Hungry Little Boy

Is there a way you can give him a snack in the car? Maybe some dry cereal, raisens, goldfish, animal crackers, etc. That way he won't be starving. Also, 5-6 is just a bad time of day for toddlers anyway, so hang in there! They are all quite cranky at that time of day.

Have a snack for him with you to eat in the car. I do this with my daughter who I pick up 1.5 hours after her last snack and then we commute for an hour... and sometimes have errand to run on top of that.
I try to keep it healthy and relatively mess free: cut up fruit or veggies, applesauce or yogurt squeezable packs, a small sandwich.
By giving her something healthy I am ok if she ends up eating less for dinner.
We have a fridge at work, so I bring things with me in the morning, keep them in the fridge through the day and take them with me for pickup.
Good luck!

honestly, three hours is not that long for him to go without eating (think about when they eat lunch - 11:30 or 12 right...so his snack is at least 3 hours after that). he's not going to starve. but you can give him a small snack as soon as you get home - or even in the car if you have just a few crackers or something to give him. transition time is often difficult regardless, so a small snack might help with that. but it might just be that your son is sensitive to transition. mine is. often in the morning he fusses, and often when i pick him up, same thing. but after a few mintues, being home, he gets over it and gets into "home" mode. i would not give him anything he wants at dinner time - you're just creating a bigger problem. another thing i would suggest, no matter how rushed you feel, spent 5 or 10 minutes just hanging out with him when you get home, before you start rushing around making dinner. it might do wonders for his mood.

Keep In your car, a mini cooler/insulated tote in your car... have light snacks for him. IN the car ride home.

And yes, when my kids are TOO tired, they cannot eat either. TOO tired.

all the best,
Susan

I would bring a light snack for the car ride. Goldfish crackers,cheerios, raisins, apple slices, something you can just keep handy in your purse or car, so right when you pick him up, you can hand him his snack and tide him over until dinner is ready.

I used to refer to this time frame as "the witching hour". Pretty much the time before dinner to before bedtime. I saw it with both my kids so there must be something to it. They can be perfectly happy all day but then by the time it's time to start preparing dinner, Daddy gets home, and we start wrapping up the day-- you'd think all hell had broken loose!

Babies and kids can feel your stress too and on top of trying to process a busy and active day they had themselves, they are VERY prone to meltdowns and tantrums at any age.

Try to stay calm yourself as you get your son and are prepping dinner. I know it's habit to feel rushed but try anyways. You'll both be in a better mood for it and more likely to enjoy each others company.

If it's a nutrition issue you're worried about, I would tweak his meals that you provide to the daycare and ensure that he gets most of his proteins (or veggies) whichever you feel he lacks, at lunchtime. This can be his "main" meal for the day rather than dinner that is too unpredictable for nutrient intake. I still wouldn't feed him junk for dinner but if he gets a yougurt or string cheese eaten (protein) or a few bites of deli turkey in his belly with some applesauce or carrots to munch, he's doing ok. Don't expect him to eat a full six course meal-- his tummy is only as big as his fist. So don't feel like you have to pile food in him, especially if he eats alot for lunch!

Good luck and I hope this helps!

At 21 mos he might be OK to eat some soft carrots or cheese in the car on the way home. Or you can take a little yogurt and whole grain cereal (my prek kid still loves that) to the school and feed him yourself before you get in the car. You might do this in the lobby or whatever. That way he won't be fussy. Even if his belly were full, though, he's had a long day and he might be fussy, but it's certainly easier when tummy isn't grumbling.

Good luck to you.

Hi Becky,

I would carry some whole wheat goldfish or other little snack in your purse so he can eat them on the way home. Then make sure you know exactly what you're fixing for dinner so you can get it on the table ASAP. A crockpot works well for this.

I am looking for a mom right now whom I can mentor as she builds her own business from home and no longer has to deal with issues like commuting and daycare. The criteria I'm looking for is that she is caring, loves people, is teachable and willing to follow a tried and proven system. Message me if you would like more information.

Good luck to you!

M.

well, you've got a lot of good advices. i just want to tell you what worked with my kids. yes, they had a small snack in a car. and also at home we did a food art, sometimes together. Cut sausage and baby cucumber by rings and made a snake out of them, or mouse out of hard boiled egg, or smiley face out of sandwich. i'm sure if you google it, you can find how to make a kids food art. we always had fun with it.

For my son, we opted to supply the day care with "pediasure" in a sippy cup, it is filling and good for them. If you get the vanilla it should be just like giving milk to the other children. I also had granola bars or other cracker/snack options waiting for him in the car to eat if he was still hungry. Good Luck day cares can often be stubborn.

I agree that 2 hours is not that long to go without a snack. I pick up my child during the same time frame you do, and that's just a tired cranky period. He needs "juice" by that time like some people need a happy hour drink. If you really are concerned that your child needs the extra nutrition talk to your pediatrician. If the doctor believes it is necessary for your child to have a snack he/she can write a note stating it is necessary for the snack to be provided. The daycare will be unable to refuse to provide your child food as a result.

Give him a banana in the car for on the way home.

My granddaughter loves those drinkable yogurts that you can just poke a straw into. She drinks it right down and if she throws it down, it won't spill out.
The string cheese might be good too. Give it to him as soon as he gets in the car.

My son has always had behavior issues when he is hungry. He is 11 now and we still deal with it. If your darling is a busy boy, I bet he's not eating much at lunch/snack. I would ask the school to monitor for a few days to see if he is eating. I still deal with my boy throwing away his lunch so he can go play at recess. My boy is very active and needs that food to fuel him. I would make sure you carry a snack in the car. I love z-bars. They're tasty. have protein and fiber and are made for kids, although I might sneak one every now and again.

Good luck with this one,
S.

Aw!! I'm so sorry I worked @ a daycare here in Dallas and there was always kids who were really hungry but as the kids would start going home and few were left I would give them snacks. But some daycares won't do that. Maybe you can take something with you to work and when u go pick him up give it to him in the car on the way home so he won't be so hungry. Just to hold him off until you get home. I hope he does better goodluck ma!