How Old Were Your Kids When You Stopped Packing Snacks Everywhere?

uuuum, my sons are 16 & 25....& I still pack snacks when we travel together. The menu changed, tho'. :)

I always bring snacks from home because it is way cheaper then having to stop at the gas station or buy from the stands at the park.

I have 15, 11, and 5....and occasionally 35. I still pack snacks everywhere, granola bars, gummies, apples, water, etc. Because when we all get going, we all tend to forget to eat.

LOL. Than I am a negligent parent with you. Abbie just turned two in the end of May and I don't pack snacks, I do pack a drink though especially if it's warm out so she doesn't get dehydrated. I feed her before we leave. She sleeps 12 hours without eating, I think she can last 2-3 hours without eating. I totally agree with you. The whole concept of bringing a snack for the team for kids sporting events bothers me too. I get the drink cause staying hydrated is important but kids can last 2-3 and gasp even 4-5 hours without eating. Oh, and I stopped bringing snacks for my older son who is 11 when he was 2 as well. However, I do keep a package of dehydrated fruit or crackers in my diaper bag that stays in the car for those days and rare occasions where the errands take longer than expected or something unexpected happens and we can't get home in time. But it's not for those 2 hour playground outings. I want her playing and wearing herself out.

my kids are 17 (spec needs), 13 and 10. They have a snack mid morning and mid afternoon. So if we are somewhere for a long stretch of time, I will have a few packs of crackers or applesauce cups or something with me. It's just easier so they aren't cranky and impatient. Like if we are at an appointment right after school and they didn't get a snack. Yes, technically they can "wait" until we get home. But who wants to have a whinny kid and how hard is it to have some crackers in a bag in your purse?

Sippy cup for my granddaughter because it is summertime and hot. Although I always take one. Snacks. Never did with my kids. So I guess I am negligent too. My granddaughter is a great eater. Will eat e erything, but not a big eater, so around 3pm she does have a yogurt, fruit something. So if I know I am going to be out I will. Ri g something, but do not carry around snacks for any time during the day.

No, I don't send snacks to play at someone's home. Isn't that what being a host is all about?

As far as being out and about, I always have healthy snacks for myself and my son. (Age 4.) Neither of us can go a few hours without a little something. Our blood sugar gets a bit low and we get faint, or just really dang cranky. (unfortunately, he got the blood sugar thing from me.)

I do think if a kid is going somewhere with a lot of physical activity, it's a good idea to have a healthy snack. Kids burn calories WAY faster then we do, and they need them far more then we do. If they are running around for over an hour, yeah...they need some calorie replenishment. If they are at the park and ask for food, they really do probably need it. Sorry mom. Have you ever noticed they are cranky in the car ride home, or right when they get home? That's because, they need something to eat at the park.

We went to the zoo today. I packed two snacks, a big lunch and and extra fruit. My oldest is only 5, but she is the one that really needs the food. They ate all of it.....we have snacks at home too, though. We will probably do this forever...as they say 5 small meals is better.

With short outings, I usually carry some cheerios or crackers with me. In fact, I usually always have bags of multi-grain cheerios in my back pack. Kids love them, and sometimes short outings turn into bigger adventures.

Good question! My kids are 7 and 13, we just bring water when we go out for less than 2 hours. In Summer, after a trip to the pool, or a longer time on the go we bring apples and goldfish, but that's all.
We usually have breakfast or lunch before leaving, so no need for snacks but water.
A. :)

Good question, and I agree! Kids can and should be able to go a few hours without food. Yes, they are grazers by nature, but having a never ending supply of food certainly doesn't set them up for healthy eating habits later on (especially just wanting to eat out of boredom, TERRIBLE habit.)
I think I stopped having snacks on me ALL the time when they were around 3? I did (and still do) always have water in the car, and I keep a bag of almonds and a few energy bars in the car as well, for them AND me, mostly in case of roadside/traffic emergencies.

My daughter is four. Sometimes we pack snacks, sometimes we don't. I think kids need to realize that their needs/wants aren't going to be taken care of right away. Sometimes they are going to have to gasp WAIT!!!! If we are going to be gone for a long time or if she has gymnastics I try to pack a snack. If we are going to the park for a few hours, she can wait until we get home. I try to limit her snacking because she would rather snack than eat meals. Sometimes it's good to be hungry and wait to eat at mealtime.

When running errands and such ... I guess we did that up until ~age 5. You don't want to see my kid hungry!! :) Right now, though, I probably have a random granola bar in my purse if I were to dig through it.

We have learned that our now 12 year old does much better if he has small snacks during the day all day. His mood is much more stable if we keep food and water in him evenly during the day instead of keeping him to 3 meals a day. We just follow that general rule for our other 2 kids as well now. They are 9 & 4.
It really depends on what we're doing though. If we're just going to the mall for a little bit or to get groceries we don't always bring something but we always have something for after swim lessons for instance, even if they ate lunch before leaving.
I grew up with a "snack basket". It was on the counter and always has raisins and trail mix and granola bars. The fruit and veggies were always available in the fridge. We do the same thing in our house. We pack a bag the same way when we go out. We keep a lot of stuff in the car too. I'd rather have snacks around than deal with grumpy kids!

Other than water I typically don't travel with snacks. When we are going to the pool all day however I will pack grapes or blueberries but that is it.

I don't pack snacks with us anywhere, except maybe a serious all-day outing, like the zoo or the beach, where we are going to be there quite a while and kids will be expending a lot of energy. But just to go to the playground for an hour or 2? No...and my daughter is almost 6. Water? Yes.

Sometimes while we are out somewhere she'll suddenly tell me she's hungry, and I will tell her, "Well, you just had a lunch an hour ago, and we'll be home in another 30 minutes, so you won't starve before then - you can wait." I have learned that it helps to have something like a banana or peanut butter sandwich waiting for her in the car when I pick her up from school, because she's all tired and hungry and a total crabby pants.

My mother never packed snacks for us for going anywhere and I don't remember having to have a snack at home all the time either. We also didn't have snacks in school but this past year for kindergarten we were expected to pack a morning snack for them to bring for themselves.

Our kids are 7 and 10 and I still pack snacks and water.

I don't have time to pack with 5 kids. Sometimes I throw a loaf of bread (100% whole wheat) in the car for an outing. And they all share a sippy or 2 of water.

But most parents are better prepared, and when my kids see food they are like puppies. They don't get junk much and we do applesauce in a pouch in a pinch. Mostly for the toddler.

If there is food offered for adults, I'm ecstatic. I don't always have time to eat enough. And while I don't have junk @ home, a cookie at a playdate tastes divine as a rare treat.

I honestly don't remember, sorry. Just wanted to say your post made me smile as I have a 15 year old and it honestly seems like yesterday I was asking the same question! I wish you the best! Remember that kids grow up with a blink of an eye--seriously!!

Ummm... The only snacks I ever packed around for my DD were my breasts. Lol.

Once she was weaned, I never packed her a snack unless we were going to be out during a time she would normally get a snack, or someone really strenuous like hiking. Then I just grab a banana, apple, muffin, or whatever is handy.

Once our daughter was about 4, I told her to pick out or make snack bags. This way it was her choice.

We also kept a cooler in the car all summer. It was one of her jobs to remember to make sure drinks fruit and vegetables were in there. She would remind me about the ice, since she could not reach it in our freezer.

She still also helps me keep up with my car keys, cell phone and ipad.. She is 23..

I would say when my kids were 5 and 3 I stopped packing snacks for shorter outings. While I had a diaper bag, I always had some sort of stash. The 5 year old didn't need them, and honestly, the 3 year old didn't either, but I would keep them in the bag because I tended to elongate our outings (into the next meal time) and it was easier and cheaper to have a few crackers and juice boxes for those times. Major food prep isn't necessary, just get a plastic food container (Dollar Tree) and throw some goldfish or cheerios into it along with a juice box per kid and your done. That way if I wanted to have a 2 hr play date at the park followed by a trip to the grocery store and gas station and post office and ... ?? , everyone was happy and I was productive. I would sometimes add a juice box for myself :) Kids should learn to go without constant snackbars and provided entertainment. It helps them grow. However I should add, I would give them snacks and various board books/tosy to pacify them if I wanted to shop for a while or do something that they had to be strapped into a stroller for a while so I could accomplish it. It was more for entertainment than for nutrition.

My son is six and we are either taking the bus or on foot for most outings, so yes, I usually pack something to take along; usually a water bottle and a small packet of trail mix to nibble on. If he gets hungry at the store, I'll may offer him a banana or a string/stick cheese.

Playdates and park times: I bring a snack. Playdates: I know other moms will bring a snack and even if my son isn't hungry, he may want to eat just because other kids are. Park times, we walk 20 minutes to the park, so he's burning energy just getting there and back. If we drove to and from and were close, I might do it differently.

It depends on what we are doing, but for my son I will be for a very long time, however he is gluten free so snacks for him are not that easy to find.

I bring thier water thermoses in the sumer because I hate paying for water.

To the park, for an hour.. no snacks.

Zoo or anytime we are going to be gone for a long while I will bring something. I package it all my self, except Cheese sticks. My mom brings them to the pool when the kids have lessons so they have some protein in thier tummys while swimming.

It also beats the alternitive.. having to buy snacks when the kids hungry.

My kids are 2 &5

I'm better about this during the school year, but when I buy fruits and veggies that are specifically for snacks, I prep them when I get home from the store. It takes about an hour, but I wash, peel, chop, whatever, and then package them in snack size bags. If we're going to be out ALL DAY the kids will grab a bag - it also makes their lunch prep easy and makes it so I don't have to cut things daily.

Otherwise they have a snack bin where they can grab something if they want or need a snack. Pretzels, peanut butter crakers, gummies, etc. If we are going straight from school to baseball, football, or dance, they know to change, grab a water bottle and a snack, and meet me in the car.

So no, I don't pack for them every time we go somewhere. If they are hungry though or think they will want a snack, they know their options. The prep work as soon as I get home makes life so much smoother for me AND them. On a bonus, the pre-cut veggies make our salads at night extra yummy!

Drinks - always.

Snacks - depends on the length / distance from home for the trip. If it's just to the park a few miles away, no I do not bring snacks unless we are planning a picnic. If it's to the zoo, Science Center or City Museum an hour away, I will bring several varieties of snacks to have before/after so we don't spend the extra money eating at those establishments.

When my daughter plays t-ball, I bring a snack for my son (almost 4) but when she goes to gymnastics, no food is allowed so I treat him to a snack from there.

I also usually have 1-2 containers of pretzels, crackers, etc in my car in case everyone does get a bit hungry.

No, never sent snacks with the kids when they went out to play. In my world the host provides snacks.

I keep a tub of snack foods in the back of the van. We have packages of all sorts of stuff. I don't have time to make snacks each time then take them.

At least in our area, playdates tend to happen at someone's house, and it's on the host mom to provide snacks (if it's a time of day when the kids would normally eat one, like right after school). But just to go play at the park? I don't bring them. We stopped doing that after preschool. My girls tend to bring their re-usable water bottles everywhere we go, but it's up to them to think about that and bring them, if they think they'll be thirsty (they're 8 and 10). In general though, we pretty much stick with 3 meals and an after-school snack, so I don't tend to get too involved in packing snacks everywhere we go. Generally, they won't starve to death if they don't eat every 5 minutes at this age. ;)

I have a friend who brings snacks everywhere. Drives me NUTS...we can't get through a single conversation without one of her kids coming up and begging for more animal crackers or whatever. I honestly think it's setting up a lifetime of bad eating habits for a child when you do that. Not because the snacks are unhealthy (I don't ride that particular bandwagon), but because they are being trained to indulge every hunger twinge or craving that floats their way. Not to mention eating out of sheer boredom, like you said.

Mine are 6 and 7 and no, I don't haul snacks ANYWHERE. They are way too old for me to be carrying around a little "diaper bag" with food all the time. If we're out of the house and are all hungry, we'll eat lunch somewhere. It's that simple.

Nope- my 9 yr old is not a big eater anyway, but if we're just out and about I don't. I really never did, even when she was younger. The only time I pack shacks is if we go to the beach- the salt air always makes us hungry. A lot of you mentioned your kids want a snack, even if they are not hungry, because other kids have one. That's a really bad habit that you should try to break. Its one of the reasons we have an obesity problem in this country. I'm guilty of it myself! My DD, on the other hand, is a very instinctive eater- she ONLY eats if she's hungry. You could put a slice of her favorite cake in front of her and if she's not hungry she won't eat it. She's turned down treats at birthday parties. Its amazing- I wish I could to that!

Mine are 20 and 7 and I still have to haul snacks because one is a vegetarian and the other has a food allergy. It's ok to place limits on the variety of snacks for any particular outing. I only carry one or two items per child not an entire buffet.

At play dates: No. I don't send my kids with snacks. The Host will have something.
Or as is customary here: locals often will give some sort of thing to the Host. Food mostly. But sometimes not. And it is no big deal. At all.

My kids are 6 and 10 now.
We do not have a constant stash of snacks for wherever we go. Only when they were Toddlers.
I don't make them fill up and eat before we go out. Unless we will be out for a long time and I don't want to "buy" food while out to save money.

If a kid is hungry. They will say so.

At parks, well you can bring drinks or snacks. It is not a rule.
Just go by how your kids are.
My kids don't get bored at parks or eat out of boredom.
They eat because they are hungry.

I don't pack snacks for on the go. My kids are older now.
But if we are out ALL day, in a car... then sure, I may have non-perishables in the car for them to eat.
But I do not do it as a matter of routine.

My daughter is 12 and I have given up and I still pack snacks. We always have water, but for some reason she gets hungry when she's running around at the park. It's not a big deal for me to put a granola bar or some trail mix in my car and it cuts down on her telling me she's hungry after 2 hours. Also, all the moms of little kids have snacks so when she sees them eat it's like it triggers her to be hungry too.

I don't mind giving her a healthy granola bar or some trail mix if she's been running around! I stopped packing fruit because sometimes I forget about it in my purse and then it goes rotten!!

A granola bar or trail mix is perfect. Trader Joes sells individual packs of trail mix that are perfect for a snack, and easy to grab and go!

My kids are 6 and 2.5 and I still bring snacks. I need to eat fairly often, so I always have a snack for myself. It's kind of hard to deny them a snack when I'm eating!

If they are just going to a friend's house for a couple of hours, not over meal time, I don't send them with anything. But, I also know that they usually have some fruit or crackers at the friend's house. (really just my older one; my daughter doesn't go alone on play dates yet). Likewise, I expect to give a snack to my son's friends when they come over. Sometimes they ask, sometimes they don't, but I always have something in mind.

I try to limit the number of snacks I bring and to vary the food groups a bit, so I'll bring a combo of crackers, fruit, granola bars, and raisins.

I do hate bringing snacks all the time because I know my kids are eating out of habit, boredom, or just because someone else is. It's easier than dealing with the whining if I don't have anything (I know, I know, I shouldn't give in but I do). Also, my son has several food allergies, so I can't just expect that he can share whatever his friend's brought.

No I do not bring snacks just drinks (it's hot most of the time in Florida).

My friends don't bring snacks either. If we have play dates at one of our homes I/we will offer stuff if the kids are hungry but it is never a necessity.

My son is 4. If we are going to be a while on our outing, I will take a granola bar. Otherwise, we usually only take a cup of juice or water. If he goes with me to the grocery store, I will usually relent and he will get some goldfish crackers or something to munch on in the store but not always. I was never too big on taking a bunch of snacks with us unless we were going somewhere during a meal time and I stopped doing that about 2 years ago (now that we can order from a menu for him). There were a few times that I was caught unprepared but for the most part it was fine not having snacks on hand. At this age, I feel like he can go a little while without being too hungry. He will occasionally pull the "I'm STARVING and need to eat NOW!" card but I just tell him he has to wait until we get home. Understand though, we are seldom far from home since we have a pretty tight work/school/etc. schedule so he generally isn't going very long without access to food. Still, I agree with you - they are most likely eating b/c the food is there or simply out of habit at this point.

For typical trips here and there, the park? Maybe around 2-3. for longer all day type things...till they are grown and out of the house, but it's not really a stash, it's more like a few things thrown in my purse haphazardly and if someone get's hungry between meals they can pick something out of my purse.

I pretty much stopped unless its a long road trip and my kids are 7, 5 and 4. If it's a long day out I'll bring a late afternoon snack so they don't drop dead before Tae Kwon Do which doesn't let out until 6:45.

But yeah, it seems like all the other parents have bags full of snacks always. Today at swim lessons a lady apologized that her kids were eating snacks and didn't bring enough for mine?! I was like, "It's ok..??!.."

Swim lesson is 45 minutes long. Right after breakfast. My kids can live.

Our two kids have really different personalities. My son would eat very little at meals and he has crazy wild mood swings. He still does actually, but now he's much more in control at age 9. I learned when he was a toddler that if I did not get snacks into him (something healthy, not sweet) he would have giant tantrums he could not control. If I kept him snacking his mood was stable. Now my daughter is fine not snacking between meals...she is 3 now and has a more stable, easy temperament. It actually completely amazes me that I don't have to get snacks into her and she will stay happy (and then eat a good meal). So nice. So, to answer your question, I do often pack some snacks (I don't actually pack them in a bag, I just keep some almonds and granola bars in the car) for a 2 hour outing bc on the way there or on the way back my son (and daughter) still might want a snack and it STILL helps tremendously with his mood. When he was very young I had snacks in my bag at all times. Now I don't carry them around anymore. Say I'm going to the park for an hour...I don't really think about it anymore.

My son is 2, and while I keep a box of raisins in my purse just in case we are out at snacktime I don't pack snacks. He eats 3 meals and has an afternoon snack, he doesn't need a snack just because he's at a playdate. The constant offerings of snacks at activities annoys me, if they are at the library for an hour for a story they don't need a snack. I don't want to be the "mean" mom and refuse a snack for him, so as long as it's reasonably healthy I let him have one too if it's offered, but constant snacking isn't a good thing in my opinion.

I had a whole thing agreeing with you on this then the page decided that I was not allowed to post it or something so....

I stopped when my son was about 2or 3. Play dates, unless said otherwise are not lunch dates. My son is one who will eat because he sees others eating and we are trying to break him of that. My son also has other dietary needs/restrictions that others may not have. When setting up the play date I ask, "Will snacks be needed? We will have had lunch or breakfast already not sure of your schedule." Typically the agreement is no or you bring the graham crackers and I'll bring water bottles. Done! I am not going to be a walking pantry though.

My kids are 16 and 18, and I'm still packing snacks. It depends on where we're going, time of day, and how long we'll be gone.

Ever since the kids were toddlers, we never left home without our water bottles. It's now just part of the routine.

And yes, my kids do help and often pack their own.

By the time my boys were four or five they weren't really snacking between meals. We eat at 8:00am, noon and 5:00pm, and then a bedtime snack around 9:00pm, so they really don't go very long between meals. I can't imagine having to stop what we are doing to eat every two hours!

omg, i totally hear you! most of my friends were still packing for their teenagers, and looking at me like i was a monster for not having a cooler full of snacks every time we went to the beach or a hike!
i oversaw it until around 12, and i think that was pushing it too long!
self-sufficiency is one of the things i wanted my kids to get out of homeschooling, and being able to think 'i'll be at co-op all afternoon for a pond study, better take a sammich' seems a baseline requirement.
:) khairete
S.

I think the answer depends on the family needs. If the children are of a certain age where they can pack their own snacks (if needed at all), then they should be responsible to pack them for themselves. If the children are younger, and seem to do better when a snack is available (depending on the timing of the outing/next meal time), then pack something quick & simple, but HEALTHY.

In my opinion, the issue that abounds is that there are not healthy snacks offered. Children (and adults) need to reach for whole fruit, carrot sticks, celery, or whole grain snacks before being given sugary or salty snacks.

In my situation, we have restrictions due to our vegan diet, so although my son is almost 7, it is a better choice for me to pack snacks & drinks when we go out. This way, I know exactly what he's getting and I don't have to spend unnecessary money when we're out.

Hope this helps!

Hi, T.

We never had snacks. Occasionally, we made cakes. We received an ice cream cone maybe once every two weeks or a pepsi cola.

Our culture has changed from an agriculture society to an information technological society where all we do is eat, drink and be merry.

Yes, We are so bored, we have to eat.

Set your standards and don't worry about the spoiled kids.
Good luck.
D.