What's Breakfast Like?

My boys do not like to eat first thing in the morning. In fact, on the weekends, they eat 2+ hours after they get up. Until this school year, I would pack the boys something to eat and they would eat when they got to preschool. Now, I am taking them to school "when it starts" rather than sending them to before-care, which means they have to eat breakfast at home. One of my biggest issues is that Jackson gets carsick easily, and Jaydon gets "sympathy illness" so eating on the road is not an option. So that leaves me waking them 1 hour and 15 minutes before it's time to leave so they can force down a few bites and have it digest before we leave.

I am not really looking for breakfast ideas - just wondering if I have the only kids that do not eat a decent breakfast, no matter what's on the menu? They do eat snack at 10:15, lunch at noon, and snack at 3:00. I pick them up at 4:15 and dinner is around 6:30 and snack again at 7:30. So even without breakfast they eat plenty throughout the day. I just worry about them not starting their day off with a good meal.

 

I've got one who eats a big breakfast, and one who eats like a bird. DS often makes himself a double helping of oatmeal, while DD eats half a bowl of dry cereal.

I don't worry about it; they have a sizable snack at school at 10:00 or so, and I'm not a believer in pushing kids to eat when they're not hungry if their diet is otherwise reasonable.

ETA: This has been their pattern since they were toddlers.

 

Are you saying that if they eat before leaving for school, they need extra time to digest or they'll get sick in the car on the way there? Or do you take that extra time in the morning because they don't like to eat right when they get up?

If it's that they need time to digest before getting in the car, can they have breakfast at school? Almost all our grade schools here offer breakfast. In fact, I was surprised to learn that the kindergarteners who pay for breakfast eat it in class after the bell rings, when class starts!

If it's that they just don't like eating right when they wake up, could you try giving them less time between wake-up and breakfast each day? First give them an hour, then 45 minutes, then 30 minutes, and maybe you could get them used to eating right when they wake up. That will save you a ton of time in the morning. I wake up my kids at 7, they are dressed and eating breakfast at 7:10, brushing their teeth at 7:20, and out the door by 7:30.

Good luck!

 

No real advice but my 6yr old is not going to eat for a while when he first wakes up. Actually, DH is the only one that will eat in the morning.
I do give Nicholas a cup of warm chocolate milk in the morning, I guess milk is like food, so it holds him over till lunch.
He is just not a big morning eater and it does not seem to effect him in school.

 

QUOTE(jxnsmama @ Aug 31 2007, 02:41 PM) [snapback]387705[/snapback]
Are you saying that if they eat before leaving for school, they need extra time to digest or they'll get sick in the car on the way there? Or do you take that extra time in the morning because they don't like to eat right when they get up?

RESPONSE IN ALL CAPS SO YOU CAN SEE MY ANSWERS. YES, THEY NEED EXTRA TIME TO DIGEST OR JACKSON WILL VOMIT FROM CARSICKNESS AND JAYDON WILL FOLLOW WITH A "SYMPATHY" VOMIT. WE HAVE AT LEAST A 30-MINUTE COMMUTE 1-WAY IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, SO I THINK THAT IS THE REASON HE DOESN'T DO WELL FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. OTHER TIMES OF THE DAY ARE FINE.

If it's that they need time to digest before getting in the car, can they have breakfast at school? Almost all our grade schools here offer breakfast. In fact, I was surprised to learn that the kindergarteners who pay for breakfast eat it in class after the bell rings, when class starts!

NO, THEY CANNOT EAT BREAKFAST AT SCHOOL. THE BOYS GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL AND MEALS ARE NOT PROVIDED. I USED TO PACK THEM BREAKFAST AND THEY WOULD EAT WHEN THEY GOT THERE, BUT THAT WAS BACK WHEN I WAS WORKING 7:30-4:30 SO THEY WOULD GET TO SCHOOL 1.5 HOURS BEFORE IT STARTED. NOW I WORK PARTLY FROM HOME AND PARTLY IN THE OFFICE, SO I LIKE TO TAKE THEM THROUGH THE CAR DROP LINE AT 8:30 WHEN SCHOOL STARTS. I DON'T WANT THEM THERE ANY LONGER THAN NECESSARY.


If it's that they just don't like eating right when they wake up, could you try giving them less time between wake-up and breakfast each day? First give them an hour, then 45 minutes, then 30 minutes, and maybe you could get them used to eating right when they wake up. That will save you a ton of time in the morning. I wake up my kids at 7, they are dressed and eating breakfast at 7:10, brushing their teeth at 7:20, and out the door by 7:30.

RIGHT NOW I AM WAKING THEM AT 6:50, BREAKFAST AT 7:15, GET READY AND OUT OF THE HOUSE AT 7:50.

Good luck!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY, AMY.

 

Hi Heahter,

It sounds like your boys do get plenty to eat during the rest of the day...and I think there isn't a lot of value in trying to get a few bites in early in the morning if it is not going to agree with them.

I like Amy's suggestions, and I have one of my own. Since the boys do eat several times during the day and have a before bedtime snack, what if you just offer an Instant breakfast shake (or half of one) before leaving in the morning, and then pack an extra high energy/high protein substantial snack for the 10:00 snacktime? (Cheese and w/w crackers and juice or similar) It sounds like that is closer to the time that Jaydon and Jackson prefer to first eat anyway.

I always figure the "rules" are great guidelines, but the final decision has to be based upon what is going to work best for our own individual children. Some children would flake right out without breakfast first thing every day, while others really do need a couple of hours to rev up their metabolisms before facing food. I think you should go with what their bodies are telling you and simply make sure that the other meals make up any shortfall in calories and nutrition missing from the liquid/light breakfast.

Good luck!!

 

There are many days the girls would prefer to skip breakfast all together before school, and I would prefer they didn't. They won't eat much, but I can get them to eat a small protein that I know will stick with them. Usually we do a few sips of milk and then either a cheese stick (string cheese), bologna or lunch meat, drinkable yogurt or a gogurt. I know, it truly sounds like a miserable breakfast, but I would rather they ate something, then nothing. On RARE ocassions, I can get them to eat cereal with milk, but that was like maybe 3 times last school year, lol.

I am open to suggestions if anyone has them!!

 

My older girls didn't like (and still don't!) eat breakfast right away, although my twins do . When they were in elementary school they just did everything else first (ie: got dressed, did their hair, got their lunch ready, etc) then ate something before we left for school. That way they'd have been up for about an hour before they put something in their stomachs.

 

Will he get sick if he has milk? One of my DD's isn't a good eater, and skips meals a lot of the time. I put Carnation Instant Breakfast in her milk, and that gives me a little piece of mind.

Is a "light breakfast" an option? I'm thinking like a granola bar, or a Quaker Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie?

I know they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if he has a glass of milk before school & has a good snack at 10:00, then I would think he would be just fine.

 

Thanks everyone for the tips and suggestions. To answer you specifically, Jamey, dairy in the morning is not a good option. I tried milk and yogurt and both wound up all over my van about 15 minutes into the trip!!! I've been alternating dry cereal, muffins, waffles, and cheese toast. Both eat 3-4 bites and they're done. They do drink about 4-6 ounces of orange juice in the morning, which is better than nothing at all. I think the 10 am snack is what keeps them going until lunchtime. Many of you have put my mind at ease and I appreciate that.

 

I have been giving my kids an hour to get ready every morning this week. The majority of this time is spent eating breakfast or better described as picking at it while I nag and offer a few minutes of TV if they can finish quickly. It frustrates me because I know they are going to get hungry at school, but I don't know if I blame them for not wanting to get up and chow down a big breakfast. I am going to try and make some muffins and see if that will entice them to eat quicker.

 

Heather - Have you thought about a smoothie? Can he drink in the car, or will it still make him sick?

 

QUOTE(jamey @ Sep 7 2007, 05:58 PM) [snapback]397241[/snapback]
Heather - Have you thought about a smoothie? Can he drink in the car, or will it still make him sick?


Jamey, I wish I could give him a smoothie, and I have before, but he ended up throwing up as I was pulling into the school parking lot. Neither have complained about being hungry, so I think they may have inherited my "coffee breakfast" except theirs is more like "orange juice breakfast".