mohop Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Lately, I've been getting annoyed at my kids wanting to eat/snack at all hours during the day. This annoys me for two main reason: (1) my 4 yr old is constantly asking me for food when I am in the middle of doing something that requires my attention, like fixing dinner; and (2) they will snack in between meals and then hardly eat anything at mealtime. So, I was thinking of "closing" the kitchen for the two hours before dinner. But then part of me thinks it's mean to deny my kids food when they are hungy, especially my 21-month old, and it's not really fair to let her eat when I don't let my older DD eat. Does anyone here have a time when your kitchen "closes down." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Not when my kids were that young. Now that my youngest is almost 8 I feel much more comfortable saying "dinner is in 30 mins so please don't have a snack now". It sort of evolved naturally. I can tell him "dinner is soon' and he will walk away on his own. But, when they were as young as yours I let them eat any time they wanted. Their tummies are so small that they eat all the time anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Yes. Children don't need to be in and out of the kitchen all.day.long. We're not snackers. Neither was my family. Neither was my grandmother's family. We all lived to tell about it, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misty.warden Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I had the same fear with my ds, but after the first "I want a snack NAOW" fit he ate so much better with a schedule, including more vegetables. I don't think 2 hours is terribly long between meals, especially if they aren't eating the meal an hour or so after a snack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 No. People can get food whenever they want it. It has not been a problem at meal time. People still make it to the table and eat dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerico Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We have b'fast, lunch, p.m. snack and dinner, occasionally dessert and that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I serve meals only, if you are so hungry you can't wait, there are raisens and apples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbeth Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Yes, our kitchen closes each night at 8:30. It reopens when they get up in the am. We turn the light off as a signal once we've loaded up the last day's dishes/wiped counters etc. This is because dh and I tend to go to bed on the early side. My older kids can help themselves to a snack, but anything they want to cook, etc. must be done before then. They must clean any dishes mess from any snacks had after this time, a few crackers, ice cream, etc. Sometimes I've closed the kitchen at other times too if snacking seems to have gotten out of hand, etc. When our kitchen is closed only water is available. Our youngest is 5 and she is allowed one mid-morning snack, one mid afternoon one, and one evening snack since dinner is served early here (before 5:30). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Our kitchen has always been open for business at all times. I've never felt it was my place to tell anyone, kid or not, that they aren't hungry. There's absolutely no way I can know that, and I certainly don't want to set them up for eating disorders by making control of food an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We have breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner with one allowed dessert per day (after either lunch or dinner; their choice). My kids don't even ask for additional snacks, and I wouldn't let them unless there are extenuating circumstances. We're not strict about food per se, but I don't want them eating their way through the day, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 No, and we don't always eat at the same time either. We have plenty of familiy time, we just don't center it around food. It works for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I have an open kitchen all the time. Do I get sick of it? yes, but that's ok. When they are little, they need those calories, and I know they will want a snack before dinner and I know they won't eat a big dinner, and I know that they'll be hungry again in an hour. That is a beautiful thing, and you don't want to mess with it. If you work around that, you won't have kids who mess up their hunger/full signals. We don't belong to the clean your plate club. If thye want a snack, make it a healthy one and don't worry about them not eating so much dinner. Then, they eat a bit of dinner and after if they're hungry again, give them a bit more dinner. If you fight it, you will be always angry. If you embrace it, it won't be a problem. Kinda like life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We have breakfast, lunch, 3:00 snack, and dinner. Fruit is almost always available. If they are hungry, they come ask me if they can have some cheese or peanut butter. It's not a control issue, it's just the way our family operates. I usually started this about the time the boys were 3 or 4, depending on their eating habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Mine closes the day before I shop. That's why I shop. :p That said, dd is five and a half and I've lately found myself asking her to wait if she's scrounging for snacks while I'm cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We have 3 meals and 2 snacks each day. They are not allowed to root around and find their own food without asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in TN Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We have 3 meals and 2 snacks each day. They are not allowed to root around and find their own food without asking. We are the same. I set the meal/snack times and decide what we will served. They are allowed to eat as much (or as little) as they want that is one their plates and are allowed to ask for seconds of a favoriate food once they have eaten everything they have been served. I only serve milk at breakfast and they get water the rest of the day. That works so they don't fill their tummies with liquid calories. Juice (50% water) is given only as a treat once a week or less. "Dessert" is usually fruit or yogurt and sweets are only given a few times per month but more often (once or twice per week) during holiday season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Yes, I do have snacking hours. I do not prepare them snacks - they can grab a yogurt, cheese stick, apple, etc. on their own. But no snacking after 4:00pm because I think that might interfere with dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 yes! We have 4 kids and a very tight budget. I NEED my kids to eat their full dinner and not munch all the fruits/snacks up because they are bored or didn't eat a good meal. (if they gobble all these up, there will be NO MORE till payday!) Breakfast, 10:30 snack, Lunch, 3:00 snack, supper around 5-6, evening snack is plenty. I try to make sure that each meal has protein and fat in it. You may want to make your kids a snack bag for each day. Perhaps you could divvy up 6 baby carrots, 4 cheese cubes, a boiled eggs, tablespoons of nuts into invidiual baggies and say, "These are your snacks for the day. When they are gone, you will have to wait to the next meal." My family works this way for 2 reasons. 1. Budget. 2. Kids who munch on light foods all day and don't want dinner drive me bonkers. 3. Other kids who will eat until they throw up, just because they like to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I've also been known to fix my "I;m not hungry kids." a dinner plate and give that to them the hour or two after dinner when they are wanting the popcorn that everyone else is munching on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 My kitchen is closed between meals. I never gave my kids snacks even when they were little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 My dd doesn't eat breakfast and takes a small lunch (healthy, but not big), so she snacks when she gets home. Today she had a bowl of soup, a granola bar, grapes, a sleeve of crackers, and a glass of milk. That's a bit...unusual for her. She eats dinner pretty well, and has something afterwards most of the time. She's tiny. Burns it off. Eats healthy, for the most part. I do tell her not to eat RIGHT before dinner. Other than that, open here. ETA: She wanted to add, "and half a cucumber." :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 BTW, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to handle this issue. Some people don't mind the open kitchen and have the budget to have one. Others don't. you may want to experiment with your family to see what works best. (When we went to 3 meals 3 snacks a day, there was some whining "I'm STARVING!" as they adjusted to it, but soon they learned that they could have a certain time to which they could look forward to getting a snack and they were okay.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Oh, yes! My kitchen is closed for the day after I clean up after dinner. Kids are often invited into the kitchen to help make things, but not generally in the hour before or after dinner. Too tired, too busy. My kitchen is tiny! We have recently eliminated snacks and that has been a good move for us. Kids eat way better at meals! More veggies too! My kids may not get food out of the kitchen without asking. Mine are still too little to reach much or to handle heavy things well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I thought you meant physically, and was going to say no but, oh, how I wish it did! I hate open plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I have 3 teenage boys and a 12 yo boy. I'm too afraid to get between them and food to close the kitchen! (Just kidding, sort of.) The only meal they really eat together is dinner, so they are in and out of the kitchen all day and half the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I don't let my kids be hungry. I believe it is healthier to eat when your body says eat and don't eat when your body says full. Up until around ages 4-6, they really needed a 5 snack. So, I just gave them part of what dinners vegetable would be. They ate more of it in isolation at 5, than if it had been served as part of a meal at 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We are snackers. I had two kids that were super skinny for a while, so they needed to eat as much as they could. I tend to get hungry between meals too, so I figure they are too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 No. But when my kids were around that age, we had to ban snacking for about 6 mos in order to break the habit of expecting all food to be shaped like a goldfish and available at all times. It worked. They went back to eating meals. We slowly let the snacking return in moderation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Yes. Tho I'm more lenient about letting little ones have a piece of fruit or some raw veggies or cheese sticks/cubes if they get hungry between meals. Little ones have no concept of time, only hunger. My older kids, it depends. If they have been outside all day long? Or just got home from an ACT or PT? Then sure they can hae something to tide them over to the next meal. Just bored or just didn't like lunch and now wanting a new lunch sized offering? No. My teens are sort of treated like toddlers. :) I make sure they get a snack before bed. They stay up 2-3 more hours than the other kids and that means its been 4-5 hours since dinner and I think it's normal for someone who is awake to want to eat after that amount of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I guess I should add that my kids are spaghetti sticks and I am forever trying to put some meat on their bones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Never. I always feed hungry kids - even if it is sliced apples and carrots. All of my children are thin, and as teens and older, I think they all have pretty good eating habits. Two are very into eating well. One (the adult) eats more fast food than I think he should. But all three boys like vegetable and are healthy weights. I would not close the kitchen but I would control the available options. An hour before dinner the choices might be grapes or sliced red peppers, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Never. I always feed hungry kids - even if it is sliced apples and carrots. All of my children are thin, and as teens and older, I think they all have pretty good eating habits. Two are very into eating well. One (the adult) eats more fast food than I think he should. But all three boys like vegetable and are healthy weights. I would not close the kitchen but I would control the available options. An hour before dinner the choices might be grapes or sliced red peppers, for example. Hmmm now that you make me think about it, my kids are very health conscious, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magic Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I have teenagers and all my kids are athletes so my kitchen is never closed. When they were younger I always had a bowl of fruit, crackers and peanut butter, yogurt, and string cheese that were available at anytime but now that they are older they eat anything and everything at all hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 We have to have a schedule with snacks or my youngest won't eat supper. They have three snacks a day and three meals. The schedule was brought in a year ago. I now have healthier appetites at meals, better consumption of veggies, and they never say their hungry. It took one week for their bodies to adjust and then we were good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I was told I shouldn't let my kids snack much and so one time I said no. The next morning younger dd was shaking while eating breakfast. She was so very hungry. My girls eat throughout the day and they eat a lot. Sometimes they may not eat well at a meal time but what they do fill up on is all healthy. Their favorite nighttime snack is eggs and they cook (and clean up) themselves. They're both tall and skinny. It just seems to burn off them like their dad. He was actually told at his last physical that he could gain at least five pounds. :glare: He eats all the time and has huge meals, but it just doesn't stick around for long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I've never closed my kitchen, but nobody here has snacked enough to annoy me. I generally eat what I want, when I feel like it, and my appetite fluctuates according to my recent activities. I think 'my' body gives reliable hunger signals and I'd never expect anyone else to ignore theirs. Nobody here is such a big eater that it's a budget issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Depends on what you call a snack. My kids eat all day, but their snacks are fruit, veggies, cheese, nuts, etc. They get most of their fruits and veggies from between meal eating, and the 4yo+ serve themselves. If you call a treat a snack, then I decide when those occur. My 2yo & 4yo clearly have different meal clocks than the rest of the family, so they eat when they are hungry. Both stop eating about an hour before naps or bedtime, so if I miss their hunger window, they miss meals (even though they are starving). Doesn't sound bad on the surface, I know, but I don't think it's healthy to have kids that young miss meals because their bodies are on a different eating schedule. Seems like they should eat when they are hungry, not when I'm hungry. My 2yo has struggled with growth, so I really need to keep the calories flowing. My 4yo struggles with behavior when she is hungry. I am looking forward to the time when all my kids can prepare their own food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 No. That's where we keep the food and people like to eat. So, when they want food that's where they go to get it. Seriously, I don't 'close' the kitchen. But my kids always ask before they take food. It's mostly a courtesy since I rarely say no. I might say that dinner will be soon and ask if they can wait. But, last week as I was cooking my 11 year old asked if he could have a snack. I suggested he wait until dinner was ready. He told me he didn't think he could wait :tongue_smilie: So, he had an apple and then ate a full meal. I figure he must really have been hungry! Generally, I don't buy a lot of junk. Candy and such does seem to find its way in from time to time and usually gets thrown away when it's stale. I've just found with my crew that keeping it accessible means they eat it if they're hungry and ignore it if their not. There's no need to binge or hoard. Chances are, no one else wants it anyway so why make it off limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 We regularly keep a closed kitchen, because that's the way both DH and I grew up. My boys don't snack between meals unless they ask first, and they rarely do because they have a habit of eating on schedule. They are older, though -- 10 and 12. When they were younger they had an afternoon snack, but we found out as they got older, that if they snacked in the afternoon, they didn't eat a good dinner, which was important to us. I do remind them at times to ask for a snack if they are hungry, but again, they rarely do because they're in the habit of eating at meal times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohop Posted December 1, 2012 Author Share Posted December 1, 2012 Wow! So many different opinions! To be clear, I don't really have a problem feeding my littlest one whenever she's hungry, and to be honest, she doens't often ask for food. It's the 4.5 yr old who will ask to snack on fruit or yogurt or sandwiches all day, and then when it's time for dinner, will eat two bites and say she's full (and then sometimes will tell us as we are putting her to bed that she's hungry and wants to eat). So if I didn't think it was interfering with what she was eating for dinner, then I probably would be more forgiving of it. I think I am going to start by just forbidding snacking the hour before dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misty.warden Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Wow! So many different opinions! It's the 4.5 yr old who will ask to snack on fruit or yogurt or sandwiches all day, and then when it's time for dinner, will eat two bites and say she's full (and then sometimes will tell us as we are putting her to bed that she's hungry and wants to eat). So if I didn't think it was interfering with what she was eating for dinner, then I probably would be more forgiving of it. This is exactly my ds. If it wasn't interfering with proper meal eating, as many people have shared that with their kids it doesn't, I don't think it's an issue but that doesn't sound like what's happening with you. I envy people who have kids where there are no food rules and they can have anything and still proper nutrition isn't a problem, but sadly that's not how it is for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 2 boys, 1 preteen in sports and 1 teen in sports and weight lifting :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 It's the 4.5 yr old who will ask to snack on fruit or yogurt or sandwiches all day, and then when it's time for dinner, will eat two bites and say she's full (and then sometimes will tell us as we are putting her to bed that she's hungry and wants to eat). So if I didn't think it was interfering with what she was eating for dinner, then I probably would be more forgiving of it. I think I am going to start by just forbidding snacking the hour before dinner. If she is snacking before dinner, could you give her something that would be in the dinner? If you gave her fresh veggies, then you could "count" that as her dinner veggie rather than as a snack? That's what I do since I truly don't care when they eat their veggies. I wouldn't give yogurt or a sandwich before dinner, but they can have all the veggies they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I made snack baskets in the cupboards and snack bags in the fridge. Each night before bed (or early in the morn if I forgot), I fill them with their allotted snacks for the day. They can access them freely, but once they're out, they know not to ask for more. They've learned to space themselves out this way. We haven't done it since my surgery, and we all miss it. That's one new year's resolution- to get back to the snack bins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 2 boys, 1 preteen in sports and 1 teen in sports and weight lifting :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: . My middle son ate 5 waffles and three eggs for breakfast, we went to church and an hour later he's starving. At least he knows how to cook himself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I've never closed my kitchen, but nobody here has snacked enough to annoy me. I generally eat what I want, when I feel like it, and my appetite fluctuates according to my recent activities. I think 'my' body gives reliable hunger signals and I'd never expect anyone else to ignore theirs. Nobody here is such a big eater that it's a budget issue. This is exactly my feeling. Sometimes I am full just from cooking so I'll sit with everyone and just pick a bit. I may eat an hour later or maybe not. We all seem to be hungry at different times. I announce when I'm in the kitchen actually turning on the stove or something and try to make everything all at once but I will grab a snack or assemble something simple most times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Short answer - No. Never closes. Don't even get me started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I can not afford for my kids to go through th kitchen and eat whatever they want whenever they want. My son would literally be eating cereal the ENTIRE day. He's never full. We have 3 meals. If they are really that hungry they can get a piece of cheese or an apple. That usually helps them decide whether or not they are really actually hungry or just bored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I serve a planned breakfast, morning snack, lunch, and supper all which include some form of protein. In between these times hungry people are welcome to serve themselves a piece of fruit or some veggies; I have even been known to point them to the cut up cheese if supper will be lite or late. I do not know what that makes me; I feel like Popeye: "I am what I am." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I made snack baskets in the cupboards and snack bags in the fridge. Each night before bed (or early in the morn if I forgot), I fill them with their allotted snacks for the day. They can access them freely, but once they're out, they know not to ask for more. They've learned to space themselves out this way. We haven't done it since my surgery, and we all miss it. That's one new year's resolution- to get back to the snack bins. I wish I could do that. But my kids are just not snackers. They don't like snack grabby food. They are not terribly picky though. But yeah everything requires at least a bit of preperation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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