Limiting Kids Snacking

[disneyfav4ever]

For our upcoming trip we're trying to think up ways to encourage DD to eat her meals and just not whine for ice cream, cupcakes, and candy the entire time, because when she sees them everywhere, that will be all she wants.

Any suggestions?

 

[DisDreaming4116]

Blindfold?
Lol, depending on her age, you could suggest she gets one snack each day. Then when she chooses the first cupcake she sees, she will think more about it the following day after knowing how many options there are and she only gets one.

 

[Hopefully]

You may want to post this on the Disney for Families Forum. This really is a parenting issue, not a restaurant issue

 

[rg35]

Say no?

That's what we do with our kids, but ours are used to not getting every single thing they ask for. I'm not sure how old your kid is, but it's generally easier to start that process young. Yes, it's harder to say no and sometimes things get unpleasant, but it's the long game that's more important.

 

[VAfamily1998]

If my kids whined because they didn't get sweets all day, we would have taken them back to the room. No pool, no tv, no video games.

Why not give her reasonable expectations of what kind of snacks she can have? If you plan to allow her X number of treats per day, then tell her that in advance--so when she sees an ice cream cart and asks for some, you can tell her "Yes, but remember you only get X per day. If you choose to have this now, you won't get more later."

 

[SteveH]

Hey it's normal to be a kid and want it all. But that's when our job as parents are the hardest. We have to...

 

[DizneyLizzy]

We bring a lot of snacks with us to the parks so our kids aren’t hungry in between meals, and then we find they never really ask for stuff. I try to bring fun snacks that they don’t always get at home, but aren’t too awful for them. Things like fruit snacks, teddy grahams, goldfish, and mini bags of pretzels work well for us.

 

[DLgal]

In our house, we teach serving sizes and that treats are a once a day thing. They never ask for more than one treat per day on vacation because that is how we roll every day at home. Start good habits now, continue them when you travel. We do make an exception on a special day like a birthday, both at home and when away. No food rules on birthdays!

 

[OpieDoodle]

We get the dinning plan and let the kids have snacks each day. They know they get one snack, usually icecream of some sorts if its hot. We want to let them have a little extra fun since we are in disney! Then all the walking they're burning extra calories! So I just plan snack so it won't ruin any meals

 

[DisLiss]

Depending on her age, maybe print or draw up cute little snack tickets for her to bring to the park each day. Let her know that when her tickets are gone she cannot purchase any more treats in the park, but that she can have some of the healthy snacks you have packed in your bag (provided you're planning on doing that, of course!) It may not cut out all whining, but it lets her have a tangible way of knowing when her special WDW park treats are done each day.

If she melts down when her tickets are gone (which certainly can happen....we've all lived through melt-downs for one reason or another), just use whatever techniques you typically employ for that type of behavior. And hopefully after that she'll realize you mean business with the tickets.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do!

 

[Anchored]

I tell them "no" just like I do every day, and if they get attitude then they lose a privilege, just like every other day.
How do you handle it at home? do that ...

 

[SaintsManiac]

We share every snack we get, so 1. we all have to agree 2. it's usually once a day. If you don't like that approach you can go with the old standby I use daily:

I DON'T CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING.

 

[DisLiss]

I will say, though, that my kids are old enough to go online and see all of the videos and menus of all of the snacks, and start planning on eating far more of them than they could possibly eat in one trip without being actually ill afterwards. BUT, once they actually get into the parks, and are faced with spending their time in line for a snack or in line for an attraction or a character, they go for the attractions/characters almost every time. I think the heat hits them too. They get int he park and all they really keep asking for are drinks. We've had times when my husband and are seriously hungry and we say "We have got to stop to eat!" before the kids will stop to eat. So perhaps the snacks won't actually be that big an issue once you're in the park.

 

[Kae]

Depends on the age. But a pretty cupcake or Mickey Ice cream Bar for breakfast, yea we've done that.

Kae

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Blindfold?
Lol, depending on her age, you could suggest she gets one snack each day. Then when she chooses the first cupcake she sees, she will think more about it the following day after knowing how many options there are and she only gets one.

That's what we're doing with her spending money, so that may work.

If my kids whined because they didn't get sweets all day, we would have taken them back to the room. No pool, no tv, no video games.

We want to try to avoid doing that as none of us want to spend the day at the hotel.

We share every snack we get, so 1. we all have to agree 2. it's usually once a day. If you don't like that approach you can go with the old standby I use daily:

I DON'T CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING.

We'd thought about the sharing everything thing, but the snacks DD would want i.e. pure sugar, are not the same snacks we would pick; coffee drinks, anything savory, etc.

 

[SaintsManiac]

That's what we're doing with her spending money, so that may work.
We want to try to avoid doing that as none of us want to spend the day at the hotel.

We'd thought about the sharing everything thing, but the snacks DD would want i.e. pure sugar, are not the same snacks we would pick; coffee drinks, anything savory, etc.

Oh I am guessing you're on the dining plan? This is just one of many reasons why we don't use it.

 

[Disneypro1]

We let them snack all they want with in reason. No cotton candy..too messy. But for the most part..snacks are good for energy and if the kids are hungry...im not going to let them be hungry. Usually...we all eat a snack in-between meals and then in the evening one after supper. If they want a cupcake or something sweet for breakfast..we do it. Its vacation.
If we walk by a snack kiosk..and someone wants something and i know they'll eat it...go for it.
Water is a different story...its free at the fountains, we won't buy bottles. Total waste. And, its free in cups at any food or drink place.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Oh I am guessing you're on the dining plan? This is just one of many reasons why we don't use it.

We are. We got it for free this trip, and with character meals booked it's a no brainer for us.

We don't usually have trouble using up our snack credits, we can go through most of them at Starbucks alone.

 

[momma2ethan]

We each get one snack per day. I almost always end up sharing mine with him and he frequently shares his with me. Neither of us tend to have huge appetites at Disney because of the heat and we like the same things so sharing works great for us. We also buy a popcorn bucket and I never say no to popcorn refills, that way we pretty much always have something to munch on.

I do make the occasional exception to this "rule" because it's vacation! We ALWAYS share a Sleepy Hollow fruit and nutella waffle every time we are in MK and it does not count toward our snack count. He also has his own spending money and can buy an extra treat here and there but has to run it by me first. Sometimes I say yes, sometimes it's a no and other times I weigh pros and cons of him blowing his money on junk food. He's 11 and very used to me saying no or talking him through guided decisions so I've never had him meltdown over a snack or treat at Disney.

 

[DisLiss]

If my kids whined because they didn't get sweets all day, we would have taken them back to the room. No pool, no tv, no video games.

That would be a very last resort for us, but first I would suggest learning where some quieter, out of the way areas are in each park where you can go and give everyone a chance to chill for a bit. (Or the baby care buildings if that's better for you...then you have the benefit of some a/c, too. ) It's still removing a whining child from the fun of the park, which may be sufficient.

My oldest LOVES to eat out, and as a very young child was great about it...except for one single time. All it took that day was for one parent to simply take him outside of the restaurant. He got out there, realized what he was about to lose (eating out) and he was able to calm down and return to his good restaurant behavior for the rest of the time we were there. And he never gave us trouble at a restaurant again. He was not risking losing out on his restaurant trips!