Author Topic: Reconfiguring breakfast  (Read 3760 times)

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Offline Tweakster

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Reconfiguring breakfast
« on: January 18, 2012, 21:04:02 pm »
Finn starts 'school' on Monday.  They do 3 hr 'work' cycles so he has to have eaten before arriving at school.  Getting him to eat breakfast is like watching paint dry...if paint does everything except dry.

He's not that hungry first thing - he usually will think about eating 1/2 hr or more after waking.  The most we can get him to eat are some Shreddies at the moment but we send his fruit and yogurt to the home daycare and he eats it with the provider. 

The school has told me that he needs to eat before coming to school and then he would get a snack at some point...

So do we just hope he learns that he'll go hungry if he doesn't eat breakfast or do we give him more interesting things for breakfast in order to entice him to eat earlier in the morning?  DH could make eggs or toast and stuff but he'd need to reconfigure his morning to allow the time for it...

Right now his meals are front-loaded and he's consumed most of his calories before dinner.  We have a snack in place of dinner. 
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Offline nosenose

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2012, 21:12:34 pm »
EEEK! So no brekkie there?

I reckon he will just have to learn... Eat breakfast or go hungry...

Offline Tweakster

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2012, 21:15:52 pm »
Well let's wait and see what the others say shall we.  I suspect some of them want you to cook lol
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Offline ~inbalance~

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2012, 21:41:03 pm »
I think he will learn too, but I also don't think they will be so strict as to not let them have a snack if they are starving?  I think part of the Montessori principle is teaching/allowing kids to learn for themselves when they are hungry, and they get their own snacks.  At least T's school is like that, the kids help prepare it and they serve it to themselves, though I don't know that it is a 'free for all', there probably is a designated time.  3hrs is a long time between meals/snacks for a kid though, no?  Anyways, I don't think I'd worry too much.  I don't know exactly when T's snacktime is, but often the kid won't eat breakfast and I'm not really bothered by it.
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Offline my3girlsjde

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2012, 22:05:30 pm »
A couple of things have helped us get off in the morning when we have programs.

Pancakes and waffles freeze really well. I make large batches (usually on the weekend) and pop the leftovers into the freezer. Scrambled eggs can sit in the fridge for a couple of days and one thing I've really enjoyed are breakfast burritos (scrambled eggs fried with onions, mushrooms and green peppers) and keep the shredded cheese ready and just assemble in the morning. Cereal in a toddler bowl for the drive if it's really running late with a conversation that involves that it's his last chance to eat before his snack time?
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Offline nosenose

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2012, 22:08:43 pm »
Well let's wait and see what the others say shall we.  I suspect some of them want you to cook lol
I assume these are the ones who have not seen me cook...

Offline Lemonthyme

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2012, 22:20:46 pm »
My son isn't even 2 yet but I have a great no added sugar pancake recipe on my blog I can't find the blooming link right now but my blog link is in my signature.
Here's my blog which is focussed on simple food for babies, toddlers and families http://mamacook.blogspot.com/

Offline 15milner

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2012, 22:28:11 pm »
Would Finn have a smoothie - banana, add some oats, a fruit and then with a dairy/dairy alternative to it all?


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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2012, 23:11:03 pm »
Would Finn have a smoothie - banana, add some oats, a fruit and then with a dairy/dairy alternative to it all?



Yes!  I was going to say this as well.  Austin has "eaten" only a smoothie for breakfast every morning for about the past 9m.  Fruit, Greek yogurt for protein, spinach, and a bit of OJ.  He just doesn't want food in the morning.  On a non-school day he'll go back and forth to it all morning long.  But on school days there just isn't time for that, honestly.  He probably only drinks about 1/4-1/2 of it before we have to go.  I used to stress about it but I just can't make him drink more!  He doesn't get snack until maybe 9:30 or 10, I think, and he does fine.  I don't really understand it but they've never had an issue with him saying he's hungry.  I do think he eats a bunch at snack though!  And he finishes his drink when he gets home (right after he had lunch at school) so I know he's making up for it.
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Offline huntersmummyinoz

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2012, 00:07:09 am »
how is his mood if he doesnt eat much breaky? for most meals of the day i have a 'he'll eat if he's hungry' approach but i can't get away with this at breaky. if ds1 doesnt eat breaky he will have an absolute meltdown about 2hrs later. so we have a definite breaky before play rule. it takes at least 30mins awake for he's a bit hungry, tbh he'd do best with breaky 1 - 1.5hr after waking but ds2 wakes starving so they meet somewhere in the middle.

so if Finn copes ok without breaky then i wouldnt sweat it, otherwise i would def consider trying something diff (eg. eggs etc as u mentioned) or heaven forbid, waking him 15mins earlier or so to be hungrier to eat.

how will he get to school and how long will it take? is there an option to eat on the way? so maybe the shreddies at home and yoghurt in a squeeze pack (if u r game ;) ) to have on the way. is there 'non-messy' fruit he will eat on the way? will he go for breakfast muffins, breaky bars, banana bread type foods?



Offline Erin M

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2012, 00:34:13 am »
How far is school?  Is eating in the car an option?  I've made Katie eat fruit at home and then waffles in the car on the way there. 

Offline Tweakster

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2012, 01:20:59 am »
Thanks all!

Finn will not drink smoothies at all...I've been trying since he was a wee chap.  Sadly, he says they are 'yukky' - a lot of stuff is yukky these days.  It's that picky phase so we are lucky to get what we get.

On school days he is up at 6:45 and has to be out the door by no later than 8 to be dropped off so DH can catch his train easily.  So there is time really, but just getting him to take that time to eat is the problem.  He only wants to play when he gets up.  He actually wakes a lot earlier though but we make him stay in his room (with the Groclock) so that DH can get up, get himself coordinated, get the tea he so desperately needs...we could push his come out of his room time to 6:30 I suppose, but I tend to find that the more time you give him...the later you end up IYSWIM.  He finds a way to destroy time.

On weekends, we usually eat closer to 8 or 9 really.  He's just not hungry, never asks for food first thing.  So I will make us eggs or pancakes or we'll do our yogurt with fruit and toast.  And then he's not hungry for lunch so we'll do lunch after his nap sometimes and then a lot of the time he doesn't want dinner because he's eaten so late in the day for lunch.

School is less than 10 mins in the car so not long to eat really...plus...doesn't your car become a tip from all the eating in the car lol? He does like cereal bars (healthy ones), muffins and bread stuffs...anything carbs goes down a treat.

Kirry it's horrible to say but his mood is more the school's issue than mine lol  But yeah, he can be pretty sensitive once his blood sugar drops really low.  Usually when he's asking for food it's already too low and we've got to hustle.
« Last Edit: January 19, 2012, 01:22:59 am by All4Finn »
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Offline Erin M

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2012, 03:03:35 am »
doesn't your car become a tip from all the eating in the car lol?
The girls sit in the back of our van, I prefer not to go back there sometimes.  ::)

Do you find he self-regulates ok?  Katie wouldn't ever eat dinner for years, just a bite or two, but she's a huge breakfast eater.  Sometimes kids are just good at knowing what they need. 

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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #13 on: January 19, 2012, 04:27:11 am »
You may just have to give him what he wants, Wendy.  Give him cereal bars etc.  Yes they are not the wonderful homecooked meal that we all wish we could give our kids.  But unless we all plan to live in a bubble, there has to be some give and take to get life sorted. 
The few times we've had to do breakfast in the car, I've pre-made fruit in a bowl etc and the boys eat it from there.  But I have had longer journeys to go on. 

If he won't eat, then he really has to learn consequences.  Fine on the weekends, but this is how life is.  The world will not move around you.  If you don't abide by the law of cause and effect, you will have consequences.  Don't eat = hungry.
 
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Re: Reconfiguring breakfast
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2012, 16:18:24 pm »
Rather than cereal bars (so much sugar) what about homemade challah french toast or waffles or the like in the car (no syrup of course or only syrup in the batter)? Like others have said you can cook a big batch and freeze them (and pop into the oven or toaster before you go) and 10 minutes in the car should be enough time to eat them if he doesn't at home? Or cereal bars a couple of days a week?
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