Do You Allow Your Kids Free Access to the Kitchen?

[ncmomo3]

Free access.

They are old enough (know me well enough;))to ask if they are unsure if something is available for general consumption or if I need it for something specific. And they tend to make good decision about what and how much to eat.

[homeschoolmom4]

Hmmmmm...I would say mine do have free access but they have to ask and tell me what they are getting. I have an eight year old that would live off of junk if she didn't have to ask. They know that they have to snack on fruits, veggies, healtly chips(their favorite is Flax Seed Tortilla chips from Sam's club), Yogurt, etc. I have to confess, we do have junk also. Mine could down a 1/2 gallon ice cream in one sitting, but they have learned that Mom only buys when snacks are BOGO Free. My daughters make cupcakes, cakes, cookies and breads for special snacks to have. I don't do sodas at all for my children unless it's a special occasion(birthday, sleepover with friend, etc. ...) but only then it's Sprite or 7up. Mine drink water, milk and juice(limited because juice to them is like ice cream) and they will make kool-aid twice a week. One of our daughters is very sensitive to all kinds of things and soda is a no no so that is one reason we just chunked it.

Have you tired only buying snacks that are Buy One Get One with coupons on top of that? We also have a Big Lots near us and we wait for the Friends and Family Day (extra 20% off) and get really great deals on snacks. We just have to check the dates.

I do know how you feel. Groceries seem to cost alot when kids are constantly running to the kitchen. My mom kept them for 4 days and spent $100.00 in groceries and wondered how in the world we afforded to feed them. Granted they took them out to eat twice for a special treat.

 

When you come up with a solution, please share. I am one step away from mud pies, LOL!!!

[mom2jjka]

My kids are restricted. and they have to ask permission before having a snack.

The answer is almost always 'yes' (unless they want to eat ice cream before breakfast, or eat too close to a meal) but we've had too many instances of "...She ate all of the string cheese/strawberries/etc. and I didn't get any!"

so I monitor the snacks to make sure everyone shares nicely.

[LibraryLover]

Free access. I do wish they would clean up the drips and drops. But really, they are pretty respectful about it. It's just my standards are much higher.

 

My stepbrothers didn't have free access (My mother married a man with a 5 and 6 yr old when I was 28). Once those kids left the house, they both became obese. (All the parents, step and bio, are thin).

 

One was kicked out of the National Guard at 22 because he was so fat. Several years later, he's even heavier, while all of his aging parents remian thin. His brother is huge as well. They ate well at home (frutis, veggies; my stepfather had an organic garden, no sugar, no candy (they were born again, so no Halloween or Easter candy for a bit, (although they are no longer with that chruch), no soda etc.

Edited July 8, 2009 by LibraryLover

[LibraryLover]

I don't buy much prepared food. And that's an issue. When my kids eat, they need to make sauce from canned or frozen tomatoes, sautee meat for tacos, boil water for pasta, steam veggies and chop onions for quiche etc. I cook from scratch, and so do the kids. My 15 yr old ds can make a meal from the freezer. (Taco man, basically lol).

 

It's kinda cool that they won't starve without me, but it can make a mess, and they don't always clean to my standards. I try to be cool about it. This afternoon, my 16 yr old made an asparagus quiche, the 10 yr old made brownies, and the 15 yr old made scrambled eggs for breakfast, and later for lunch, a quesidilla. The 20 year made an omlette with salsa when he came home from work (cut up the tomatoes, mashed an avo, added cilantro from the garden, etc).

 

Sometimes I long for the ease of a hot pocket. Or something. I can totally see why these things are so enticing.

[TravelingChris]

My kids get free access. We don't have soda in the house. I don;t go extra to stores to buy snacks ever unless I have to buy something for a function like bringing snacks to a game. The snacks my kids make range from making rice and then making some kind of oriental rice ball snack with seaweed, to kefir, to popcorn, to salads. I go to the store to buy milk or to buy bread for dh's sandwiches. It is necessary for them to eat their snacks since between swimming and diving, they need extra calories and right now are dinners are haphazard. We have three evening meets this week so three days with on the go dinners. I thank God that the youngest isn't that good a swimmer yet since then I would have an extra evening meet. I can't see how I would restrict anyway since I am only in charge of making or delegating dinners. They get breakfasts and lunches on their own and have been doing that ever since they are each about five or six.

[Pretty in Pink]

My kids do not have free access. They get three meals a day and several snacks. We drink water. I don't really care if they like it, though they do. I think that is because the only other drink I buy for daily consumption is milk and I limit them on that as well.

 

When my boys want a snack all they have to do is ask. I keep a good stock of various nuts, seeds, fresh bread, fresh fruit and veggies, hummus, yogurt, string cheese, etc. and they are welcome to have a snack at most any time so long as they let me know first. My 10yo is old enough to portion snacks out for himself and his brothers and he does a good job. I rarely tell one of them that they cannot have a snack; then again, I make one trip the the grocery store each week and I rarely need to go back.

[HeatherInWI]

Mine make their own breakfasts and lunches without asking (and eat what they want then), but they do ask for snacks and desserts. The answer is usually yes, but sometimes there are good reasons that they shouldn't have what they're asking for (planned for a meal, likely to have a big dessert that night, only half an hour before I'm planning to serve supper, etc.). It's just sensible to ask first. BTW, the children are slim-to-normal weight and eat a healthy, mostly organic and whole-foods, diet.

[Peela]

I dont keep much snacky food in the house. Some crackers and cheese, microwave popcorn, and always heaps of fruit.

When I grew up, I had free access to food at all times, including copious amounts of sugar. No restrictions whatsoever.

I am a bit of a control freak and health nut when it comes to food so I have always placed restrictions around access to food. The kids - now teens- have always been allowed one glass of juice a day- no soda. Sodan is only for when they are out. They are not allowed to eat the icecream, or anything like that. They can make themselves hot drinks though, but not lots of hot chocolates with sugar- they know my limits.

They werent really allowed to eat anything without asking for most of their childhood. Nowadays, I am not so strict and they pretty much know what they can help themselves to. I also expect them to make some meals for themselves nowadays, so they can help themselves to food for meals.

I dont actually think its necessarilhy good for kids to snack all day- its one of the downsidesof homeschooling I reckon. Bad for their teeth, bad for their health, to snack a lot. But my son seems to have suddenly developed hollow legs after never being a huge eater, and for morning tea will get himself several pieces of fruit, popcorn, cheese and crackers and nuts. Thats a snack. He is growing rapidly, so I figure he needs it.

SO, I guess I am somehwere in the middle of teh spectrum nowadays, after being quite controlling about it when they were younger.

[bunnytracks]

I think this is less about free-range eating and more about the fact that you two probably buy vastly different things. Pre-packaged snacks and sodas are very expensive and are not filling. Which means that they will want to eat again shortly after consuming.

 

I do let my kids eat whenever they are hungry but the choices that I have are limited. For snacks I have a variety of fruit and veggie sticks, yogurt, and cheese sticks. They also can make toast (100% whole wheat) and put on cinnamon and sugar or peanut butter. We also pop popcorn often in the evening.

 

The good thing is that the grocery budget is the easiest place to start cutting from your budget. Just cutting down or even eliminating soda would give you a hundreds of dollars towards a vacation in a year.

[frogpond1]

We have breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner. If they want something between meals they will ask me first. We don't do sodas and the main snacks we have are pretzels, fruit, tortilla chips & salsa. Right now I've bought popsicles for the heat. We are a whole wheat bread family. We don't do juice very often. We do do cereal in the mornings such as Honey Nut Cheerios which is probably more sugary than many people do.

 

I think that my children can do a lot more things than snacking all day long. My kids are thin but that is their genetics.

[Ohdanigirl]

Sometimes I long for the ease of a hot pocket. Or something. I can totally see why these things are so enticing.

 

LOL, I can relate to this. This is a big reason why I stay away from these things...I'd get lazy. Plus the temptation would be too much for all. Every once in a while I'll get a frozen pizza or those Marie Calendar pot pies dh loves, but rarely (once a year).

 

And for anone who says this is too much work, let me tell you, I wasnever taught to cook before got married. I made the no instant food rule so that would be forced to learn when I got married. Dh hasn't starved to death yet, no matter how often MIL thought he might. LOL

 

Danielle

[eternalknot]

My kids have always had unrestricted access to the kitchen; they are 3 and 8. Thus far there has been no reason for me to interfere with their existing self-moderation. Some days they eat too much, some days they eat too little; most days they eat just right for their needs. Same as I :) it's important to me that they maintain that inborn ability to heed their natural dietary and nutritional cues. Before the kitchen, they always had/have unrestricted access to mama's milk.

 

I prefer to run to the grocery store a few times a week, buying only what I need for the next few days. This may be cultural, but it bothers me to have time for only one trip weekly to the market.

 

I don't buy what I don't want them (and me!) to eat. They've never tasted juice or soda, and I don't care for either so that's a non-issue for us. We don't drink cow milk, and only occasionally bake with rice, almond, or hemp milks - so another non-issue here. We drink water, or (hot) tea.

 

Snacks - I didn't grow up eating the same kind of snack foods that many U.S. folks did/do, so it's just not a part of my dietary habit. I don't typically buy prepackaged or prepared snack foods because it's not food I crave or ever learned to care for.

[Mom0012]

I haven't read all the other posts. My kids ask me for food if they are hungry, but that rarely happens. For the most part, they eat 3 meals and day and then have a treat in the evening, with the exception of my son eating as many bananas as he needs throughout the afternoon. If my daughter gets hungry between meals, I'll encourage her to have a banana or to make herself a slice of bread and butter.

 

I don't feel the kids (or adults) need to be snacking all the time. I think it's a bad habit to get into and I think there are very few snack foods that are truly healthy that my kids are actually going to want to snack on. I think if I provided junk food, they'd eat a lot more of it than they should and wouldn't eat as well at mealtimes. Also, if I had that kind of stuff in the house, I'm sure I'd be eating it as well and I definitely don't want to be doing that.

 

Lisa

[Dirtroad]

No, I have struggled with weight all of my life. I have tried very hard to teach this to them & help them not follow that path. I am not tough on them, but they do have to ask about snacking & drinks.

 

Snacks are fruit. Occassionally cheese or cracker snacks. However, we do very little of this & it tends to be linked to activity levels. Most food is at meal times. I get very frustrated at perents who allow kids to nibble all day & then wonder why they won' t eat at meal time (balanced & healthy meals).

 

They drink a bit of soda on occassion at lunch.. .usually sharing 1 can (2 kids) to limit it but let them enjoy it too. They can have tea at lunch or if we eat in a restaurant. Rest of meals are milk & a little juice. If they are thirsty in the day... hit the water! cold & in the fridge ready to go!

 

Now that they are older, they can make sandwiches & such. However, we share the plans. They tend to be predictable.. .ham/cheese or PB.

[DawnM]

Mine do need to ask for a snack because I don't want them to go in and fill up on tortilla chips or cookies AND because there are certain things I am saving to go into particular meals and I don't want them eating them because I would have to go to the store again!

 

So I do require them to ask first, but I rarely say no unless we are near a meal time. I do give them a few options though and not free reign.

 

Dawn

[LibraryLover]

Yes. But that also means the kitchen is often not tidy. They put things away, but are challenged on the 'wipe it up' and put it back together perfectly fronts. I do remember the days when they were tiny and couldn't make meals. My kitchen was tidy and 100% organizied. I love to cook, and I love a clean and ready kitchen.

 

That said. I will miss the kitchen energy and creativity when they are all grown and gone. I have tried to change how I think about the space. It's not mine, it's ous. And I prefer it that way. Our kitchen/dinning area is truly the heart of our home. Of course I wish they would put it all back together the way I like it, each and every time. lol But that is truly unrealisitc. :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: I only buy soda for parties, and I rarely buy packaged snacks aside from tortilla chips and pretzles. When my kids are in the kitchen they are cooking! Cookies, quiches, mixing rubss and meats for the grill, pasta sauces etc. If it were just a matter of getting a bag of chips from the cabinets, my kitchen would be clean! lol (My children are 20, 16, 15, 10. I think this is more of a thread for people with younger children, yes?)

Edited July 26, 2009 by LibraryLover

[johnandtinagilbert]

we are middle ground. 3 squares are required. 2 snacks are scheduled. Beyond that, if they're hungry their options are solely fruit and veggie. They have to ask though, so I can make sure they're getting veggies too, not just fruit.

 

Soda is a specialty item in our home, as is juice. We have raised warm water drinkers. They have never known anything else, so that's now what they prefer.

 

Packaged snacks are Very costly. So are most things containing high fructose corn syrup.

 

If you adjust your shopping habits, I'll be you'll get that vaca.

 

I shop about every 5 days for fresh produce and once/week for staples like meat, eggs, bread, milk and then buy pantry items only on sale. I do take the time to hit 3 grocery stores (Albertson's for meat, Save A Lot/Aldi's for pantry, Publix has great buy one/get one, so I only shop their sales).

 

Over the past 3 months, I have spent $2400 for 7 people (really more like 10 cuz I have an average of 3 guest every day in the summer!) and I have a house full of food. I will not need meat or pantry items for 3 weeks b/c of hitting sales. For the month of August, I will probably only spend about $300 cuz our house is full!

[EKS]

No snacking here.

[abcinnc]

We allow free access to the kitchen, but I do not keep a lot of junk food around.

[MOM24WONDERS]

My children must ask before getting any food from the kitchen. The answer is most always yes, but I like to know when and what they are eating. We don't do soda at all. I make almost all of the children's snacks, so they are all healthy - they eat either that, granola, fruit, yogurt, veggies with dip, etc. My kids have never been allowed to drink anything but juice, milk or water. We live in the south and tea is BIG, so when they get to age 8 they are allowed to have one glass with their dinner. They have to have milk with at least one meal per day. I do not drink anything but water. The only time I don't allow the kids a snack is when they've just had a meal (within the last hour), just had a snack, or are about to have a meal.

 

I go to the store once per month to buy groceries. We have a menu that we follow and we buy for that. I'm also a stocker - if something is on sale, I buy way more than I need and put it in the deep freeze or store it for future use. Then I won't need to buy it for some time. We do visit the store weekly for milk or produce, but it's budgeted into our food spending budget for the month. We do not go out to eat. If we do, it's RARE. We went out with friends to a nice restaurant last night and that was the first time I can remember going out to eat in I don't know when. The only time it's a regular pracitice is on a trip or vacation and we always take plenty of snacks, drinks along for that. In fact, I keep a bag of snacks and a cooler with water bottles and juice boxes in it all the time. It never leaves - just gets restocked.

 

I just think it's teaching children common courtesy when they ask to get a snack or anything else for that matter. My brother's kids have free reign - and they think they do at my house, too. It makes me so angry to find food wrappers lying all around. I do buy some special treats for my children (like frozen yogurt bars or something that's a little expensive). I tell them that those are not to be brought out when we have company because they are for them and they are too expensive to share around. Inevitably, my nephews or neice will find them and eat them anyway WITHOUT permission. It drives me mad - it's just so rude.

[Orthodox6]

I wish that I could allow free access. Rationing food upsets me deeply, because I was raised with food rationed to the ridiculous point that I resorted to stealing food (from the pantry) because I was so hungry. Now, everything that I buy is allocated because of budgetary constraints. We each are allowed 16 oz. per day of milk, and 8 oz. per day of orange juice. There always is food for a snack, but I need the children to ask before they take something, just in case I have a planned use for it. At least our meals are good meals, and in plenteous quantity for mealtimes. This is not a happy topic for me. I went without sufficient food as a child and teen (and never have understood why it had to be that way), so I refuse to have hungry children.

[Blessedfamily]

I wish that I could allow free access. Rationing food upsets me deeply, because I was raised with food rationed to the ridiculous point that I resorted to stealing food (from the pantry) because I was so hungry. Now, everything that I buy is allocated because of budgetary constraints. We each are allowed 16 oz. per day of milk, and 8 oz. per day of orange juice. There always is food for a snack, but I need the children to ask before they take something, just in case I have a planned use for it. At least our meals are good meals, and in plenteous quantity for mealtimes. This is not a happy topic for me. I went without sufficient food as a child and teen (and never have understood why it had to be that way), so I refuse to have hungry children.

 

:grouphug:

 

Someone very close to me shared a similar story. I had no idea she went through this, though I knew she cam from a big family. She said they would send her to the store for lunch meat, and she'd eat some on the way home because they was never enough.

[BabyBre]

No, we don't let them have free reign. If they're hungry, they ask and they can either get themselves somethng or I will make something. If it's too close to the next mealtime, I tell them to wait so they don't fill up on snack foods and not eat a balanced meal. We don't make them eat everything on their plate at meals (unless they asked for it specifically or served it themselves), but also try to keep a little dessert on hand for those who do a good job.

 

We make a HUGE run to Costco once a month and stop by the grocery store for the little things here and there about once a week. We probably eat out 2-4 times a month, either fast food or sit-down.

 

I see it as a matter of respect toward dh and I who work hard to keep the house stocked with food. It also teaches them that they need to control themselves with regard to food. It's not OK to gorge yourself when you're bored. If left on his own, ds16 would gluttonously empty the pantry in a matter of a couple days.

Edited July 26, 2009 by BabyBre

[Moni]

Do You Allow Your Kids Free Access to the Kitchen

 

No.

 

:seeya:

[AngieW in Texas]

I do allow free access to the kitchen. My kids each have a $3 snack budget for special treats. I only go to the grocery store every 2 weeks, so it's really not a lot. My 16yo nearly always gets ice cream sandwiches. My 13yo always gets ice cream bars. My 11yo gets something different every time, but usually from Little Debbie. They also each get 6 microwave popcorn bags for the 2-week period.

 

Aside from those special treats, they are free to roam in the kitchen. I always buy at least one package of boneless skinless chicken breasts for my bottomless pit 13yo. I cut them in half and have her tenderize them and spice them up. Then I put them on saran wrap in a baking tray and stick them in the freezer. When they're frozen, I take them out and put them in a gallon zipock bag. Those work well for her to snack on whenever she's hungry. She just sticks them in the microwave for one minute and then cooks them the rest of the way in the George Foreman Grill.

 

I also have to buy a lot of fruit for my 13yo. She eats a lot. More than all the rest of us put together.

 

I have a fridge full of leftovers that they are always welcome to eat too.

 

I don't have chips or soda for the girls to snack on. They only get those things when they buy them with their snack money.

[lgm]

I grew up with rationing - we were hungry as teens even with all the garden produce we cared to eat in the summer. Dh grew up even poorer - the kind of family where the dad ate the good stuff and the rest of the family had a different meal full of starches and with very little protein (aside from peanut butter); fruit & veggies & milk were too expensive to purchase so ice cream & chips & soda were chosen instead. Their response to growing up hungry was to overeat the same junk as adults.

 

I allow limited access to the kitchen. The children have done the nutrition parts of scouts, and know the difference between real food & junk. They are working on balancing the diet and their bodies' needs and starting to understand what simple carbs and sugar do to them. I have to help them moderate their intake on these...fortunately they are interested in being physically fit so that is a good motivator..

 

Afternoon snack here is protein plus veg or fruit. I allow a sweet per day..usually they want it as dessert after dinner. One soda per week, candy occasionally...

[cillakat]

Once those kids left the house, they both became obese. (All the parents, step and bio, are thin).

 

One was kicked out of the National Guard at 22 because he was so fat. Several years later, he's even heavier, while all of his aging parents remian thin.

 

I can just about guarantee it's not b/c of the controlled food environment of their youth....but rather that they have *very* strong food drives and the control on food kept them thinner early on.

[cillakat]

it's important to me that they maintain that inborn ability to heed their natural dietary and nutritional cues.

 

it's far more complicated than that. one of my kids just *doesn't* have that and quite frankly, neither do it. I remember being very young and wanting to eat alllllllllllll them freaking time - and it was healthy stuff. The junkiest thing around was cheerios.

 

Grandpa was a dairy farmer so we had raw milk, tons of veggies etc etc.....and I, like those on my dad's side of the family, was on a continual search for food. We just want to eat. All. The. Time. It wasn't until I was dx'd with adhd and started, several years later, stimulant meds that I experienced what some might call a normal appetite

 

One of my kids has my genetic blueprint and has a HUGE appetite. I only controlled it after it was clear it wasn't headed in a good direction. My other child has a more normal but still large appetite.....but she is also a naturally thin person - she's the one who will say 'no thanks, I don't like dressing'. "i'd like mine without sauce". It's interesting.....both kids raised with the same exposure to food, exclusive and very extended breastfeeding...and one that would absolutely be overweight (as I am) if she were not on stimulant meds as well.....and the other one that is 8.5 yo and weighs 44 lbs.

 

K

[WiseOwlKnits]

My kids have to ask, but they know the answer will be "yes" unless we're eating within 30-45 minutes. We have a drawer fridge stocked with snacks (yogurt, fruit, cheese sticks, etc.) and they're allowed to pick something from there or from a Sterlite container I keep in the pantry with snacks (granola bars, dried raisins/prunes, little baggies with nuts in them, etc.). I don't allow soda in the house and the kids don't drink a lot of juice either.

 

Now if I could just convince my MIL that she doesn't need to "fatten" my kids up by feeding them boatloads of junk food every time she sees them. DH and I both have weight issues and we're trying hard to break the cycle in our family by being more educated than our parents were and giving our kids more education than we ever got about food.

[Tap]

For ds15, he has free reign. He isn't a big snacker and is more likely to look for left over dinner or make a sandwich. He will ask if it is close to dinner, but he still makes his own decisions on food and almost always has. He never drinks soda, but prefers water, juice or milk. He eats healthy so I don't limit him in any way.

 

DD11....would snack on packaged snacks alllll day. She has to ask first and has to tell me what she has eaten for the day before she gets an answer. She has grown up with a family across the street having 2 diabetic daughters and fighting weight and food issues. I feel like I have to be cognisant to make sure she doesn't become too focused on food (as her 3 daughters have). So far, she makes good choices for the most part, I just have to make sure to limit the snacking. She is great about reading nutrition facts and seeing what a serving size is...benefit of the mom across the street needing to know everything her daughters eat. She is an on the go kid, so if I make her healthy choices in 'to go' containers, she is more likely to eat them.

[Guest janainaz]

Yes, pretty much, as long as it's healthy. If I see them eating when dinner is near, I just tell them no.

[hsmom3tn]

Wow, this is an old thread. :)

 

I stopped buying soda a while ago, and it seemed to help a lot. Now they only get soda occasionally if we eat out. Usually, even then it's just water. They still snack whenever they're hungry - unless I'm pretty close to having dinner ready. I just don't buy as much snack food as I used to, and buy more fruit than I used to.

 

We still have have money problems because of my husband getting laid off every 6 months or so; but the grocery bill is much better than it used to be. I guess I knew what I needed to do; but had to wait for my common sense to kick in. :D

[QueenCat]

We do not restrict access to the kitchen, nor have we ever done so. Since the boys were capable of getting a snack when hungry, they have been allowed to do so. Do people not allow their children food when hungry? Seriously, the thought never occurred to me.

[QueenCat]

Do any of you have a "kitchen is closed", cut-off time for eating?

 

 

No! If one is hungry, it would be CRUEL to make them wait to eat unless the next meal time is within a very reasonable time, say 15-30 minutes. Then a glass of water/juice would hold them over. Snacks don't have to be expensive. They can be popcorn (cheap), apples, vegies, saltines, etc.

[Rose in BC]

Mine can snack whenever they want (except right before a meal) but they are restricted in what they can take: low sugar/high fibre cereals, whole grain toast, cheese, low sugar yoghurt, fruit, veggies, milk, water.

 

Laura

 

:iagree: This sounds very much like us. Treats like cookies etc. are not free.

[Melissa in Australia]

I don't have snacks like chips / soft drink(soda) etc. as far as I am concerned they are just junk, calories with no benifit, and not worth my money. I do have home made cookies, the kids are rationed to 2 per day. I also have a big bowel full of nuts in their shell. they can help themselves, also heaps of fruit . though ds 12 is limited to no more than 4 apples a day, as he would eat them constantly. they also love crunching on carrots and cucumber fresh from the garden. hey can also have as much milk as they want. otherwise they can drink water.

[lailasmum]

My kids can have snacks whenever they like but generally ask mostly because of their age.

 

I tend to find snacks are an important part of our diet. I just choose them really carefully. I have two skinny kids who appear to survive on fresh air at times. Whilst the eldest is now getting into her meals and will eat 80-90 % of most main meals its is only a recent thing. Prior to that my eldest had no apetite and looked so skinny she is now on the slim side of average. My 2 yr old eats very little.

 

If we have snacks little and often they are are happier and generally more willing to sit down to a meal. We basically don't have any sugary treats on a day to day basis but have things like nuts, no salt crisps, vegetable crisps, veg, cheese, home made yogurt, bread and butter, fruit like apples and bananas, rice or corn cakes and hummus/soft cheese.

 

We do have days when we have cake or chocolate or ice cream or something, but its not the mainstay of our diet and we don't often have pudding. I don't ever buy soda for having at home I might have it out of the house but the kids never do. I only buy fruit juice for birthdays. Its nice to have those treats but not at the core of your diet especially not for kids with small appetites.

 

My son has a problem with his enamel, its not formed properly, so we avoid things like fruit juice, dried fruit, sugar etc.. Its made realise how harmful sugar and acidic food can be and how skewed a lot of the ideas I had about healthy snack food was when my daughter was tiny. Everyone I knew used to give their toddlers dried fruit and fruit juices as a staple and a lot of childrens food here is sweetened with apple juice.

 

It can be expensive, nuts are really pricey at the moment. But then so are pre packaged snacks. I usually go shopping once a week but would top up if I have forgotten something critical.

[TXMary2]

My kids have free access. I don't buy sodas or juice boxes etc. We drink milk or water here. I occasionally buy apple juice or grape juice, but it will be gone in two days. I shop once a week and my kids know it. I tell them if they scarf everything up in 3 days that I will not be running out to replace it. The convenience snacks like fruit snacks, cheez its etc run out quick, but there is always fruit, popcorn, yogurt, string cheese, crackers with peanut butter etc. They'll never starve, but they might be craving something and have to wait for it.

[CalicoKat]

No.

 

We serve three meals a day + 2 snacks. That's enough for all but the baby who does ask and receive additional foods. Snacks aren't possible for the kids who decide to not each their meal. Meals and the mainstay and snacks are just for fun.

 

Breakfast is their choice: cold cereal, fried egg + toast, or hot cereal (mom made)

 

a.m. snack - a carbohydrate

 

Lunch: sandwich, usually PB & J with fruit

 

p.m. snack - carrot sticks, fruit, or cheese

 

Dinner: A balanced meal (except if Mom's sick + Dad's cooking :D)

 

 

Grocery shopping is every 2 weeks. When we're out, we're out. This has helped my kids understand our budget a bit better and how their choices affect their diet. I buy a 2 bags of oranges. If they eat them up in the first day or two then they have to wait til Daddy get's paid.

 

It was hard at first for my #1 son who thought a box of ritz needed to be consumed in one sitting to adjust.

[ConnieB]

Edited to add: Assuming that your kids are eating healthy foods..........

 

I seriously doubt that your children are eating enough extra food to fund a vacation, lol. Just because your family and your friend's family have comparable salaries doesn't mean that you should be able to spend like they do. For all you know they have tens of thousands of dollars of debt for credit cards that are paying for those vacations and extras. Or a trust fund...or investments that bring in extra cash. Or they aren't saving a dime towards college or retirement.

 

As for your kids eating habits, I'd say take a hard look at WHAT they are eating in between meals and if it's relatively healthy choices and they don't have weight or health issues because of those choices, then I'd not make changes. If they are snacking all day on high fat/high sugar/low nutritious foods....it may be time to change the snack choices, but I wouldn't change access. There is a lot of evidence that eating when you're hungry and more importantly stopping eating when you're full is the healthiest choice. "Listening to your body" is the buzz words on that. Being hungry between meals but not able to satisfy it means that at meal time you will "fill up while you can"....and that can be very detrimental.

 

I have lost well over a hundred pounds and so far (knock wood) kept it off. I had to completely overhaul WHAT I ate, but probably more importantly WHEN I eat. If I'm hungry, I eat. If I'm not, I don't. Many times when I think I'm hungry....a glass of water is really what my body wants and a quick guzzle and I'm satisfied. If not, a handful of grapes does it.....I don't need a lot to take that empty feeling down a notch. Sounds simple, but most of us eat by habit...it's noon so it's lunch time whether you are hungry or not...and lunch means 3 courses or whatever. Our family still has rather set mealtimes, but in between if you're hungry, go grab a handful of grapes, a banana, an apple, or a slice of bread with some peanut butter, whatever you need to tide you over. At mealtime if you snacked recently so you aren't very hungry, take small portions and eat until you're full, then push the plate away. I'd rather see food go to waste than have my kids deal with the weight issues that plauged me my entire life from the simple "clean your plate" command that I grew up with!!! It can take 10-20 minutes for your brain to register that you ate and it's satisfied. That's why many people overeat....they come to the dinner table "starving" because they resisted eating a small healthy snack an hour before dinner and now they start shoveling food in quickly because of that hunger....and before their brain has registered full they've eaten two or three times what their body really needed.

 

My kids are pretty good about regulating their snacks to not cause them to not want a meal.....and the snacks they do eat are healthy choices so eating less at a meal is perfectly fine. We do not keep much junk food in the house so there is little temptation to binge on it. And, the kids have learned how healthy choices make them feel better than a day of junk food eating, so that usually helps. I only step in and say no when it seems like they're forgotten that lesson, lol.

 

As for the other issue...about them appearing to have more than you do....You might also look over your spending habits to see if maybe something you spend money on that your friend doesn't might help you afford more vacations. We don't have cable TV, we don't subscribe to magazines or the newspaper, we don't have a Netflix or Blockbuster account........we borrow movies and magazines from the library for free and read the news online or watch the news on TV. That saves us several hundred dollars a month over our neighbors. Look too at your cell phone bill...ours is $45 and we have unlimited calls, internet and texting. One family we know spends over $200 a month on cell phones and still have a landline at home too! The difference between their phone bills and ours over the course of a year is enough for a vacation! There are so many ways that people are spending a small fortune that may not be as necessary as they think....it may just be a habit that you don't realize is costing you so much! One example I typically offer friends asking how to save money....my DH takes his lunch to work each day. Even a fast food meal would be five or more dollars....multiply that by the average 22 work days a month is over a hundred dollars, multiply that by 12 months and you've paid for a decent vacation just by making him a lunch each morning. Yes, I have to spend a little bit more in groceries to make his lunch, but not five dollars a day! Maybe your friend has pared her expenses down to afford those vacations. Or......Maybe she just charges it all and has her credit card bills maxed out, a second on the house, and is barely keep her head above water....but feels that the vacations are necessary and they deserve them so they keep going into debt.

Edited March 20, 2010 by ConnieB

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I have sort of a mixture. They have free access to whatever is in their reach, which is mostly healthy stuff like whole grain crackers, yogurt, raisins, cheese sticks, Cheerios, fruit, etc. I do have a high cupboard where I keep certain snacks that I dole out occasionally. Soda pop is only for parties. Otherwise you can have juice in moderation, milk or water.

[cillakat]

We do not restrict access to the kitchen, nor have we ever done so. Since the boys were capable of getting a snack when hungry, they have been allowed to do so. Do people not allow their children food when hungry? Seriously, the thought never occurred to me.

 

For me and for one of my kids, it's not about eating when hungry, it's about eating *all the time* b/c we just want food. It's amazing for me to be taking a stimulant medication (vyvanse, for adhd) because for the first time in my life, I know what it feels like to want to eat just based on hunger and not based on simply wanting to eat.

 

Virtually the whole world eats *at mealtimes* and not whenever the urge moves them. In countries eating still eating 'traditional' diets at traditional mealtimes, snacking is nearly unheard of and quite frankly, eating outside of mealtimes isn't working out so well for most americans.

 

Best,

Katherine

[ereks mom]

I buy chips because we sometimes eat them with sandwiches for lunch. Sometimes, for a treat or special occasion, I'll buy a package of Oreos or Chips Ahoy cookies. But when the chips or cookies are gone, they're gone, and I don't run to the store & buy more.

 

Usually the kids snack on healthier things like crackers, cheese, peanut butter, fruit, or cereal with milk. I buy various kinds of crackers (Ritz, Townhouse, Wheat Thins, Cheez Its -- usually the generic versions, though ;)) which the kids often eat with cheese or peanut butter. I buy apples and bananas, as well as canned fruit. I buy cereal only when it's around $2 per box or less. My kids like generic Apple Jacks and Reese's Puffs, which I occasionally buy, but they generally prefer less sweet choices, such as Cheerios or the generic version of Honey Bunches of Oats.

[lllll]

Haven't read the other posts. Yes, they've always had free access to the kitchen. We don't have set mealtimes. Someone cooks a few dishes every day and leaves it on the stove to be eaten whenever they get hungry. There are no junk foods in the house and we all drink water (except dh's coffee - only coffee drinker in the house). If we get hungry, we eat what's cooked, make our own, or eat leftovers from the frig. I began teaching our 5dc how to get their own food (or make their own) when they were small.

Edited March 20, 2010 by ksva

[Lightly Salted]

Yes ... although we restrict soda to VERY occasionally (1-2x a month). We've also taught about the food pyramid and try to encourage healthy, varied snacking. My kids could eat a bunch of bananas, bag of apples and half a bag of grapes in one day - which is healthy, but expensive, and not as filling or balanced as a diet adding in dairy, veggies, protein and starches. We try to suggest they rotate food groups whenever they want a snack; if you had dairy last time, what about fruit? If you had starch, how about some protein? or vegetables?

[myfunnybunch]

We allow free access to snacks, but the choices are very limited: Apples, bananas, or oranges, string cheese, dried fruit, sometimes a piece of wheat toast or a glass of milk. Most often a "hungry" child will tell me they don't want those foods. I tell them nicely that they must not be truly hungry, then, and to please wait for the next meal. Once in a while, the child will eat one of the offered foods; most often, the kiddo runs away to play.

 

We don't buy chips, soda, juice, cookies, etc. so those foods aren't an issue.

 

Cat

[Homemama2]

Mine have to always ask first but the main reason is because neither eat 'enough' in my opinion and if they snack before a meal then they will not eat anything during that meal. Also because of this, most of the snacks I have are things like yogurt and cheese sticks and other healthy things. I will almost always let them have one of these healthy snacks...but at my kids ages I prefer to know what they're eating (for example my youngest would eat 5 or 6 cheese sticks in a day and nothing else. So even if it's a healthy choice, I want him to eat a balanced diet.) If they were good eaters I would probably be less strict...but if mine got to have chips and pop when they want...they'd be totally unhealthy cuz that would fill them up and then nothing good would get in them. :001_smile:

Edited March 20, 2010 by Homemama2

[6packofun]

This whole issue depends on how many kids you have, what your income is, and if your kids are eating healthy or starting to get pudgy from junk.

 

My kids have always had to ask because we've always been low/lower income and we NEED for them to ask. Plus, it's polite when they ask first for some things because *having* a bag of shredded cheese doesn't mean it's available to whoever, whenever. I might need it for a dinner recipe and it's a pain to either have to run out to the store again OR not have the money and there goes my recipe.

 

Not sure most people here can appreciate that, but it's the way low-income folks live and isn't stifling or mean or even anal retentive like it sounds. LOL Just how it is. :)

[KrissiK]

Not really totally free access. Like other posters, even though I allow healthy snacks - mine wouldn't eat veggies at dinner because they'd fill up on snacks beforehand. And... I admit it, we do have some junkfood in the house. We try to eat healthy, but I like chips and some sweets. The kids ask, and I usually give them a choice of what to eat for snack - if they've been eating at meals. They can have string cheese or yogurt or a piece of fruit. My oldest DS (7 years) is very active and muscular and he just needs to refuel throughout the day, so I think snacks are appropriate for him.