School Snacks

[skschlag]

My son is 9, and is a level 5/6 gymnast. Right now he works out between 10-12 1/2 hours a week.

School started this week, and in K-2, he had 2 snacks a day and lunch. He gets to school at 7:50 and leaves at 3:40, goes straight to gym from 4-6:30 and then home. Usually he would eat breakfast around 7, snack around 9:30, lunch around 11:30, snack around 2, snack around 4, dinner at 7, snack at 8:30 then bed.

This year, his teacher has cut out the morning snack. I just found out today, and he is quite upset about this. I am not sure how hard to push for that first snack. He does get lunch at 11:15 this year, but we are asking him to go from 7:15-11:15 with no food. To him, that is torture.

So, I am trying to decide how hard to push this with us just being 8 days into school. How many snacks to most 3rd graders or elementary students have a day? Any suggestions for taking this to the teacher? My son says he insists that the "rules are for everyone, no exceptions."

Thanks!
Shanda

 

[bogwoppit]

Does he have a recess between 8 & 11:15? If so that would be when I would be encouraging him to snack. But honestly a child should be able to go four hours without needing to snack.Make sure breakfast has protein and complex carbs, and he should be able to manage until 11:15. Unless he has other health concerns and a doctors note will help.

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

DD is in 3rd grade, She has breakfast at 7.00 am, gets to school at 8.20 am, recess and snack at 10.30, lunch at 12.30. School gets out at 3.10 pm. She will have a snack in the car on the way to gym, trains until 7.30 and has dinner when she gets home.
From kinder she has only ever had the one snack break/recess at 10.30am.

 

[Deanna]

Kadee is in 1st grade. She goes to school from 7:55 to 3:05, and to the gym tuesdays and fridays from 3:30 to 7:00. (the gym sends the bus over to pick the kids up from school). She eats a good breakfast before she leaves for school. (Catches bus at 7:15-7:20) Has lunch at school from 11:15 to 12:00. They DO NOT serve any kind of snacks in our public schools in ANY grade. (in Kindergarten we could send a snack for them to eat around 2ish in the afternoon). Its some state law that they have, that the schools are not allowed to serve snacks. So none of the grades get snacks at any point through the school day. (except Kindergarten and then only if the parent sends it with the kid). On days that Kadee has gym, she will pack two light snacks in her backpack. (normaly beef jerky and trail mix, or peanuts..ect) And she will just get a juice, gatorade or water at the gym. (charge it on the account) She will eat one snack on the Tumble Bus on the way to the gym, then they will take a short 15 minish break about 2 hrs into practice. Then dinner when she gets home (around 7:30 ish), shower, teeth, clothes out for the next day, any homework or reading she may have..then bed. Other than that..she doesnt really get snacks on school days.
This seems to work for her. But Kadee eats like a bird. And if she has too many snacks during the day, without using the energy they create then she wont eat "meals".

 

[cher062]

If he has a good hardy breakfast he really should be fine. A 9 yo doesn't really need a morning snack any more than any of us do. He should be on a a regular eating schedule like any normal adult and be able to manage 4-6 hours without a snack assuming he is healthy. He's 9yo and not a baby anymore needing to eat every few hours.

My DD eats like a bird and always has. She never got "snack" at school She would arrive at 8am, lunch was at 12:30 pm and she was home by 3pm. For breakfast maybe 1/2 a muffin if I was lucky. she got school lunch don't know how much she ate of that. Came home and would have a quick snack of the other half of the muffin, or 1/2 a sandwich or salad. then off to gym to come home now at 8:30 to eat dinner. She won't eat heavy before gym she says it make her feel like she is going to puke.

I wouldn't push the snack thing at all. For a 9yo I would cut out that morning snack, the snack at either 2pm or 4pm, have a bigger dinner and maybe a snack at night.

 

[skschlag]

Thanks everyone. we are going to try it. Last year when they tried to cut out a snack he ended up losing weight, and we got the snack added back. He has such a longer day than most students (7:55-3:40 is the actual school day not including transportation) so it just seems like a break in there would help all the students concentrate and work better.

Time will tell...

 

[gymgirl1129]

In third grade I think I ate breakfast around 7:15 and had lunch at 11:00. The only kids in the school that have snack are in kindergarten. Hopefully he can get used to it and it won't be as bad in a week or two.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

He should be okay, I think. We weren't allowed snacks after kindergarten, although since their day ends later than ours, it makes sense that they have an afternoon snack. He can bring something to eat for after school lets out. If he eats a good breakfast and lunch it shouldn't be a problem.