PM Snack Times

[jacksmommy13]

All my dcks get picked up between 5:30-6.
Lately, they are all asking for food again at 5. I serve PM snack at 3:30 (when the SA kids get here). I've tried distracting them, but all I hear is, "I'm hungry" over and over. If I give them a small snack at 5pm, I hear from dcp that they didn't eat dinner well.
Should I move snack time to later? Serve something more filling?
Any snack suggestions would be great! Thank you.

[sahm1225]

I moved mine up to to 4pm and made it more filling (a grain and fruit, or protein and fruit). Or 1/4 of a sandwich and 1/4 of an apple.

I think they get bored!

[Josiegirl]

I also think they're done with their day and want to go home. Especially if they're not getting picked up until 6. That's a long day, for everybody. We're done snack here by 3 but the dcks are mostly gone by 4:30. Big difference.

I do know I got an email to sign a petition from the food program. They're trying to allow payment for an extra snack so must be providers are seeing hungry kids outside of the normal times.

[Unregistered]

Mine snack is about 3:30. I don't know.....kids are used to snacking a lot these days! I don't have any problem. I wouldn't give them a second snack. I'd offer some water. At times I squeeze in some lemon or juice from an orange to give it a little "kick". Thirst can be mistaken for hunger. IMHO if they have had a snack at 3:00/3:30 they should be fine.


It's a snack not a meal. They can make it to dinner! I often serve a protein such as string cheese, whole grain crackers with peanut butter, etc. Not always tho. I have kids here till 5:30 and don't hear about hunger. 6:00 is late and I'd be giving them supper if I had kids that late (I have in the past).

A half of a sandwich is a great idea for a snack!
I serve raw veggies and homemade dip or thawed frozen peas or black olives (good fat), yogurt, yogurt/fruit smoothies, fresh fruit-never canned, cheese and whole grain crackers, apples or celery with peanut butter or almond butter, homemade wholegrain biscuits (sometimes cheese biscuits) or homemade granola bars, lower sugar no-bake cookies (these have so much stick to your ribs oatmeal!), homemade muffins (some fruit added), something called extra special trail mix (homemade-I got the recipe here), etc. I don't have it on this computer any more so I can't cut and paste.

I'll type it out! 3 cups O cereal (I use organic O's), 2 C Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal, 1 c pretzels, 1/2 C creamy peanut butter, 2 TB butter, 1 C raisins, 1 C craisins, 1/2 mini choc. chips. Heat P.nut butter and butter to boiling. stir constantly, pour over cereal mix. Toss and coat. Spread on a 13x9x2 pan. Bake uncovered for 10 min. Remove from oven. add raisins, craisins, spread over waxed paper cool.

[childcaremom]

Afternoon snack is 3:00 here. My group gets picked up by 5:30. I don't hear "I'm hungry" very often, but when I do I just remind them that mom and dad will be here soon and they will go home and have dinner.

[Thriftylady]

I serve at 4 since that is when my kids get off the bus. I have began serving a light dinner instead of a snack. My parents love it, as it holds the kids longer and gives them time to get dinner cooked and I can claim the higher dinner deduction. You should also be able to claim it as dinner on food program if you meet the requirements. Could you slide snack to 4 and try that? I use my crockpot for "dinner" often. I start it at breakfast time and my family eats the same dinner.

[Febby]

We have one snack at 2 and another snack at 5.

[daycare]

345, I close at 5.

[Josiegirl]

I serve at 4 since that is when my kids get off the bus. I have began serving a light dinner instead of a snack. My parents love it, as it holds the kids longer and gives them time to get dinner cooked and I can claim the higher dinner deduction. You should also be able to claim it as dinner on food program if you meet the requirements. Could you slide snack to 4 and try that? I use my crockpot for "dinner" often. I start it at breakfast time and my family eats the same dinner.

Why are the FP rules so different in each state? If we serve dinner we cannot serve it before 5. Lunch we're not supposed to serve before 11.

[Play Care]

Why are the FP rules so different in each state? If we serve dinner we cannot serve it before 5. Lunch we're not supposed to serve before 11.

I'm in NY and our FP said we have no rules about times, necessarily. We do have to tell them when we serve meals typically (because that's how they time their pop in visits) But we can start earlier or later if needed. If they show up after a meal they ask if there's any leftovers they can see, and I've even shown them the trash so they could see what the kids threw out And it was counted. We also don't have to have so many hours between meals and snacks, etc. Thank goodness! I like having some freedom here. On days the kids are squirrely and an early nap is called for, I want early lunch to be an option.

[Play Care]

When I had kids here past 5, snack was at 3. But it was a filling snack - half a pb & j on whole wheat, apple slices, and milk, for example. I could make those ahead of time and pull them out when it was time.

But like another poster I have no problem saying to kids,
"mom and dad will be here soon and you'll have dinner" I had one parent thank me, as if her son had anything to eat before pick up, he didn't eat his dinner, at all.

Actually feeling HUNGRY is GOOD for kids. We have gotten in to the bad habit, IMO, of constant snacking. It starts early - when they are toddler and have meltdowns we're told to ask ourselves are they HUNGRY, are they tired, etc And we keep baggies of cheerios, goldfish, cheddar bunnies, etc to head off meltdowns. Kids have NO idea what being hungry feels like. IMO, this is the main reason for the obesity trend - we're teaching them to constantly stuff their faces.
But I digress

[Blackcat31]

345, I close at 5.

I address the "I'm hungry" whines in my handbook so parents know and understand that it is common and a GOOD thing. Means their kids played hard during the day and are ready for a good meal and some good face time with mom/dad.

[Thriftylady]

I agree that feeling hungry can be a good thing. But I have one family I know often doesn't eat dinner until 9 PM. That is part of the reason I went to doing dinner instead of snack. Also, I have kids that are here for dinner some evenings, and evening snack. I have one boy I have had a few weeks now, the first week he told me he was "hungry" every 15 minutes. I kept telling him he had to wait until the next meal time. He got much better about it. I think he was confusing it for something else. He is the same child that was crying because he was hungry for an hour one day then wouldn't even pick up his fork at dinner.:confused:

[Brittany]

You could keep some carrots and celery/broccoli out, if they are really hungry they can have some veggies. A few raw veggies will not harm dinner.

[e.j.]

I offer water to kids who say they're hungry to tide them over til snack or their next meal. It fills them up enough so they're not complaining but doesn't keep them from eating when it's time. Would that work for your group?