Hi Just wondering what you all do about kids who ask for more food and whether you offer seconds or even thirds and fourths or not?

One of the reasons I am getting out of after school care is that I had a child who came after school and this child would be eating me out of house and home at the age of 6 ! The child was not over weight but could eat a horse.

I would serve a fruit and a grain for snack....i.e 1 apple sliced and cored and maybe 3/4 of a cup or 1 cup of crackers like teddy grahams. The child eats the snack then proceeds to tell me they want Goldfish crackers because they are still hungry. I give goldfish crackers and they (no word of a lie) eat at LEAST half the bag. Then....an hour later....child comes and tells me they are still hungry and want some cucumber or a cookie or something else to eat. There were days where I would lose almost a whole cucumber and half a bag of goldfish for just 1 child !

I would ask the child whether they ate their lunch from school and they would assure me that they had.

I was talking to another provider who said that for after school she gives 1 apple and 1 granola bar and then tells them they have to wait until they go home for supper if they are still hungry.

I am impressed that she can do that. I just have a hard time saying no - especially to someone saying they are hungry. I can understand where she is doing a good job preserving her bottom line though.

So....what about you...do you give seconds, thirds and keep giving food or do you put your foot down?

For daycare lunch I always will give more of our hot lunch or fruit/veggie if the child wants and if a child comes during the day and says they want a cracker I usually will give them 2 to tide them over.