Thursday, May 13, 2010

Schedule

My skinnies have to eat often. About every 2 hours. So with 2 kids, a cat, fish, myself and husband it seems I'm always feeding somebody! We're now running on a decent schedule though so I don't have to feel like a short order cook too much.
We get up at 7 and have breakfast at 7:30 - 8:00 (an example meal: mini pancakes with butter and some cereal)
Around 10 or 10:30 a snack. (Ritz bits or nilla cookies and fruit - i'm going to try the cream cheese and nilla cookies soon!)
Lunch is at 11:30 or 12 (grilled cheese, veggie sticks, fruit cup w/whipped cream)
A snack for J around 2:30 or 3 (no later or dinner could be ruined) Sometimes K wakes up from her nap early enough, some days she just starts on her dinner early. I try to feed her what we're having, but if she's hungry I'll make her a toddler meal (like cheese ravioli with butter on top) and also feed her some of our dinner when we sit down.
Dinner 5:30 or 6ish.
Before bed snack at 7 (yogurt cup or pudding are the current favorites. It used to be shakes)
K always has her toddler milk with meals and snacks. J gets 4-6oz of juice a day and then water or vitamin d milk (sometimes with carnation or hersheys syrup)

I've been told it's ok to limit meal times. Snacks are 15 minutes, meals 30-40 minutes - we are trying to get better at enforcing this as J seems to take FOREVER to eat (as in 1/2 of a sandwich took him 45 minutes the other day) I just have to let go of the idea of them "starving" if they don't eat now. (I should see my own schedule! They eat frequently enough!) And also with J snacks aren't given unless he's eaten at least a good portion of the previous meal and never too close to the next meal. We figure he's old enough to start getting the concept and should develop some more "normal" eating patterns (this is hard with K still eating on a toddler's schedule though). Plus he's starting to want just snacks not meals - though he has done GREAT the last few days!
We're not on a strict schedule by any means - some days no morning snack is given, once in awhile it's late when we have dinner so no before bed snack. It just all depends on the day and every one's appetite.

We also always try to eat as a family. Well it's always me sitting down with the kids - G's schedule means he misses breakfast and lunch or dinner depending if he's days or nights. Yes, my meals are often cold but I'm getting used to it.

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