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jadavi
03-01-2012, 03:20 PM
Dad has requested certain things to be on the menu for a new schoolie who's beginning with me tomorrow... I'm fine in principle but have to fit the timing around a drop off I have to do at after her school pick up and other kids who get fed at 5 on one day a week.

Is it normal to give healthy snacks after school and then a meal at 5?

Trying to avoid different expectations.... want to be accommodating but cant be dictated to...

The Juggler
03-01-2012, 03:27 PM
i think kids do need a snack when they get in from school but you have to balance it with the timing of the meal. so if they are all having dinner at 5pm I would probably only offer fruit (we don't get in until 4pm).

Now I don't do dinner I offer more, fruit and crumpets or toast.

loocyloo
03-01-2012, 03:32 PM
i don't currently have any afterschoolies except my own children, however!

when i did, i used to do a healthy snack as soon as we got home from school 3.45ish, but i found they were eating so much, that no one was eating tea at 4.45! plus there never seemed to be time to do anything!

so ... all change! we got home from school, played/craft etc and then tea was at 4.30. those having a cooked meal had it then, and if they wanted some of the snack, they could put some on a plate for after tea, and those having snack, would have theirs! it quite often turned into the snack being just a little bit of tea, such as pasta & cheese, or rice/curry and nan bread. it worked well for me, and is what i would do again! one of my schoolies was dreadful with food, and ate a very small range of foods, and had issues about trying new food/eating outside of home, but by the time she left, she was happliy trying anything i gave her, and usually enjoying it too! ( although might not at home! )

EmmaReed84
03-01-2012, 03:40 PM
I have my own son after school and one schoolie twice a day.

I dont give any snacks asfter school as two of my mindees are collected at 5pm so our dinner is at 4.30pm sometimes a little earlier.

My only after school is here until 7pm and usually around 6.30pm they have a snack generally some grapes or satsuma. May be toast if they didnt eat a lot of dinner but not too often

mummyof3
03-01-2012, 04:22 PM
I only offer snacks after school usually toast, crumpet, hot dog, cereal bar, sandwich, fruit. I give the older children snacks and the babies get their meal (parents provide this). I don't have room or the time to provide everyone with a hot meal so I make this clear to the parents before siging. One family have decided to provide their children with a lunch box filled with snacks which is fine with me.

I personally wouldn't give a snack then a meal or they'd be less likely to eat the meal!

jadavi
03-01-2012, 05:29 PM
Thanks thats helpful. I'll offer the 4.30 meal then and no snack.

cheers

sarah707
03-01-2012, 05:46 PM
We give food as soon as they walk in they are usually starving and very thirsty.

They eat at 445 - 515 and the majority have a good tea.

I have a healthy eating menu which the children and families contribute ideas to and I do make changes within reason but I won't be dictated to, it's my menu and my decision about what we cook.

Hth :D

Tatjana
03-01-2012, 06:59 PM
I give snacks when we get in and then dinner @ 5pm....the after school mindee asks for another snack later :eek:

miffy
03-01-2012, 09:08 PM
I don't give snacks when we get home but tea is ready about 4.15pm. I used to do a snack and then tea but found that tea wasn't being eaten so changed and it now works well for me.

Miffyxx

muffins
03-01-2012, 09:16 PM
I do a small snack when we get in & diner about 5, this seems to work well as they all still eat diner well:thumbsup:

crazyhazy
03-01-2012, 11:35 PM
I have my own schoolie and 2 others 3/4 days a week, I always offer a snack of sorts when we get home from school and they've changed out of uniforms, so usually about 3.30pm. Generally it's something like fruit, crackers, toast, sometimes popcorn, breadsticks etc I don't do dinner for mindees though, so my girls have dinner at 6pm once everyone is away home.

LChurch
04-01-2012, 09:37 AM
Hi I am the same crazyhazy, I dont do meals for afterschoolers, my day full timers/part time(!) provide their own meals, tea is about 5pm. I do provide snacks, all mine go between 5 and 5.30pm and then we eat as a family which I think is important although it is a pain trying to cook quickly sometimes. My day timer is a bit of a fuss pot with food but feeds herself, doesn't like me helping! At least that normally means I can at least cut up some food or prepare it for our dinner if I haven't got something easier for dinner. I think you need to think what works for you and your priorities too. My priority is that we make dinner time a family time so that we can talk about what happened at school etc.

Mrs M
04-01-2012, 09:48 AM
No after school snacks here. I do dinner for 4.30pm. I was finding no one was eating their dinner if they'd snacked beforehand. As long as they're busy with an activity then they're fine to wait until then. They then get a pudding and can have fruit afterwards if they're still hungry. All my parents are happy with this and tbh I've never had a parent dictating to me - I do regular newsletters detailing my up to date menus and our daily/weekly/monthly planning which includes our routine.