I have a question moms. How do you deal with snack and guest? Like if you have other kids over and offer snack do you like tell them how many they can have or stop them from getting too many? My kids will have between 3 to 4 in the day they ask even though I don’t need to every time. My neighbors daughters are over and they are super shy I told them they can have any snack they want and they have gotten up like 3 times and grabbed multiple snack and they filled their hoodie pockets with them. My nephew’s also have the habit of grabbing to many snacks. But idk what to do because I do feel like it’s excessive but I don’t want to make them feel bad or anything. Especially because they are so shy.
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I set out what their allowed to have
Take the snacks out and ask if they want one and hand them one or the amount you are comfortable with them having. Pick them up afterwards. If they want more, they should ask and you can tell them yes or no.
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If my kids have friends over and they want a snack they each get 1, and I don’t mind most of the time. Gets a little crazy during the summer when they are there every day but I also make sure it’s OK with the parents.
I make a platter of fruit crackers and cheese nuts cookies tosties or what ever … And they share the platter and that’s that
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I always limit how many and equally to all
My kids all have snack bins I fill with their weekly snacks, has names on it, and pretty much if they decide to eat it all at once that’s on them. I don’t count fruits, veggies or yogurt as a snack, they can have as much of that as they please. I have a guest snack bin as well, depending on how long the kiddo is here will determine how much I put in. But again, they can have as many fruits, veggies or yogurt as they want.
Put a Bowl or plate out with snacks and keep the pantry closed. We make a snack counter and put variety chips out or fruit, granola bars/cookies on a cute little shelf thing. The kids munch as they wish but aren’t allowed free reign on our supply
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Maybe they don’t get enough food at home? If you know that’s not the case then put just enough snacks out and don’t let the kids in the pantry.
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They need to be taught to not take so much, however, I would say you can have WHATever snack you want, but please only choose 1 or 2,I would maybe put up the rest while any of them are there so that they can’t grab so many
Put decent amount. Don’t refill
I always gave each kid their own bowl of snacks, never did allow them to help themselves
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You are practically telling them to help themselves then getting upset that they do …
They can only eat what you allow.
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Jesse Geno Evan i agree with this. The OP did state that she told them they could have whatever they want then complains so why tell the child that to being with. As the adult u know u have to be specific with people specially kids. I have 5 children 1 that has special needs do it doctors order she eat whenever and whatever she wanted. So I really never limited my kids or friends
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Make a mixed platter of fruit, chips, whatever snacks you have and leave it out for the kids so they can only have what’s on the platter
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No matter how many kids we have whether just our own or extras, every child gets too choose 2 snacks each.
The rest get put away which only an adult has access too with a key.
I then do a kids platter up that they can help themselves too if still feeling peckish.
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Kids need rules and structure. I don’t understand why parents don’t make rules. Three meals a day two snacks, one in between each meal and dessert or snack before bed. Kids do not need to eat constantly. If you do it right they’re eating every two hours…breakfast.(8:00)… two hours snack… two hours (12 noon) lunch … Two hours/ three hours snack. Dinner (5:00) two hours snack /dessert) then getting ready for bed . They’re not hungry they’re bored. I bet while they’re getting up to snack they’re watching TV or playing video games. They’re bored. My kids ask for snacks and I’ll say are you hungry or bored. Nine times outta ten they’re gonna say bored so we do something else to get busy.
First talk to the parents about special dietary restrictions, food allergies can be deadly, my friend lost her son because the school gave him a peanut butter cookie back in1997. If the child is diabetic and you give them too much sugar it is also deadly. As far as them eating too much, maybe write names on a paper plate or something let them pick out a snack or two or however many you decide they can have, put the rest up and make it clear that is all they get for the day.
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Pass snacks out yourself. Don’t let them help themselves.
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I keep my children’s snacks out of reach, they are more than welcome to them on request because when I did have them accessible they would gorge themselves on them.
I have a sweet and savoury snack tub and they can choose one from each. Their friends are given the same choices when they visit.
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Your kids have multiples… why can’t they. And you never have them a cut off, so that’s kinda on you. " help yourself to a snack, but only grab a few, don’t want to ruin lunch or dinner"
Id offer snacks by giving them to them. Id never give anyone except my own kids freedom to take what they want in my house.
Yall are out here really giving these kids food complexes … I just read a comment she locks the snacks with a key another saying not to refill… y’all got too much time on your hands. Just don’t offer snacks if you have to do all this tyrant crap
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Seeing so many of us go through the same crap with these toxic people.
These badly-raised, toxic, self-centered, disordered humans! Why are there so many of them?! It honestly makes me so angry. I had to cut them off to live a peaceful life What helped me the most is educating myself on codependency and narcissism. Lots of good content on YouTube. Check out @ hackman_andrew85 on instagram, This professional can also get you text messages! call logs! emails, social media all clouds (Deleted and non deleted messages and they were accepted legally in court during my divorce. you can reach out to him on instagram @ hackman_andrew85
My kids don’t get 3 to 4 snacks a day. During the summer they eat breakfast, lunch, snack, and then dinner. During the school year it’s the same. The only difference is during the summer they might have a popsicle. When their friends are over we follow the same schedule. I would definitely talk to the parents if they’re stuffing their pockets full of stuff. There parents may not allowed them to eat like this so they’re trying to take advantage of the situation.
In the future I personally would hand snacks out to each kid or put a certain amount out on the counter and that’s it
“Let’s take one and finish it before we grab another” simple.
Easy,hand each child a certain amt then put it up.
I just put out a variety of snacks and drinks on the kitchen table when my son has friends over. If it’s there, it’s up for grabs. I also just talk to the parents about food. Am I feeding them? Can I feed them? Will they be here during a meal time? These are easy things to manage, girl.
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I’d give them an option n tell each kid to pick 1 or 2.
Fruits, cheese sticks, granola bars and yogurts are for the kids and they all get 1 of each
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Put out a tray of a couple things, and once those are gone no more snacks
My lil cousins n grandkids come over n they r allow snack on whatever whenever they want
I go buy extra so they all have enough
I have a 2nd pantry area with a lock.
I leave out healthy options and limit snacks, chips, junk to a serving.
If they’re hungry they can make a sandwich.
I got to the point though where I hid snacks in my 2nd pantry and bedroom because kids would come over and blow through cases of snacks and I couldn’t afford it.
Get a few baskets and label them for the kids and guests. Put a little white piece of tape on guest baskets and label with sharpie. You can change names as needed for guests. Put those snacks out, lock rest of pantry.
Put snacks out and the good shit out of reach 
and make them healthy too
I do put a limit on visitors eating sometimes depends on the one eating. Some kids eat for comfort, some eat for hunger, some eat just to eat and wind up sick, just depends.
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Does the timidity being extreme enough to mention + the fact that they’re hoarding food as if they aren’t sure when they’re going to get more not concern anyone?
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You have several options on how to handle this.
1.Let your children know ahead of time that next time/anytime the other children are over you will be reminding all children of snack limits but that it isn’t necessarily directed at them as they already know then when the children come over just gently remind them all together that the snacks are available to grab but the limit is 3(or what ever you choose).
2.Build snack bags using brown paper lunch bags with set number of snacks and each child can grab one sack of snacks and that is theirs for the day. If they choose to do trades then that’s fine.
3.explain to your kids(if old enough) that if they are going to have friends over it is their responsibility to make sure their friends know and understand the house rules and let them explain to friends/guests that they are allowed to choose snacks of their choice but the limit is 3(or what ever you set it at). I will still occasionally give gentle reminders that snacks are there to grab but limit is…
Don’t let them self serve. Offer a snack then get it for them
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I try not to put to much in the snack bin when I know ppl are coming over. I will have some stuff and tell them when it’s gone it’s gone…my kids have to have snacks to take to school everyday. I know when certain kids come over they will live off the snack bin instead of eating a meal even if I let them pick the meal.
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You shout from the kitchen…”KITCHEN’s CLOSED!”
I tend to give them money take them to the shop and let them eat ot throughout the night xx dont happen often and they love it x
I don’t let the kids get their own snacks. Fresh fruit is always available fir snacking without asking though. Bananas apples kiwi oranges ect. No problem help yourself don’t bother asking but fruit snacks treats and sugary snacks chips ect. They only get them on specialty occasions or once a day when we hand them out after a meal or something.
Be the grown up here just tell them that there are snacks and how many they can have .
Maybe put out what you’re comfortable with being taken and keep the rest away. Maybe that kid doesn’t get to eat at home or doesn’t eat a lot. Or just tell them how much they’re allowed to take. When you say to a kid you can have any snack you want, they’re going to take any snack they want .
Give them the snacks on the table and tell them they can help themselves to what’s on the table.
Last January, my nephew celebrated his birthday with kids from his first grade class. This 2 kids kept on returning to get more hotdogs, pies, chicken nuggets, and even candies like they never get a full tummy. We just let them as there was plenty. Later that day we found out their parents just divorced, their mom raises them but been in & out of their lives recently. They’re not getting enough food at home as only jobless grandma takes care of them. I mean, it’s also important to consider cases like this. So, if you really know these kids coming over & you know they’re properly fed at home, putting the snacks in individual zip locks or snack bags maybe helpful so you can just distribute to them equally & they don’t need to try & grab some more.
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Don’t tell them they can have whatever they want. Tell everyone they get to pick out one thing for a snack, and that’s what they get.
Good grief lady I used to feed the neighborhood children along with my four sons and I was a single mom at that time…I didn’t care if it broke my bank but what mattered if they was fed
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Put snacks out your okay with them taking. I don’t allow other ppls kids inside my home nor do I allow my child to other ppls houses because bad things can happen and I think it’s irresponsible. But if your gna do that crap get a snack bowl and put all the snacks for that specific day your willing to let your kids and their friends eat. That way you can say hey there is a bowl of snacks take what you’d like from the bowl. U can put everything else away.