XP - Access to snack??

KathrynMD

We're mid-way through renovating our kitchen.  I moved some food out of our old pantry and into the new drawers earlier this week.  I decided to use one low drawer for DD's snacks that she can access as she likes.  There's dried fruit, mini-muffins, rice cakes, pretzels, granola bars, gold fish and fruit snacks.  Anything liquid - juice boxes, fruit cups, etc. I put where she can't get them by herself. 

Well, last night, she walked away from dinner and went to get goldfish from the drawer instead.  She had grilled chicken, mac and cheese, brocolli and grapes on her dinner plate.  I told her to put the goldfish back and she came back, waited a few minutes and then ate the chicken. 

I'm wondering if I should go back to keeping snacks out of reach or if this will continue or if this was just a new thing for her so she was excited.  She went for the goldfish again this morning after she woke up and I let her have some (and yogurt!) for breakfast. 

franciscaz

We are all about routine in our home so the kids can choose a snack (I normally give a few options) at snack time.  Otherwise for us meal time is not as successful.  

smiling76

franciscaz:

We are all about routine in our home so the kids can choose a snack (I normally give a few options) at snack time.  Otherwise for us meal time is not as successful.  

Ditto this only we don't have snack time but wish we did.  I ran out of room so had a little cabinet that he could reach that stores his special foods---well....he goes in there all time now.  And even goes in to the freezer to get things. It's cute that he's so independent--but it's bad b/c meals suck now. 

VTbride05

DS can reach his snacks and sometimes has the choice to go and pick something out. But he never gets into them unless he has permission to.

KathrynMD

yeah OK guys, I think I'll dial this back a bit.

anna7602

I suspect it's probably the novelty.

I have a low pantry where I keep all of DD's snacks and it doesn't interfere with meal times at all. She is pretty good at keeping straight what is a snack and what is a meal. At mealtime, for example, if she's still hungry when she's done, she asks for a yogurt or a piece of fruit. She would never get up and go to her snack pantry (although I will catch her in there sometimes when she's wandering around post-meal and pre-bedtime). I think your DD just needs to get used to the new thing and settle back into her routine.

KL777

Snacks in the pantry are out of reach for DS.  However, he knows where his snacks are in his little backpack and sometimes will go in there and get some when he knows he is supposed to ask first.