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Why are there more eating opportunities for kids now than in the past?
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i doubt homeless families are the ones op was talking about in regards to having snacks at the ready 24/70
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I also think it's a little sad how adults project their own food issues and hangups on their kids...8
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I'm 27, for perspective.
During morning recess, we could have a snack if we wanted, but I don't recall one being provided. Same for afternoon activities. My school, though, went from 9:15-3:40p at its longest, so that may have had an effect. I always got an afternoon snack before doing TKD.
I've subbed at elementary schools locally, and it seems as though availability of a morning snack is directly tied to average income level. At the poorer schools, a bag of apple or pear slices or something like a Cutie mandarin were provided if a student wanted, whereas at richer schools, nothing was provided but students could have brought their own.
There was nothing more heartbreaking than sending one of the kids, who was clearly falling through the cracks, to the nurse because he or she told me her stomach hurt only to find out that he or she was hungry and the nurse had given a cracker or two.0 -
Is the topic of OP discussion to have a debate on "why are kids given more eating opportunities than the past"?
Who's past and what out of the ordinary is giving a young child a snack? At some point kindergarten or young children of a certain age in elementary school.. the teachers have this responsibility to allow snacks in the class room or snack breaks. This sort of stops when the "nap time" stops in school.
Junior high and high school kids are pretty much on their own and feed them selves according to normal eat schedules or if you were in training or sports, or had certain activities that kept you at school longer than the 3:00 bell.. Afternoon snacks right when you get home from school was always expected and I always ate something when I got home.
I never had snacks available at a whim, it was sort of pre-planned with school activities. If there is something I missed, if kids are given food at any time or any where and the parents are involved and there is issue with weight, then there lies the problem.
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Is the topic of OP discussion to have a debate on "why are kids given more eating opportunities than the past"?
Who's past and what out of the ordinary is giving a young child a snack? At some point kindergarten or young children of a certain age in elementary school.. the teachers have this responsibility to allow snacks in the class room or snack breaks. This sort of stops when the "nap time" stops in school.
Junior high and high school kids are pretty much on their own and feed them selves according to normal eat schedules or if you were in training or sports, or had certain activities that kept you at school longer than the 3:00 bell.. Afternoon snacks right when you get home from school was always expected and I always ate something when I got home.
I never had snacks available at a whim, it was sort of pre-planned with school activities. If there is something I missed, if kids are given food at any time or any where and the parents are involved and there is issue with weight, then there lies the problem.
My 4th grader (9 years old) is still supposed to bring in a daily snack for herself, per school rules. I don't know what grade this stops (we pulled my older daughter before she got to 5th). Curious to know what the cut off grade is for snack time in other areas is.0 -
ReaderGirl3 wrote: »Is the topic of OP discussion to have a debate on "why are kids given more eating opportunities than the past"?
Who's past and what out of the ordinary is giving a young child a snack? At some point kindergarten or young children of a certain age in elementary school.. the teachers have this responsibility to allow snacks in the class room or snack breaks. This sort of stops when the "nap time" stops in school.
Junior high and high school kids are pretty much on their own and feed them selves according to normal eat schedules or if you were in training or sports, or had certain activities that kept you at school longer than the 3:00 bell.. Afternoon snacks right when you get home from school was always expected and I always ate something when I got home.
I never had snacks available at a whim, it was sort of pre-planned with school activities. If there is something I missed, if kids are given food at any time or any where and the parents are involved and there is issue with weight, then there lies the problem.
My 4th grader (9 years old) is still supposed to bring in a daily snack for herself, per school rules. I don't know what grade this stops (we pulled my older daughter before she got to 5th). Curious to know what the cut off grade is for snack time in other areas is.
Houston tx area: mid- day, from home snacks thru 5th grade.0 -
I'm 27, for perspective.
During morning recess, we could have a snack if we wanted, but I don't recall one being provided. Same for afternoon activities. My school, though, went from 9:15-3:40p at its longest, so that may have had an effect. I always got an afternoon snack before doing TKD.
I've subbed at elementary schools locally, and it seems as though availability of a morning snack is directly tied to average income level. At the poorer schools, a bag of apple or pear slices or something like a Cutie mandarin were provided if a student wanted, whereas at richer schools, nothing was provided but students could have brought their own.
There was nothing more heartbreaking than sending one of the kids, who was clearly falling through the cracks, to the nurse because he or she told me her stomach hurt only to find out that he or she was hungry and the nurse had given a cracker or two.
Jesus. A cracker or two? I would've given the kid the whole box and then handed over my own lunch too.
I know. It was terrible. The kids were usually 5 or 6, so they wouldn't tell me they were hungry (maybe since I was a stranger?) because I always bring snacks for myself because I get hangry and I would absolutely share.
I'm in California and as a result, a lot of kids fall through the gap that comes from a poverty line based on national averages. It was eye-opening and humbling.0 -
Perhaps it's a parenting style issue? My mom only brought snacks in a few scenarios: Water for walking home from school, juice and fruit for soccer games, and graham crackers for my brother and I to snack on at the pool while she was changing out of her swimsuit. Beyond that, if we were out doing errands, the only thing she'd have were some peppermint lifesavers she kept in the car (not what I'd call a snack, but it was usually enough to tide us over).
When it comes to snacks at activities, like Mommy and Me, Gymnastics, Soccer, T-Ball, etc., I wonder if it's related to the mindset we (or at least I) used to have in school, where I wasn't sure my teachers knew I had OTHER classes giving homework. Perhaps these activities don't really think that you might be providing / consuming snacks at other activities?
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I'm 27, for perspective.
During morning recess, we could have a snack if we wanted, but I don't recall one being provided. Same for afternoon activities. My school, though, went from 9:15-3:40p at its longest, so that may have had an effect. I always got an afternoon snack before doing TKD.
I've subbed at elementary schools locally, and it seems as though availability of a morning snack is directly tied to average income level. At the poorer schools, a bag of apple or pear slices or something like a Cutie mandarin were provided if a student wanted, whereas at richer schools, nothing was provided but students could have brought their own.
There was nothing more heartbreaking than sending one of the kids, who was clearly falling through the cracks, to the nurse because he or she told me her stomach hurt only to find out that he or she was hungry and the nurse had given a cracker or two.
Jesus. A cracker or two? I would've given the kid the whole box and then handed over my own lunch too.
There are a lot of hungry kids. It's heartbreaking.
Houston food bank delivers "backpacks" with a large bag of cereal, canned milk, 2 ea canned veg fruit and protein, and 2 snack like items like nurtigrain bars /chewy bars and gives them out each Friday to the kids who are on the free lunch program so they have food for the weekend. I have volunteered there building these back packs and took my daughter who helped.
Really gives you perspective of the thousands of hungry children in your area. My kids are blessed with every snack they get compared to the kids who sit empty handed at snack time watching other classmates eat with growling tummies. No kid should be hungry.
Seems we are whining about the wrong things here.
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MommyMeggo wrote: »I'm 27, for perspective.
During morning recess, we could have a snack if we wanted, but I don't recall one being provided. Same for afternoon activities. My school, though, went from 9:15-3:40p at its longest, so that may have had an effect. I always got an afternoon snack before doing TKD.
I've subbed at elementary schools locally, and it seems as though availability of a morning snack is directly tied to average income level. At the poorer schools, a bag of apple or pear slices or something like a Cutie mandarin were provided if a student wanted, whereas at richer schools, nothing was provided but students could have brought their own.
There was nothing more heartbreaking than sending one of the kids, who was clearly falling through the cracks, to the nurse because he or she told me her stomach hurt only to find out that he or she was hungry and the nurse had given a cracker or two.
Jesus. A cracker or two? I would've given the kid the whole box and then handed over my own lunch too.
There are a lot of hungry kids. It's heartbreaking.
Houston food bank delivers "backpacks" with a large bag of cereal, canned milk, 2 ea canned veg fruit and protein, and 2 snack like items like nurtigrain bars /chewy bars and gives them out each Friday to the kids who are on the free lunch program so they have food for the weekend. I have volunteered there building these back packs and took my daughter who helped.
Really gives you perspective of the thousands of hungry children in your area. My kids are blessed with every snack they get compared to the kids who sit empty handed at snack time watching other classmates eat with growling tummies. No kid should be hungry.
Seems we are whining about the wrong things here.
A discussion to find out what other people experiences with their kids and eating opportunitie is not whining.
I never said there wasn't hungry children in the world. We can't talk about kids and food because of world hunger?0 -
I'm not a fan of all the snacks for kids. I have friends who lament that their kids won't eat meals and they are constantly giving their kids snacks/juice at all hours. No wonder.
We eat at meal times, no snacks unless they are at school. My kid's preschool provides 2 snacks! I notice on those days they tend to not be hungry for dinner.
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MommyMeggo wrote: »I'm 27, for perspective.
During morning recess, we could have a snack if we wanted, but I don't recall one being provided. Same for afternoon activities. My school, though, went from 9:15-3:40p at its longest, so that may have had an effect. I always got an afternoon snack before doing TKD.
I've subbed at elementary schools locally, and it seems as though availability of a morning snack is directly tied to average income level. At the poorer schools, a bag of apple or pear slices or something like a Cutie mandarin were provided if a student wanted, whereas at richer schools, nothing was provided but students could have brought their own.
There was nothing more heartbreaking than sending one of the kids, who was clearly falling through the cracks, to the nurse because he or she told me her stomach hurt only to find out that he or she was hungry and the nurse had given a cracker or two.
Jesus. A cracker or two? I would've given the kid the whole box and then handed over my own lunch too.
There are a lot of hungry kids. It's heartbreaking.
Houston food bank delivers "backpacks" with a large bag of cereal, canned milk, 2 ea canned veg fruit and protein, and 2 snack like items like nurtigrain bars /chewy bars and gives them out each Friday to the kids who are on the free lunch program so they have food for the weekend. I have volunteered there building these back packs and took my daughter who helped.
Really gives you perspective of the thousands of hungry children in your area. My kids are blessed with every snack they get compared to the kids who sit empty handed at snack time watching other classmates eat with growling tummies. No kid should be hungry.
Seems we are whining about the wrong things here.
A discussion to find out what other people experiences with their kids and eating opportunitie is not whining.
I never said there wasn't hungry children in the world. We can't talk about kids and food because of world hunger?
Nope. Or bottled water because kids are thirsty too.
Yeesh. I was speaking in general.
Just broadening the perspective. Relax.0 -
my 4 year old nephew eats about 15 snacks and 3 full meals
snacks arent slowing him down0 -
I'm not a fan of all the snacks for kids. I have friends who lament that their kids won't eat meals and they are constantly giving their kids snacks/juice at all hours. No wonder.
We eat at meal times, no snacks unless they are at school. My kid's preschool provides 2 snacks! I notice on those days they tend to not be hungry for dinner.
That's not a snacking issue really...that's a parenting issue. That has nothing to do with, say, my kid's kindergarten class having a mid morning snack time and an afternoon snack time. Mindlessly eating or allowing your kids to do so is not what I would consider "snacking"...it's just mindless eating.
I don't see how having a couple of snack times per day is "all the snacks for kids" or somehow out of control snacking. I always had snack time growing up...I still have my snack times...doesn't seem to be slowing me down.0 -
Does it matter if a child eats meals or snacks?
It seems meal times are cultural, not necessarily health-based. Some adults do very well with IF and some better with grazing.
I think it's better to offer healthy food free range for whenever my daughter will eat it than to try to force her into some arbitrary standard of consumption. At the end of the day, it's the same food as she would have eaten in three separate meal times, but in 7 or 8 instead.
So sugary junk and juice aside, for children, does frequency matter or is it individualized as with adults?
Oh and to add, isn't telling a kid "You eat lunch at noon and if you don't, there is no food until 3" going to encourage them to eat even if not hungry so that they don't get hungry waiting for the next meal or snack time? Isn't that the opposite of healthful eating?1 -
I coached my kids' soccer teams. Boy-oh-boy did I fight those team moms over the half-time snack and the juice box after. Even when the kids were in high-school there had to be a sweet drink afterwards -- except on the high school team, where the parents were not involved.
I never saw one of those high-school players become so emaciated that they could not make the next game. Nor do I remember feeling deprived, when I played as a kid, when all we got was water from the water fountain.
It's all too much. It's not the extra calories so much. It's the training, the training that you cannot go for two hours without putting something in your mouth, the training that an activity is not fun if it does not include sugar. Those are bad, bad habits to saddle our youth with.4
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