Seconds at Snack?

[mamamanda]

I have 2 dcks who are 3 & almost 5 (love them both to pieces) who always want seconds at snack time & sometimes thirds & fourths. At lunch time I typically feed them until they're full even if it is 3 or 4 helpings, but they treat snack time like mealtime & I'm never sure whether to allow that or tell them to wait for their mom to eat more. Snack is about an hour before they get picked up. I try to serve healthy meals. Its not like they're gorging themselves on junk. A few examples from this week are fresh veggies with peanut butter & applesauce, fruit, cheese stick, & veggies with ranch, frozen banana rolled in yogurt & crushed granola & whole wheat toast. All are served with milk. Would you accomodate requests for more?

[Blackcat31]

I have 2 dcks who are 3 & almost 5 (love them both to pieces) who always want seconds at snack time & sometimes thirds & fourths. At lunch time I typically feed them until they're full even if it is 3 or 4 helpings, but they treat snack time like mealtime & I'm never sure whether to allow that or tell them to wait for their mom to eat more. Snack is about an hour before they get picked up. I try to serve healthy meals. Its not like they're gorging themselves on junk. A few examples from this week are fresh veggies with peanut butter & applesauce, fruit, cheese stick, & veggies with ranch, frozen banana rolled in yogurt & crushed granola & whole wheat toast. All are served with milk. Would you accomodate requests for more?

No seconds on snack. Its suppose to be a snack to tide them over til dinner not fill them up. If it did, they'd be too full for dinner.

[DaveA]

I give seconds at snack, but it is a smaller portion (about half size). I serve snack around 3 so even if they eat plenty it's early enough that it doesn't affect their dinner.

[childcaremom]

I don't do seconds at snacks. Lunch, yes.

[Play Care]

No seconds on snack. Its suppose to be a snack to tide them over til dinner not fill them up. If it did, they'd be too full for dinner.

This.

That said, I'd take a look at my snack. Is it a good, filing snack? I have some bigger, active kids and they do need the calories.

[permanentvacation]

My question would be... Are they truly hungry, or just used to requesting and receiving more and more food. If they are typically eating the same amount of snack each day and then also eating all of their dinner, then it would seem to me that they are literally hungry and need that amount of food. Now, my next question is, are they overweight? Do they have any health problems related to eating? Are they overly thin and do people tell them they need to eat more to 'put meat on their bones'? I would try to find out why they want more food than normal for their ages. Then decide what to do about it.

If they are a normal weight, eat all of the snack they request and all of their dinner they request, and no one is telling them to eat more than they should, then I would feed them what they request. They might have a high metabolism and are able to eat more than a typical person their age and need that extra food.

[Baby Beluga]

No seconds on snack here.

I have three who do nothing but eat. Eat on the way here. Then eat breakfast, morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack here. Then eat a snack in the car on the way home and then eat dinner at home. They eat so often I don't think they know the feeling of "hungry" and "full."

[VTMom]

"It's a snack not a meal." Even the daycare kids say this now!

I do offer 2nds on fruit if it's available. I don't offer 2nds on the grain or protein part of it.

[Unregistered]

Our snack is at 3:15. I will at times give a small second serving. Never more than that. It depends on what we are having tho. I definitely wouldn't give huge servings of snacks.

[Jujube835]

I will give seconds on snack if they're eating well at meal times. I have two dcks right now that will scarf down snack foods but won't eat a meal to save their lives.

Ate no breakfast, only two bites of your turkey sandwich at lunch and now want 17 pb crackers/ 11 cheese sticks/6 apples during snack? Nope.

But, if they're eating a good portion of the healthy, filling stuff and then want an extra helping at snack, I give it.

[Play Care]

I will give seconds on snack if they're eating well at meal times. I have two dcks right now that will scarf down snack foods but won't eat a meal to save their lives.

Ate no breakfast, only two bites of your turkey sandwich at lunch and now want 17 pb crackers/ 11 cheese sticks/6 apples during snack? Nope.

But, if they're eating a good portion of the healthy, filling stuff and then want an extra helping at snack, I give it.

[mamamanda]

My question would be... Are they truly hungry, or just used to requesting and receiving more and more food. If they are typically eating the same amount of snack each day and then also eating all of their dinner, then it would seem to me that they are literally hungry and need that amount of food. Now, my next question is, are they overweight? Do they have any health problems related to eating? Are they overly thin and do people tell them they need to eat more to 'put meat on their bones'? I would try to find out why they want more food than normal for their ages. Then decide what to do about it.

If they are a normal weight, eat all of the snack they request and all of their dinner they request, and no one is telling them to eat more than they should, then I would feed them what they request. They might have a high metabolism and are able to eat more than a typical person their age and need that extra food.

This actually makes sense to me. Dcg was failure to thrive as an infant/toddler & they bribed her to eat anything & every thing. Lots of praise/treats for eating food. She's fine now , caught up on weight & everything. The last year or so appetite has increased exponentially, but I'm thinking they are so thankful to see her eat they're probably encouraging the overeating at home. They can eat 2 turkey sandwiches, fruit, & milk at snack & when mom walks in an hour later they ask, "Did you bring a snack in the car? We're hungry." I'm concerns that's going to a negative habit in the long run.

[bklsmum]

Here they can have seconds at breakfast and lunch but only one am snack and one pm snack.

[Thriftylady]

I will give seconds on snack if they're eating well at meal times. I have two dcks right now that will scarf down snack foods but won't eat a meal to save their lives.

Ate no breakfast, only two bites of your turkey sandwich at lunch and now want 17 pb crackers/ 11 cheese sticks/6 apples during snack? Nope.

But, if they're eating a good portion of the healthy, filling stuff and then want an extra helping at snack, I give it.

This is me. If they are not eating the meals they don't get seconds on snacks if they were hungry they would eat the meals. But I will give extra fruit and veggies at snack to those who are good eaters. But I don't do seconds on grains and such. If they are hungry they will take the veggies.

[AmyKidsCo]

I allow seconds on all meals - but only seconds. I make sure they have the food program minimums for firsts and seconds, then if they're still hungry they'll have a chance to eat at the next meal.