Does your DC's school do "working snack"?

[daisyd]

Our middle school expectation is that kids have to continue working during "snack time". This is a challenge for my 11 year old who was never a great eater. He tends to ignore snack so he can focus on work. This week I learned that "working snack" has been happening in elementary school too but I hadn't known. For the first time my 6 year old brought back a snack that was half-eaten. He explained that he'd had to work and so didn't have enough time to finish snack (usually a fruit). He has been reliable in finishing his snack before.

It just makes me feel sad to hear "working snack" for little kiddos to "maximize instructional time".It seems totally contrary to mindful eating :( I work through lunch time and that is a given for most adults. Can't we let kids just eat?

Does your DC's school do "working snack"? Is there a true value to this concept that I'm missing.Thanks.

[Kindra178]

I don’t think an 11 year old needs a snack at school. So a working snack is fine but no snack would be better.

For a 6 year old, it’s a little different for sure. All that said, does a 6 year old need a snack?


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[SnuggleBuggles]

Kindra, it really depends on when lunch time, start time, dismissal are re. snacks. I absolutely think snacks are important. Our kids get on the bus at 7 and home at 5-5:30. They eat lunch between 10:30-1. Could YOU go that whole time with lunch? Probably not. At least most of us couldn't. We all have some hangry little kids getting off the bus!!

Op- I have no idea if my kids had working snack or not. It really wouldn't bother me because I would rather fight the battle to include snack however possible.

[JBaxter]

DS4 school does one. Nothing messy usually something like gold fish crackers or pretzels He's in 5th grade and is still allowed to bring a snack He doesnt but lots of kids do. Ive seen his teacher tell a student its not acceptable ( was a frosted cup cake ) and to put it away and eat it for lunch I also saw her make a child get down and pick up all the crumbs they brushed off the table. They start at 830 I think his lunch is 12:10

[m4nash]

My elementary age kids only have snack time if their class ends up with the last lunch period which starts at 1pm. My kids generally don't eat snack even when they have been allowed to. The class takes a 5 minute break to eat snack, and if they don't finish it in the allotted 5 minutes they have to put it back in their lunchbox for lunch time. I'm okay with a younger student not having snack time when their start time/lunch/dismissal are spaced reasonably. Our bus doesn't come until after 9am, so my younger kids can eat breakfast pretty late.

I would be okay with a working snack for my middle schooler, but find the idea of snack time in middle school really odd. Our middle school bus comes at 7am, so I know a lot of his peers skip breakfast or eat something they can carry to the bus stop. I don't think my kid generally eats much of anything during the school day due to ADHD meds, but he eats a good breakfast and a bunch once he's back home around 2:45pm.

What time do your kids start school/eat lunch/get dismissed?

[khm]

Kindra, it really depends on when lunch time, start time, dismissal are re. snacks. I absolutely think snacks are important. Our kids get on the bus at 7 and home at 5-5:30. They eat lunch between 10:30-1. Could YOU go that whole time with lunch? Probably not. At least most of us couldn't. We all have some hangry little kids getting off the bus!!

Op- I have no idea if my kids had working snack or not. It really wouldn't bother me because I would rather fight the battle to include snack however possible.

What time does your school dismiss?! Your kids are gone WAY longer than mine. They get on the bus at 7:45 and off at 3:40. They are also bused an entire town over. If we lived near the school, it'd be 15 minutes less each end.

[SnuggleBuggles]

What time does your school dismiss?! Your kids are gone WAY longer than mine. They get on the bus at 7:45 and off at 3:40. They are also bused an entire town over. If we lived near the school, it'd be 15 minutes less each end.

It’s a bus shared with 3 schools. The schools start between 8-8:30 and bus from our large school district. Mine gets on at 7:50, dismissed at 4 and home at 4:45. Some kids have it much worse!


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[PunkyBoo]

Our elementary is k-6. The upper grades (4-6) get one 15 minute recess in the morning and a 45 minute lunch. Both are outside, so whether they eat or not is up to each kid. My DS2 usually grabs something from his lunch box to eat quickly at recess, then eats the rest of lunch at lunchtime.
Our junior high us 7-8 grade only. They start at 7:55 and don't get a break until the 30-minute lunch at 11:55. If the kids need a snack they can shove something in their mouth in the 5 minutes passing period between classes.

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[bisous]

I don’t think an 11 year old needs a snack at school. So a working snack is fine but no snack would be better.

For a 6 year old, it’s a little different for sure. All that said, does a 6 year old need a snack?


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This is my feeling on snacks. Not needed except for maybe the youngest kids. So working snack would be totally fine for me. Kids who are really hungry would get some nourishment and others could just keep working!

[twowhat?]

Mine are in 5th (not quite middle school) but this is the first year they're doing a "working snack". School starts at 7:40am, they have a snack around 9:30ish, then lunch at 1pm, and then school is out at 3:05pm. The aftercares here all provide a snack so if a kid has to go to aftercare, then they would get another snack around 3:30pm.

For the "working snack" we have to just be careful to send in something that they can eat easily while working. Our staple has been (and still is!) whole grain Goldfish crackers but my kids also like Luna bars, and that's a higher protein (and higher sugar) snack to tide them over until lunchtime. Other things that we've done: Chex cereal (I buy the corn and wheat and mix them) and Triscuits. I can't do anything refrigerated since they eat snack on the go and not necessarily in their homeroom, where their lunch is kept.

I guess I'm "meh" about the concept of a working snack. I think it's probably better than no snack at all (at least for the kids who need a snack). It really hasn't been a problem for us.

[ett]

My kids have had "working snack" in school since upper elementary. I really don't think they need to allocate "snack time" by those grades. DS2 is in 7th grade and he can eat his snack in class whenever he wants to. Maybe other kids don't need a snack so they don't eat any.

[niccig]

So if they have a working snack, they stay in the classroom and don’t get to go outside? I’d be more upset about loss of outside play time than not eating a snack. Kids need unstructured playtime and schools are more worried about instructional time. At my 2 schools, there’s a 20 min recess and 40 min lunch with 20 mins of that playtime.


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[Tenasparkl]

So if they have a working snack, they stay in the classroom and don’t get to go outside? I’d be more upset about loss of outside play time than not eating a snack. Kids need unstructured playtime and schools are more worried about instructional time. At my 2 schools, there’s a 20 min recess and 40 min lunch with 20 mins of that playtime.



I was thinking the same thing. They just need a little break more than anything.

[gymnbomb]

So if they have a working snack, they stay in the classroom and don’t get to go outside? I’d be more upset about loss of outside play time than not eating a snack. Kids need unstructured playtime and schools are more worried about instructional time. At my 2 schools, there’s a 20 min recess and 40 min lunch with 20 mins of that playtime.


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My son is only in kindergarten, and they do have snack, but it is eaten in their classroom and not tied to outside time in any way. They have one recess time which is right after lunch. It wouldn’t have occurred to me that snack and recess were linked at some schools.


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[georgiegirl]

This is my feeling on snacks. Not needed except for maybe the youngest kids. So working snack would be totally fine for me. Kids who are really hungry would get some nourishment and others could just keep working!

Seriously? My DD (8th grade) has lunch at 10:30. She doesn’t get home until 3:45. That’s 5 hours. She’s a competitive swimmer and swims 2 hours almost every day, and she needs a snack. Fortunately, I think her teachers are pretty understanding about growing active kids needing food.


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[ett]

So if they have a working snack, they stay in the classroom and don’t get to go outside? I’d be more upset about loss of outside play time than not eating a snack. Kids need unstructured playtime and schools are more worried about instructional time. At my 2 schools, there’s a 20 min recess and 40 min lunch with 20 mins of that playtime.


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Are you talking about elementary school or middle school? My kids don't have recess in middle school.

[bisous]

Seriously? My DD (8th grade) has lunch at 10:30. She doesn’t get home until 3:45. That’s 5 hours. She’s a competitive swimmer and swims 2 hours almost every day, and she needs a snack. Fortunately, I think her teachers are pretty understanding about growing active kids needing food.


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Well sure! But wouldn’t it be enough to grab a little something and keep working? That’s definitely a long enough stretch (what the heck 10:30 lunch???) and my kids don’t have that. I’m a fan of three square meals a day that are substantial but snacks can pad or boost those if needed. My kids have lunches from 11:30 to 1:00, start at 8:00 and get out at 2:30 so they’re fine!

[Snow mom]

I believe working snack starts in 3rd grade here. I think it's fine. They can eat a little non-messy snack at their desk while they complete whatever individual work they are doing. Snack is never outside time in any grade here. The kids have to go in and out through the main door and it would take 10+ minutes just moving them out and then moving them back in with the associated prep time on either end. I'm honestly not sure how long they get for snack in the lower grades because I wasn't able to volunteer in the classroom at that time. In 3rd they had a morning snack and could eat during math for 10 or 15 minutes. The timing of snack depends on the timing of lunch which varies by grade.

[niccig]

Are you talking about elementary school or middle school? My kids don't have recess in middle school.

Elementary. DS is high school and he gets a break mid morning at 9;30-9:45 as well as lunch at 11:20 to 11:50.


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[DualvansMommy]

Well sure! But wouldn’t it be enough to grab a little something and keep working? That’s definitely a long enough stretch (what the heck 10:30 lunch???) and my kids don’t have that. I’m a fan of three square meals a day that are substantial but snacks can pad or boost those if needed. My kids have lunches from 11:30 to 1:00, start at 8:00 and get out at 2:30 so they’re fine!

I think it’s really depends on the school district bell, schedule times and bussing.

This year is the 1st year my 2 kids are in the same PreK-3rd elementary school and their lunches are different. My 3rd grader eats his lunch at 11, and gets a working snack at 2:30 or 3. My kindergarten doesn’t eat his lunch until 1:30! He eats his breakfast at 8, so that is a LONG time to go without food. It’s why Kindergartens at the school gets two snacks; a snack with 15 min break at 10:30 then lunch and a working snack at 3. Their recess isn’t tied to snack times either. Our district is actually quite generous with lunch for 30 mins and recess for 40 mins. They get the buses home 3:50pm.

Next year when my oldest is 4th grade, they still get a snack around 2-3pm. As they stay on the bus for fair bit cuz it’s shared with middle school with different dismissal time.


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[daisyd]

OP here. Our school bus arrives at 7 and lunch is close to 1. The long gap between meal times and the outdoor recess time (tied to snack) being eliminated is why I wish we had our old system. One other reason is my kids are grazers rather than 3 meals/day. Maybe their eating patterns will adjust to this new routine...My worry is one DC is between 15-20 percentile for weight when he's eating well.

[PZMommy]

My school feeds all kids a free breakfast in the classroom at 8:10 when school starts. There is no busing, so none of the kids have been sitting on a bus for a long time. All kids get a 20 minute recess at 9:50 for kinder, 10:20 for all other grades. During the time kids are outside and can eat a snack before playing. For kinder, we get a 30 minute recess so we make all the kids eat for the first 5-7 minutes, otherwise most would skip snack just to play, and then complain about being hungry. Then all kids are allowed to get “hot supper”, when school ends. Hot supper consists of a milk, some sort of entree, and a side. They claim it is healthy, but I’ve seen it, and it is basically prepackaged for that is reheated in its plastic bags.

I’d be okay with a working snack in all grades except kinder and first. I think for those ages, it is harder for them to eat and work at the same time. Maybe starting 2nd semester in first they are ready to transition to a working snack.

[doberbrat]

Snack is never outside time or recess here. It tends to be fairly generous 15ish minutes. Sometimes we need to make it a working snack though its not usually scheduled as that until 4th/5th grade. It is really hard on any kids w/attention issues to have a working snack b/c they simply cant eat & work at the same time. Plus, if kids are truly working hard, after an hour or 2 they REALLY need a break. Sometimes we're pressed for time and we try to do a working snack to catch up but usually it makes sense to take a short break and have everyone come back refreshed.

[Kindra178]

Snuggles, my kids are gone from 7.45-3.30, lunch in the 11.30/12 range, so they are fine. They do it something substantial when the get home. They also eat pretty big lunches. No snacks here after third grade.

Eating fruit alone is not a great snack ever.


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[Liziz]

I'm honestly shocked, I had no idea that schools did snacks in upper grades! That definitely didn't happen when I was a kid.

I don't think a "working snack" is terrible -- it allows those who need food to eat something, while those who don't can continue with other things. If your child is skipping snack to keep working -- maybe he's just not hungry enough to need a snack? Unless your child is skipping snack based on fear and anxiety about "I don't have time to get everything done and still eat" I would just assume he doesn't actually need food at that point.

[Dayzy]

In our school the pre-k through 3rd have snack at 9:30 and lunch at noon. In 2nd and 3rd grade it's a working snack. 4th - 8th have no snack unless needed and lunch for them is 11:30. School dismisses at 2:30. I found out for us that the reason for the working snack was for instructional minutes. If they took 10-15 minutes out in those grades for snack, they would have to lengthen the school day.

[TwinFoxes]

My kids are in 6th grade, and they're allowed to bring a snack, but there's no "snack time". I have never heard of MS having snack time.

I send snacks with my kids. One is barely on the weight chart (first percentile). She of course doesn't eat the snack, but hope springs eternal! My other DD eats the snack less than 50% of the time.

My peeve when it comes to snack is sports. After years of doing sports where we had no snacks, DD picked up a new sport where the parents bring "snacks" aka "crap". So far we've had brownies, chips, and doughnuts. I'm like "you've got to be kidding me!" Those aren't snacks, those are treats. I said I'd be fine without snack and the team mom said her daughter looks forward to it. Then just bring your own kid a gigantic sugar bomb after each game. There's no way she'd do that but she can justify her kid eating crap every game because some other parent is feeding it to her. (Sorry to hijack!)

[hbridge]

I may be the only one, but I have trouble with the "working snack" concept AND I think kids needs snack time at least through elementary. My DC cannot successfully multi-task so "working snack" means NO snack. There have been days where breakfast was NOT eaten due to medical issues and snack is the first time the kid has a chance to eat anything. The teachers and nurse are not terribly concerned when you call just to say the child did not have breakfast and may be hungry. Add to that the fact that a 10 minute "mental break" is good for all, I think snack time is VERY important. Even if the kids are snacking while the teacher is reading them a story or they are discussing something. It doesn't need to be a complete break, just not a time when the kids should be working quietly at their desks and eating.

[TwinFoxes]

I should make it clear that even though there's no designated time for snack, they do have free time and they can use that for their snack. All the grades have this 20 minute time where they can read, go to the library on their own (older grades), work on assignments they hadn't finished, etc. Usually this is when kids eat their snack although they can also eat during instruction time if they want to.

[niccig]

I’m still surprised that there’s no outdoor playtime until lunch. Kids need to move. Recess at my schools is for them to play, not do much for them to eat


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[smilequeen]

My HS age kid can have a healthy snack in their study hall (they call it academic lab). Technically a working snack, but that's a HS freshman and I don't think he bothers with it.

I'll have to ask my MS student. (edit...he said no snacks in ac lab, may be teacher dependent?)

Elementary, they have a snack and they can take their snack time at a convenient time in their work period. There are only so many spots at the snack table and they set a timer for how long they are allowed to snack. So they take turns, but don't work while snacking.

[cckwmh]

Oldest DD is in 8th grade. There has not been snack since 4th grade. She is at school from. 8-3. That being said, there are 2 teachers who let kids eat a snack as long it is not messy, while they are working. She always has a few snacks in her bag, sometimes she eats one sometimes not.

Youngest in is kindy,gets 2 recesses outside a day, breakfast in the classroom, lunch and snack. They also do lots of movement breaks (go noodle, yoga etc) until 4th grade.

[meggie t]

I don't understand. Have school hours increased so much that snack time is necessary? Growing up we never had a snack time. Ever. I can understand a snack in K, I suppose, (I was in 1/2 day K so it didn't matter) but from 1st onwards, no snack nor eating in the classroom. Our school day was 6 hours. Maybe that's why? I'm curious as to when snacks in school became a thing. My daughter is in 1st grade. No snack time. School day is 6 hours and 35 minutes. My son is in 4th grade. No snack time. His school day is 6 hours and 15 minutes. My children have always done 3 meals and 1 afternoon snack. I give them the snack at home or, if they do any after school activities, they have the snack before that begins. I'm just shocked that so many people have responded that their kids have snack time at school.

To the OP, I wouldn't be upset with a working snack - some kids need it and some don't so it makes sense that they don't take time away from instruction.

[georgiegirl]

I don't understand. Have school hours increased so much that snack time is necessary? .

Schools are getting bigger and bigger and some kids have early or late lunch. My DD is gone 8 hours and 40 min. She leaves the house at 7:05 and has lunch at 10:30 and gets home at 3:45. It’s a long time to go without eating during the day (especially for athletes).

In our elementary school, kids don’t have long to eat and the cafeteria is loud and crowded and overwhelming. Many kids can’t get a sufficient meal eaten under those circumstances. The earliest lunch for elementary is 10:50 and my kids don’t get home until 4:25...that’s really long for a 7 year old. Late lunch is at 1:15 and my kids get on the bus at 8:15 (breakfast earlier obviously)...again over 5 hours, which is difficult for many kids.

[essnce629]

So if they have a working snack, they stay in the classroom and don’t get to go outside? I’d be more upset about loss of outside play time than not eating a snack. Kids need unstructured playtime and schools are more worried about instructional time. At my 2 schools, there’s a 20 min recess and 40 min lunch with 20 mins of that playtime.


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I was thinking the same thing. They just need a little break more than anything.
I’m still surprised that there’s no outdoor playtime until lunch. Kids need to move. Recess at my schools is for them to play, not do much for them to eat


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)Another CA mom whose elementary school also has a 20 minute recess mid-morning every day for all grades (k-5). The kids can sit and eat a snack outside at the lunch tables or go right to the yard to play. DS2 is in 5th grade and eats a big breakfast every morning so hasn't taken a separate snack since kinder, but lots of other kids don't eat breakfast or eat a small breakfast and definitely end up eating a snack during recess. For lunch, they have another 20 minute recess and then 20 minutes after recess to eat. Our school is small so everyone but kinders eat at the same time-- 12:30pm. I'm all for free play time and would be upset if my kid didn't get out to play till lunch. Even in middle school DS1 had a 15 minute mid-morning "nutrition" time that could be used to eat, hang out with friends, finish homework, etc.


I have never heard of a "working snack."

[TwinFoxes]

I don't understand. Have school hours increased so much that snack time is necessary? Growing up we never had a snack time. Ever. I can understand a snack in K, I suppose, (I was in 1/2 day K so it didn't matter) but from 1st onwards, no snack nor eating in the classroom. Our school day was 6 hours. Maybe that's why? I'm curious as to when snacks in school became a thing. My daughter is in 1st grade. No snack time. School day is 6 hours and 35 minutes. My son is in 4th grade. No snack time. His school day is 6 hours and 15 minutes. My children have always done 3 meals and 1 afternoon snack. I give them the snack at home or, if they do any after school activities, they have the snack before that begins. I'm just shocked that so many people have responded that their kids have snack time at school.

To the OP, I wouldn't be upset with a working snack - some kids need it and some don't so it makes sense that they don't take time away from instruction.

My (non snacking) kids don't have to be at school until after 9am. They wake up at 7am, eat breakfast around 7:15. They don't have lunch until 1:15. I can see why kids would need a snack. One of my DDs has an early morning sport. I do think it's different than when I was a kid. That being said, I don't see the need for a dedicated snack time for older kids.

[gatorsmom]

I let my kids pack their food for the day so I don’t really know what they are eating and when. I’m vigilant about having healthy snacks in the house for them to take to school but I suppose they could trade for garbage and candy with their friends. Lunch is at noon for all of them and up until high school, all grades do have morning time to run around outside, snack or stay in and do work- their choice. But until recently, I didn’t know the middle and high school kids are allowed to eat whenever they want. They can eat during class and lecture if they want. I don’t have a problem with it, although I wonder how they can be eating anything nutritious at their desk. So many snack foods are just sugary/starchy carb fluff. The kids need something with protein to really tide them over. With busy mornings and after-school extracurricular activities, days can get long.

[Tenasparkl]

Another CA mom whose elementary school also has a 20 minute recess mid-morning every day for all grades (k-5). The kids can sit and eat a snack outside at the lunch tables or go right to the yard to play.

My daughter still has this "nutrition" break in middle school. I like that they get time outside to either eat, move their bodies or just talk with friends. They also get 20 minutes after lunch/recess everyday for silent reading. I think anything that helps them to refocus is great.

[lizzywednesday]

DD's school does this, usually at the end of the day, which helps the kiddos who stay for the after-care program make it to pickup/dinner ... and may help get extra calories into kiddos who were too busy chatting (or whatever) at the formal lunch period to have eaten much then.

It's moot for us, because DD doesn't usually feel super-hungry during the school day (her medication for ADHD has a mild appetite-suppressant effect) but for kids who need it, I think it's kind of great. (I would have been one of those kids who needed it.)

[anonomom]

I’m jealous of y’all whose kids get two recesses a day, plus playtime at lunch. My kids get outside time once a day if it’s not raining, not too cold and not too hot (today, for example, was indoor recess b/c it’s 97 degrees out). And PE once every seven school days.

Lunch is, iirc, 30 minutes, but includes no play time. One grade eats at a time, and the earliest lunch starts at 10:05 am. Last lunch is around 1:20. For the kids at the extremes, snack becomes important.

As far as I know, my kids have always had “working snack.”

[AnnieW625]

At Dd1’s school they get a morning recess with snack time outside and then a 45 minute lunch period with 15 minutes to eat and 30 minutes to play. I work hot lunch there once a week and tbh the 15 minutes to eat especially for the young ones is not enough time, but the staff pushes the kids out even if they aren’t done with lunch. The middle school kids have a little more flexibility in this regard as they can sit at the benches and eat longer if need be.

At Dd2’s school they have one 15 minute morning recess and 40 minutes for lunch/recess. In grades The 1st and 2nd graders get 2 morning 15 minute recesses, a 40 minute lunch, and a 10 minute afternoon recess. The 3rd graders get one morning recess a 40 minute lunch, and a 10 minute afternoon recess.

Both schools will keep kids in if they have work to finish and I am guessing that they can eat a snack if they want.

Growing up in California in k-6 school we had a morning recess, 40 minutes of lunch, and a afternoon recess. I just looked up my old elementary school and they no longer have the afternoon break but school starts at 8:30 and ends at 2:30; we used to start at 8:30 and we’re done at 3:00 so there is the difference. We never had snack breaks but I ate a full breakfast (eggs, toast, and fruit) at home every morning and I don’t remember being hungry in the am before lunch.


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[IansMom]

DS1 is in 5th grade and they have working snack. He takes whole grain goldfish crackers and two applesauce pouches. School starts at 7:40 and lunch is at 12:30. I think they eat their snack around 10:15/10:30. They have 20 minute recess every morning and daily 40 minute PE in the afternoon.