The after school kids are costing me a fortune !!

**Ali56** · 07-01-2011, 12:07 AM

My mindees don't get a choice-so I must be really mean!
They each get their own snack pot and in it is a small selection of fruit-
apple slices, pear, orange segments, grapes, raisins, strawberries-whatever I have really, chopped/peeled if necessary(like a little fruit salad) and either a biscuit(normally plain-some of my mindees have that horrible habit of breaking open creams and scraping the middle out with their teeth! It makes such a mess and I hate it!

) or breadsticks, occaisionally a choc coin or a mini jaffa cake for a treat!
Not a big snack, but I also feed them tea at 4.30 and if they want pudding they have to eat!! I hate to see them go without, so a big snack is not needed

**Bridey** · 07-01-2011, 12:10 AM

I love scraping out the middle of cream biscuits with my teeth!

**Ali56** · 07-01-2011, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by Bridey

I love scraping out the middle of cream biscuits with my teeth!

My kids do too! I pretend not to notice when its just them, but inside I am cringeing

I hate cream biscuits-maybe thats my problem

but biscuit scraping on my sofa times 7 children is just to much to bear!!!!

**peanuts** · 07-01-2011, 06:37 AM

my aftershool kids were eating me out of house and home as we get back at 3.30 and they left at 6ish. sometimes they were having 2 snacks afterschool, when doing accounts this year i have just been butting double snack every day down for them.

**Vickster** · 07-01-2011, 07:36 AM

I offer mini croissants (co op), breadsticks or crumpets. 1 per child, obv 2 or 3 breadsticks, raisins, chopped up apple and chopped up banana and water.

**ORKSIE** · 07-01-2011, 08:01 AM

I have on offer

Crumpets
Toasted T cakes
Toast
Cheese on toast
Mini Pizza
Pitta bread pizza (kids like to make these themselfs)
Crackers with a topping or just butter
Mini Sausages
Fruit
Sandwiches
Cereal
Yogurt

I never buy expensive brands always Asda own

**gegele** · 07-01-2011, 08:29 AM

i give fruit that i cut and mix as they were wasting lots especially on apple and pear just ate a bit around. so i cut 2 apple a banana and for exaple a hand full of rape and feed 4kids.

i put bread stick or crakers on plate and they dip in houmous.

toast, 1slice sandwhich with choice or jam or chocolate spread on good.

sometimes i buy muffins when they're on offer ie yesterday 75p for 4

yesterday was celebration of my son first hour in nursery ( that's my excuse for me really wanting a muffin

)

yoghurt... Lidl got choice and it's cheap and really nice too

**Gizmo** · 07-01-2011, 12:39 PM

Thanks for all your replies

I told the kids this morning that from next week there will a change in the snacks and they all seemed quite happy with it

Thanks again xx

**mrs coops** · 07-01-2011, 04:00 PM

scotch pancakes (asda do smart price ones but I have boycotted asda on another reason)
QUOTE]

can i be nosey and ask why?

**Louise0208** · 07-01-2011, 04:21 PM

i was thinking the same but didnt want to ask!

**sweets** · 07-01-2011, 06:02 PM

well im gonna ask! lol.

come on flutterbyes what has adsa ever done to you?

**Bitsy Beans** · 07-01-2011, 06:47 PM

Mindees get offered a sandwich, crackers and cheese or home made biscuit or home made cake. And fruit of course which they never choose after school

this has made me think about my DS's school trip to see the local panto just before Christmas. The venue was full of other schools and daycare providers. Come the interval they all broke out tins of chocolate biscuits etc and my son and classmates had a carrot

They were all asking for what they could see the other kids eating. Did seem a shame that on a special outing this obsession with healthy eating took precedence

**Ali56** · 07-01-2011, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Bitsy Beans

Mindees get offered a sandwich, crackers and cheese or home made biscuit or home made cake. And fruit of course which they never choose after school

this has made me think about my DS's school trip to see the local panto just before Christmas. The venue was full of other schools and daycare providers. Come the interval they all broke out tins of chocolate biscuits etc and my son and classmates had a carrot

They were all asking for what they could see the other kids eating. Did seem a shame that on a special outing this obsession with healthy eating took precedence

That does seem a bit mean! It was a special occaision after all, you can be a bit too healthy sometimes, I think. Saying that, I would imagine that our school would have been with yours on that one

Shame really.

**mushpea** · 08-01-2011, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by Bitsy Beans

Mindees get offered a sandwich, crackers and cheese or home made biscuit or home made cake. And fruit of course which they never choose after school

this has made me think about my DS's school trip to see the local panto just before Christmas. The venue was full of other schools and daycare providers. Come the interval they all broke out tins of chocolate biscuits etc and my son and classmates had a carrot

They were all asking for what they could see the other kids eating. Did seem a shame that on a special outing this obsession with healthy eating took precedence

thats mean ,,, I am not obssed with healthy eating,, I provide fruit after school because its quick easy and they help themselves to it,, I got fed up with juggling clingy baby and trying to do half a dozen snacks that they choose so now its fruit or nothing,,, we have a friday treat and dvd night if theyve been good all week.

**Sara T** · 10-11-2011, 12:00 PM

Im looking for ieas for after school but seem to do pretty much the same as everyone else.

This sept was my first experience of schoolies so I was making sure they had something decent after school, taking a snack with me for pick up like a cereal bar and then a snack when we got back to the house ( dairylea dunkers, toast and nutella or cream cheese ) fruit, yoghurt and a drink.

It was costing me a fortune and my own kids would not then eat their tea!!

so....Ive since taken on 2 more schoolies and they stay for tea so now instead I take a cheaper snack with me ( a multipack biscuit bar or cereal bar if on offer ) and then no snack when we come back until tea time ( 5pm)

we get back at around 3 .45 and it just felt like I was making unecessary snacks and food when they just want to play. Id clean up the snack mess and cups and plates then have to do it all again less than an hour later!!!

The children are more than happy with an after school treat and on a friday they get to pick an ice cream from the shop ( may start buying multi packs though as that costs a fortune! )

and then tea at 5pm.

If they seem really hungry and a bit moany then Ill do a small snack when we get in as it seems to put them in a better mood, but its difficult when you have some stopping for tea and some not.

its working for me at the mo, Ill def give crumpets a go, I forgot about them!!

**Velleity** · 10-11-2011, 12:22 PM

I have houmous and pitta bread for tonight.

**Roseolivia** · 10-11-2011, 12:50 PM

We have tea between 4 and 4.30 so mine wait until then, they don't even say they're hungry as they're too busy playing.

**gingerella** · 10-11-2011, 01:34 PM

Fruit or toast or a crumpet. For a treat they have honey on the crumpet or we bake fairy cakes.

**Tina O** · 10-11-2011, 01:39 PM

This week so far we have had Mon - toast, Tues- pancakes, Wed- cereal today will be fruit and tomorrow will be some sort of muffin/scone type cake that I cook with little ones in afternoon - last week we had banana loaf,.

I have two kids that always complain it's not enough and one of those is only at mine 45mins after school. I just say I don't provide a meal just a snack and then water/ squash and if they have been very good milkshake xx

**Anon8319** · 10-11-2011, 04:38 PM

I only have my schoolie one evening a week (and 5 mornings) and found that during the school holiday he was asking for something every half hour, very often not wanting his very healthy lunch. I'm not wet behind the ears so on the second day if he left his lunch it was kept back and the next time he said he was 'starving hungry' out it came! He was clearly wasting away as he'd not bother with it!!

When he comes out of school he gets given a biscuit because he is often tired and will go into total meltdown without the sugar; when he gets home he is given a choice - banana, orange, apple or grapes!!! Then dinner is at about 430.

What I seem to spend a lot of money on is milk. I thought I was getting through a lot, so I decided to start monitoring it and since yesterday morning I have used a 6 pinter of blue milk - that's just on 2 1.5 year olds (including my own) having drinks and on the two of them plus the schoolie having breakfast, just for yesterday and today! So I did have 2 bowls of cereal with it (yesterday and today) as we've run out of green milk, but that's only about a pint's worth of milk! 6 pints every couple of days is no joke when it's costing £1.74 a bottle. And what angers me (I internalise it, don't worry) is the sheer waste! The two mindees (siblings) won't take up the milk dregs from their cereal because they don't have to at home; the 1.5 year old will quite happily tip the milk upside down and spread it everywhere with her hands then expect a refill! The schoolie will very happily waste food, think of every excuse under the sun not to eat it. Then he blimmin well asks for a snack half hour later!

I don't even charge for meals like every other bleddy minder in the area. I am £3.50 an hour including all snacks and meals and drinks, entry to toddler groups and in school hols I even did a trip with them which I paid for!

So I quite agree with you it all has to be reined in somewhere. Do you charge for meals? Maybe if I did then the kids' mum would be more likely to back me up on things!