Help! Warm weather brings out the hungry neighborhood kids!

[iwrbnd]

Okay, I'm a mom of 4 kids that range from 7 yrs to almost 17. My house has ALWAYS been the hangout home no matter what I do! I don't mind most of the time but it drives me crazy when they are constantly eating everything! They all do it from the little ones to the teenagers. Now that the weather is getting warmer we're having more show up and I'm having flashbacks of summers past!

The thing is as my kids get older they are eating more and our food budget has gone way up. The recession has hit and affected both my job and my husband's. I don't want to be tacky but I can't be feeding all the neighborhood kids! If a child has been invited over and can't go home I don't mind, of course, but when their house is down the street why are they in my fridge?

Yesterday I got sick of it and put a sign on my cuboard saying "If you're hungry you need to go home and eat. Then feel free to come on back and play!"

How rude and tacky is this? Do you feel obligated to feed kids at your house? I never thought I would do this but I'm spending way too much on the food bill (I'm thrifty, too) and I need to save money for my Disney fix!

How would you handle this?

 

[ccgirl]

HA! Sounds like my house. Kids were over riding their bikes. They all stopped at my house. My DD said they were hungry. I said she was welcome to come in but I am not feeding the whole neighborhood. They can go home to get snacks and come back I was a good sport and gave them plastic cups of water though. These children actually come in your house and open your cabinets? My own kids don't do that. The cabinets don't get opened without permission in my house. Don't start feeding others children...no need.

 

[Motherofboys]

Tell your kids to keep their friends out of the kitchen. I wouldn't put a sign up or be rude about it, but it gets very expensive very fast. I offer a snack when their friends are over but there is NO WAY that my kitchen is "open" for foraging.

Honestly I can't believe how rude people are, I won't say kids because we have had adult friends of my DH do it. Come into MY kitchen and get into my fridge/pantry/cabinets without even asking!?!? What the hell?

I actually asked one of his friends if he was raised in a commune or something after he kept coming into our kitchen and rummaging through the fridge. He was!

I would also keep more expensive snacks out of sight if the problem continues, tell them they can have water, pretzels, microwave popcorn, or popsicles. That might solve the problem and keep it cheap

 

[dislal]

I would put one thing on the counter (plate of brownies, homemade rice crispy treats, bag of pretzels, or chips) and tell your kids that that is it for sharing.

No one should be allowed in your kitchen cupboards or refrigerator.

 

[Poohgirl]

Oh, I feel for you! I have 12 and 13 yo boys that have started eating like 4 grown men!

My house is also a "hangout" house. I have a cabinet that I fill with snacks for my boys and have come home to it empty a few times (and wrappers everywhere)! Even had one eat an entire box of icecream sandwiches by himself (with my son upstairs)


Now, I will usually go on the offensive. I've delegated microwave popcorn as my weapon of choice and will bring a big bowl into them all. It seems to hold them off until they go home, though I see no problem sending them home if they are hungry.


Some kids just take advantage. I think you have a right to hang your sign.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The burden rests on your kids, first and foremost. You tell them the rules and then enforce it. Your own kids are going to have to learn to speak up and tell the friends no.

Also when the kids come over you tell them that they are not allowed to help themselves to your pantry/fridge because you cannot afford it, plain and simple.

Be honest, shoot straight and any kid that defies you including your own will not be allowed to have friends over.

Or you can put locks on them and see which friends don't come over anymore.

 

[Poohgirl]

The burden rests on your kids, first and foremost. You tell them the rules and then enforce it. Your own kids are going to have to learn to speak up and tell the friends no.

Also when the kids come over you tell them that they are not allowed to help themselves to your pantry/fridge because you cannot afford it, plain and simple.

Be honest, shoot straight and any kid that defies you including your own will not be allowed to have friends over.

Or you can put locks on them and see which friends don't come over anymore.

Nice!

 

[luvsJack]

I have a basket that I put on the counter that is filled with snack items. Sometimes its purchased stuff, sometimes its homemade stuff--but always inexpensive stuff. But that basket is the limit and they cannot go into the cabinets or fridge. I also make a big jug of Kool-Aid or Lemonade and set it on the counter with plastic cups.

I do the same thing when dd has friends spending the night. After supper, I put the basket and the jug on the counter and let them know its there.

I like to make the kids feel welcome but don't want to go broke in the process.

 

[marcyinPA]

My neighbor had this problem when her kids were younger (before we moved into our house). She said that she would offer the kids carrots, and only carrots, every time they asked for a snack. They stopped asking!

 

[marcyinPA]

Honestly I can't believe how rude people are, I won't say kids because we have had adult friends of my DH do it. Come into MY kitchen and get into my fridge/pantry/cabinets without even asking!?!? What the hell?

I actually asked one of his friends if he was raised in a commune or something after he kept coming into our kitchen and rummaging through the fridge. He was!

We have a friend who does this too! He and his family will be here to hang out, play games, etc., and he helps himself to my fridge! It drives me crazy, and I called him on it once. He said that it's his "culture"...that's what they do! (he's Puerto Rican, in case anyone wonders what his "culture" is). I find it hard to believe that all Puerto Rican people do this! I think he's just rude, personally!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Go back in time and get your tubes tied after #2?

 

[iwrbnd]

I'm feeling much better after reading these posts! And laughing at most of them! I love the carrot idea and going back in time and tying my tubes !!!

Yes, they help themselves in my kitchen! It's crazy! I've always told my kids they better NEVER do that in anyone's house! It's rude!

 

[minniebeth]

We're in the same boat, and we haven't been outside yet but have done this with friends coming over, hanging out, sleepovers, etc.
Might there come a day when I really have to cut out all snacks/drinks/dinners/breakfasts? Yes, but until then, really I've just changed what I put out and serve for meals. For dinners instead of tacos, pizza, chips, etc. I've gone to making big pots of spagetti, garlic bread and salad. I get the large packages of value spagetti, jars of sauce and bread and bag salads are cheap on sale. Instead of soda, I've been putting out pitchers of ice water and the kids make a batch of cookies or popcorn later on in the night if they want a snack. I used to put out a big breakfast with all kinds of choices of foods, milk and juice. Now I just do a big batch of pancakes, sliced bananas, and hot chocolate, not even juice.
None of the kids ever complain! In fact, they are always asking to come here because they like what I cook.

As for neighborhood playing outside snacks, I used to have all kinds of healthy options available, but since that is so expensive, I've already thought about what to switch out. My DD picked out a HUGE bag of animal crackers to share with everyone for snacks, I was like ? we'll see how it goes over. Popcorn is always a good budget choice as are popsicles bought in large quantities like at Sam's.

I would much rather give up meals out (which we have done) so that we can continue to be a place where my kids can play safe and others want to be. I think that that can be done without saying "sorry, we're closed". Kids aren't picky. Water, Kool-Aid, cheap snacks, etc. will be just fine~
That's just my opinion though and can understand if others feel they want to cut that out of the budget, it's not your job to feed the neighborhood, but can go a long way when you do!

 

[A4Disney]

I have 4 kids the same age range as yours.One thing I've noticed living in a cul de sac is that there's no reason for the neighborhood kids to eat my food lol They go to their own home across the street/up the street to use their own bathroom and have snacks.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

She said that she would offer the kids carrots, and only carrots, every time they asked for a snack. They stopped asking!

When I was growing up we weren't allowed to eat anything until dinner time when we got home from school (dinner was usually 6 p.m.). I would have friends over sometimes and if any of them were hungry my Mom would say we could have an apple. None of us ever took her up on that offer then she would say "Well, you must not be hungry". Not for FRUIT!

 

[jen0610]

While I don't have the numbers you do, both of my kids know that before they and their friends get into the snacks, they have to ask if it is ok. When they are told yes, they are also told which snacks they can have. Some times it's the good name brand stuff, other times the store/generic stuff and then theres the homemade stuff. They also know that there is no pop, it's water, kool-aid or lemonade. Also, they know that they don't get to eat while they are playing video games. If you snacking, everybody has to put the controllers down and give the system a break.

 

[iwrbnd]

Lately I've started buying only "food" which means no snacks and the only thing in our cabinents are ingredients for dinner. One kid said "You don't have much food do you?"

But, then they started getting bowls of cereal and making sandwiches! Are you kidding me???

I've lectured my kids but it's hard because neighborhood children show up to play with everyone so nobody ends up being responsible. One year I started telling each one the food rule as they entered the house. The problem is so many come and go a few would get by me and eat. Then when one eats they all join in. Sometimes I feel like the food police and I hate it!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I also remember growing up most of my friends houses didn't have open pantries/fridges either. When I was in 9th grade I was over my friend's house and we were hungry and no one was home. We found two packages of peanut butter cookie mixes and made BOTH of them into two huge cookies. Her parents came home early. I'll never forget the wrath of her parent's!

Good luck OP!

 

[tiggger1]

When I used to babysit one of the mom's would make a trail mix/chex mix type of snack. She would buy whatever was on sale and put it into a large container. It usually had pretzels, goldfish, chex or another type of cereal as a filler, raisins, peanuts and then some type of candy either m&m's or reeses. That and koolaid was the snack whenever they had friends over ( and they always had friends over). She had big plastic cups by the container and each people got 1 cup. it had to last them the entire week or you were out of luck when it ran out ( she made a ton!!) She said it only cost her $10-12 to feed her 3 kids and their friends snacks all week!...

 

[mjkacmom]

I would also keep more expensive snacks out of sight if the problem continues, tell them they can have water, pretzels, microwave popcorn, or popsicles. That might solve the problem and keep it cheap

This is my thought - stock up on flav-o-ice and those cheap big bags of popcorn, and let them drink water. Only inexpensive options.