Snacktime

Is it just me, or do you all feel like you're providing snacks for all of the children in your town? I've never run into this before, but at least once a week it seems to be one or the other of my kid's "turns" to provide snack, and I go out and spend $10 to $20 to provide snack for 15 to 20 kids.

I don't know why this irks me so much, but it just seems to be a recent addition to my life.

[Sheherezade]

We used to have the collective snack time thing when we were in Baltimore and Boston. Now, it's every kid for himself. Although I used to moan about providing snack for everyone.....I now moan about having to come up with a snack for each kid every single day. Clearly, I can moan about anything. Of course, I could always go all tough on the household and tell the kids to pack their own snack if they want one. Lots of parents here go that route around kindergarten. I'm too much of a control freak.

Back on topic.....I think it is part of the effort to have healthier options for all. I think parents tend to send in more healthy snacks when they know everyone will be eating it. Sometimes (in our case at least) the teacher sent home a list of "acceptable" snack ideas to help that along. Here, the teacher has been badgered by parents to start a collective snack program, because some of the kids in the class have severe peanut allergies and this would be easier to inspect than individual stuff. The teacher claims that the collective snack policyu was dropped here because it took up too much class time every day. *sigh* Who knew that "snack" could get so complicated??

[PrincessFiona]

I used to feel the same way, Jenn...but now, like Angie, I find it harder to come up with the daily snack The school policy here has changed and now I have to send Alex in with his own snack every day.....I have sadly forgotten a couple of days and scrounged for other days.

Just to hijack your thread though, I spent $150 on snacks on Sunday (you saw those numbers right) thinking that it would give me enough snacks for lunch boxes and after school for 2-3 weeks. The punchline? The snacks are almost GONE. My dh and my children have eaten through $150 worth of snacks in under a week. tsk tsk tsk.


kris

I have to keep the snacks away and out of sight as well, Kris.

I just did snack for the Brownie troop and the soccer team two weeks before that. No snacks for regular school days. I decided to sign up early in the year/season for everything so I wouldn't forget. Preschool provides a snack, thank goodness!

Angie and Kris -

Your kids are in all-day, regular elementary school and you STILL provide snack (for them?). I don't remember having a snack time in elementary school at all.

Sadly it hasn't been my experience that parents are picking healthier snacks - Jacob came home w/fruit roll-up by the yard paper in his backpack the other day.

I guess I shouldn't complain about the $15 I just spent for soccer snack then. Although I did leave it out in the back of the car. If the kids or dh got their hands on it, I'd have to make a quick run before the game.

I have to provide our oldest a snack....mostly due to the fact that "lunchtime" is 10:10. School gets out at 3p. Needless to say that he is starving when he gets home!

[Sheherezade]

Yes....the kids still have snacktime well in to the elementary years here. It does have something to do with the freaky lunch schedules. Last year, my son ate every day at 12:50 (late). This year, he eats at 11:45 (normal). Next year? 10:40 am. Both my kids have a "normal" lunch time this year and could do fine without a snack, but when they have to be sitting for 4 hours straight with the strange lunch times, I think it does give them a pyschic break. Maybe they'd do better to have extra recess or a water break. My daughter complains more about the lack of water during the day than the lack of food. They have some strange 3 second rule at the water fountain so all the kids can get through, and they aren't allowed to go except after recess. Luckily, this year the teacher lets them keep water bottles on their desks. Yeah, teach! :ra:

As for the cost of your snacks, you best brace yourself for their preteen years. Two boys? You'll be needing a BIG refrigerator.

Jacob's teacher encourages the kids to bring water bottles, too, and that really helped with Jacob's ornery-ness when school first started. He's totally my kid -- gets too hot really easily and MUST be hydrated.

I guess I'll just have to prepare myself for providing snacks from here on out.

[houseelf]

I'm going to reveal myself for the snarky beyatch that I am, but
communal snacks are one of my pet peeves about parenting nowadays.
(I would rank 'treat bags' at birthday parties and decadent birthday gifts from other kids closely thereafter).

Honestly, are communal treats adding to the activity or class whatever? Don't get me wrong, my kids get plenty of treats at home, but I get to decide. We snack too much and eat too few proper meals as it is. I *hate* that one of the motivating factors for soccer is "I wonder what the treat will be?". This fuels the need to consume. Isn't the activity the treat itself?

Kelly