Playmate
30-09-2010, 09:29 PM
I cook a meal in the middle of the day for my under 5's. at 4.30 my under 5's have tea ie sandwiches or something on toast whilst my afterschoolers have a substantial snack ie crumpets, toast etc. They then go home and eat a meal with their parents.

louised
30-09-2010, 09:34 PM
I don't. Afternoon snack is at 2.30pm for the younger children, my afterschoolers leave between 4 and 4.30 and they get their evening meal as soon as they get home so i don't do a second snack time.

mushpea
01-10-2010, 06:07 AM
I do an after noon snack,, there are 8 children ranging from 18months
to 11yrs,,,, I just offer the younger children less than the older ones,, eg one slice of apple or 5 grapes or 1 biscuit then vary porton size to age of child,, if they complain i tell them its that or nothing as they wont eat their tea and that the older ones have bigger bellies to fill,

merry
01-10-2010, 06:10 AM
No I don't, because I do a cooked meal at 4.30, like loocyloo I also have 2 collected at 5.15 so it has to be on the table by 4.30 or they're still eating when parent arrives. The little ones have their snack at 2.30 before we go to school.

:)

singlewiththree
01-10-2010, 06:24 AM
We get back from school at about 3.45 and then I have already laid out on the table, fruit, breadsticks, raisins, biscuit and sometimes toast/pancakes etc. and drinks. They then help themselves while I get the little ones coats off etc and get organised. Mine go between 4pm and 4.30pm and my own children eat their tea at 5.30pm well.

babs
01-10-2010, 06:33 AM
when we get back in from school at around 3.30 mine have a drink and are offered fruit then they sit down for cooked dinner at 4.30 to 5pm as 2 lo's i have go home at 6.15 and bed time is 7 - 7.30 they have milk and biscuit before bed or round of toast if they want it ..

mama2three
01-10-2010, 06:39 AM
Our routine has changed as afternoon school now starts at 12.30

This has affected all our snack and meal times . We need to have lunch about 1130 , but that means morning snack has to be much earlier , afternoon snack earlier for perschoolers but they then want more with the afterschoolers , then dont want tea when they get home.

Still trying to get it right tbh!

fionamal
01-10-2010, 06:41 AM
I do snack for little ones before the school run at 3pm and then depending on who I have afterschool I might take an apple for them to eat on the way home as for a while I would just get in the door at 3.50pm and 2 kids went home at 4pm.

At the moment I only have my own 2 and a baby afterschool so dont have that problem

sweets
01-10-2010, 06:46 AM
i have been reading this thread with interest, i dont have any after schoolies, but my lo's usually have a small snack mid morn and one about 3ish. they ago home between 4 and 5 and eat tea with their parents.

i dont give them a lot for snacks otherwise they wont eat thier meals, just usually half a piece of fruit or a biscuit.

its funny tho as it used to be that you weren't encouraged to eat anything between meals for health reasons and thats why half of the country is overweight! but now children are constantly encouraged to eat snacks and i know a friend who always has fruit available to children all day when they want it. they must constantly have sugar on thier teeth :eek:

mine get a small snack but sometimes if we are out and about and busy we miss is and they dont seem to bother. is that wrong?

Ripeberry
01-10-2010, 08:11 AM
I always do a snack for everyone including myself :)

It consists of fruit and some pringles, toast or toasted muffins.

One mindee keeps coming to the kitchen and 'demanding' ice cream or chocolate :rolleyes: I just say that I don't have any of that.

My own kids are the worst as they keep raiding the biscuit tin.

There would be a riot if I did not feed them anything :eek:

AliceK
01-10-2010, 09:23 AM
Most of mine stay here for tea which is usually served around 4.30 so they don't get a snack when we come in but I have one after schoolie who goes at 4.30 and so she has a snack when we come in as I know she wont get her tea until much later.

xxxxxxx

mamasheshe
01-10-2010, 09:35 AM
i take fruit up the school and when we get back we usually have toast or a honey sandwich mine get picked up at 5ish but they all still eat there dinner it works for us:thumbsup:

Pipsqueak
01-10-2010, 09:40 AM
cor blimey yes, my lot -mindees and own children are like a plague of locusts. You'd think none of them have ever been fed before and that they are never gonna be fed again.

Snack is prepared before I leave for school - wrapped/fridged - its whipped out onto table with drinks. we sit and eat.
thankfully I don't have any evening meals to do apart from my own family.

crazyhazy
01-10-2010, 01:26 PM
I do, my schoolies are always hungry and thirsty when they come in, they arrive by 3.10pm (but I live next door to the school) and I always offer them a drink and snack, usually just something like a piece of fruit, toast, rice cake etc. I only have one mindee who sometimes stays for dinner though, which on days she's here is about 5.30pm (she leaves at 6.30pm) as my other mindees are leaving then.

mum2two
01-10-2010, 01:48 PM
I do, but I live opposite the school, which finishes at 3.10pm, and we're normally back in by 3.20pm. By the time we're in and I've sorted the huge pile of bags, shoes & coats, then got snacks & drinks, it's close to 3.45pm.

Mid morning & after school I offer a small selection of fruit, breadsticks, cheese, crackers etc, with their drinks, and that's it... I still get 'I'm still hungry' but it's not meant to be filling them up! It's just to keep them going for another hour or so until then go home for tea.

xx

Monkey26
01-10-2010, 02:25 PM
My mid morning snack is a bit hit and miss, it depends on what children i have and what we are doing-they don't ask for it if they don't get offered it so i dont really think they need it... :rolleyes:
We have lunch quite early, between 11.45am and 12.45pm, then most kiddies have bottle/cup of milk before a sleep. Waking in time to go on the school run.
When we get home again they all get a bowl of fresh/dried fruit (the coloured ikea bowls are a really good size!), a breadstick and then a little treat if they eat their fruit. The younger children often have yogurt raisins or those fruit star thingies-they look like sweeties but apparently have some goodness in them! The older kiddies have a cereal bar and/or a yogurt. One of my big girls (10) usually eats all her snack and then demolishes left over fruit as well! Haha!
Never had a parent complain and sometimes snack doesn't get out until 4.15, but it is usually 3.45
xx

maryp0ppins
01-10-2010, 03:00 PM
I do offer snacks.
I have a snack basket which is left on the table ready for when we get in from school run, along with a bottled drink.

But I do not do evening meals & 90% of the children I mind don't go home till 6pm & my own kids ask for food the minute they walk through the door so would be unfair for them to eat & not the mindee's.

juzza123
01-10-2010, 03:45 PM
I do offer snacks after getting in from school around 3.30pm. The school kids are usually starving! I usually offer a drink, something like toasted bagel, pancake or muffin and fruit. Some of them would then eat 2 or three pieces of fruit so I usually have to stop them after two portions of fruit or they would carry on eating until home time.

I don't do evening meals & most of the kids don't go home till around 6pm so think that would be too long for them too wait.