Parents skipping dinner b/c of late practice

[SHELOVESGYM]

My gymmie (9.5) gets home from gym around 8:30 3x per week. This is a new schedule for us. She eats a biggish snack before gym at 4:15ish -like a smoothie or yogurt. After gym she just hasn't been eating much at all -only a few bites of whatever I make her (which are her usual dinner options). She looks at it, takes a bite or two maybe, and says she's tired and wants to go to sleep. I am concerned that if this keeps up she won't be getting enough nutrients. Perhaps she will adjust to the new schedule and start eating more during the day or start eating more for her late dinner -anyone else deal with this?

 

[skschlag]

How long of a drive do you have. I have found that my ds is hungry right after practice and will eat then, rather than the wait to get home and then eat. So I take his dinner to the gym and heat it up there, and he eats on the way home.

 

[gymnastmom05]

My DD rarely eats a true dinner after practice. It's after 9 when she gets home. They do have a short, 10 min break during practice and she'll eat what we consider her dinner during that time...ranging from pb&j to a salad with some chicken, fruit etc. If she's still hungry, she'll finish what she didn't have time to eat on her way home and drinks a chocolate milk. I'm thankful our girls have a snack break. Her lunch during school is so late in the day, she's not hungry before practice. She'll normally try to eat a little something anyway but wouldn't be enough to get her through a 4 hour practice.

 

[Committed]

It's probably just because it's a new schedule.
We generally get home around 8:45 each night and eat dinner around 9. Usually she's hungry other times she's not really. She also gets a snack break somewhere in the 6-7:00 range, so she gets some food in there.

 

[LGnyc]

She doesn't get home til 9:40 and I care too much about her sleep to do food then. So she eats her "dinner" at 4 before practice at 5. Sometimes she will only have time for protein at 4 so will eat her veg or carb in the car on the way home. Good luck with the shift. It takes a fair amount of planning.

 

[Madden3]

I agree, she may get used to it and want to eat more after practice. Or eat more earlier in the day.

We have tried various ways to handle late practice and dinner. For a while I made our family dinner early and gymnasts ate dinner before practice, then had a small snack after gym. I kind of liked this because I also ate earlier which is healthier. On the other hand, dinner would have to be kept warm or warmed up for husband. But this worked ok until eventually gymnasts reported feeling sluggish at practice if they ate too much before. So we have adjusted to one of two options- snack before practice and dinner after, or dinner before but only a small portion, with more dinner or a snack after.

 

[andarc]

I would pack up dinner for my dd in a thermos or other container. She was so hungry after practice she didn't care if it was hot. When we got home she drinks a glass of choc milk then shower it usually allows for a few minutes of down time and ice cream. We have a 30 min commute so it helps the whole schedule for her to eat in the car. But it does take some planning.

 

[Mamabear123]

I don't have this problem yet because DD's practices are from 3:30-6:30, but some of the mothers at the gym drop off their kid, go home to make/get dinner, then bring it back for DD to either eat at the break or right after practice is over.

 

[bookworm]

We always did dinner in the car on the way home at 8:30-9 pm...they were hungry and they ate whatever I brought them , had time to do homework in the car after that and by the time we arrived home, they went and got ready for bed. We did this with our carpool group (6 kids total) and I would heat up the meals in the microwave at the gym and give them to the girls as they got into the car ( each meal was labeled with their name because some had definite food preferences) ... girls were happy, I was happy, the parents I delivered them to were happy.

It sounds cumbersome but once I got the routine, and preferences down, it really was quite easy...and we did it for about 8 years...

 

[John]

She doesn't get home til 9:40 and I care too much about her sleep to do food then. So she eats her "dinner" at 4 before practice at 5. Sometimes she will only have time for protein at 4 so will eat her veg or carb in the car on the way home. Good luck with the shift. It takes a fair amount of planning.

This is what we do. Eat before practice and some snacks or quick bite on the way home.

 

[gymmomx2]

We always did dinner in the car on the way home at 8:30-9 pm...they were hungry and they ate whatever I brought them , had time to do homework in the car after that and by the time we arrived home, they went and got ready for bed. We did this with our carpool group (6 kids total) and I would heat up the meals in the microwave at the gym and give them to the girls as they got into the car ( each meal was labeled with their name because some had definite food preferences) ... girls were happy, I was happy, the parents I delivered them to were happy.

It sounds cumbersome but once I got the routine, and preferences down, it really was quite easy...and we did it for about 8 years...

You made the meals for all the girls? Can I hire you LOL.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

When my daughter had a late practice it was a mini meal before practice . Dinner in the car on the way home . And she tended to rock breakfast

 

[skschlag]

I have gotten to where I do several meals on Sunday, making individual servings of each. So on Sunday I might make a batch of chicken fried rice (12 servings), chili mac (8 servings), a dozen breakfast burritos, batch of muffins, and energy bites. Then everyone has food that is homemade that they can grab and eat when it is meal time.

DS gets home from school at 3:30 and this year we will be leaving our house at 4:15. 45-60 minute drive, 4 hour practice, 45-60 minute drive. This way, he has dinner, and so does everyone else in the house. It takes time but so worth it to not eat out during the week.

 

[bookworm]

You made the meals for all the girls? Can I hire you LOL.

Yes, I did....nothing elaborate, mind you..pasta, chicken , hot dogs, fruit, salads... One meal that was a "one timer" was tacos....as the kids said, "we appreciate the effort, but it's a tough meal to eat in a car"..

 

[skschlag]

Yes, I did....nothing elaborate, mind you..pasta, chicken , hot dogs, fruit, salads... One meal that was a "one timer" was tacos....as the kids said, "we appreciate the effort, but it's a tough meal to eat in a car"..

enchilada casserole, on the other hand, works well

 

[MAmom]

I would pack up dinner for my dd in a thermos or other container. She was so hungry after practice she didn't care if it was hot. When we got home she drinks a glass of choc milk then shower it usually allows for a few minutes of down time and ice cream. We have a 30 min commute so it helps the whole schedule for her to eat in the car. But it does take some planning.

This is what we do too. Eat a good meal before but not a heavy one, eat all the way home, and then have ice cream or milk/milkshake to fill him up. We are home around 8:45 during the school year.

Good car food for my son includes bananas, nuts, gummy fruits (vitamin c), sandwiches, bagels with cream cheese, cut up chicken, cheese sticks...finger foods I guess.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Thermos is our saving grace.

Pierogis, ravioli, potstickers, mac and cheese, meatballs and pasta, fried rice with protein, tortellini and pesto ....

 

[munchkin3]

Yeah, meals after 8:30 or 9 are usually light veggies and protein. I make the pre workout meal more carby.

 

[sce]

enchilada casserole, on the other hand, works well

As would quesadillas

 

[Aussiegymdad]

My DD just turned 6 and has gym and dance until 7pm 3x a week since January and she usually has a cold dinner such as chicken or chicken schnitzel with salad. Most of them time she's looking for more food when we get home too. She also has a snack break during gym (piece of fruit) and eats normally a banana and museli bar before gym.