what’s on your mind? no just say

To Snack Lists

story by | lisa montgomery

After scanning through the plethora of papers being emptied from my 4th grader’s backpack, I found the inevitable and dreaded list of names and dates. Please no, it can’t be – it’s another SNACK SCHEDULE!

Am I the only one who dreads snack lists? They’re everywhere – school, sports, you name it – the snack list gets passed out on the first day. Here is a typical locker room scene after a hockey game: “Parents and siblings are squished like sardines, and the unfortunate parent with snacks has to hand them out, and make sure they have extras for all the siblings. The locker room is hot and stinky, and now there are wrappers everywhere.” The dedicated snack parent is frantically trying to make sure no one was left out. “Where’s Tommy? Did he get his snack?” We then proceed home, where I make my son a nice looking turkey sandwich with a glass of milk. However, my little hockey player isn’t hungry. He had 2 bags of Teddy Grahams and a bottle of sugar water (Gatorade). “I’m full,” he says. Well, at least he’s hydrated and has all the electrolytes necessary to make it through the next grueling video game.

Since childhood obesity is becoming an issue in the United States, should we be passing out snacks and sugary beverages after every sporting event? Why not reward them with good old-fashioned verbal praise? “You played great today, Susie. I’m so proud of you.” This means much more to a child than fruit snacks (most children, anyway).

Calorie intake is not the only frustration. It’s the one more thing to keep track of that scares me. Yes, I have failed to remember snacks (“Mom, I was Snack Leader today, and you forgot. It was the worst day ever!”) Yes, I’ve dashed to the grocery store for a last minute dash for doughnut balls at 8 am, then ran down the school hallway in heels to the classroom, only so my child will not get dirty looks from the other kids if he comes up empty handed yet again. I know I’m not alone in this – I’ve seen plenty of parents do the Snack Dash.

Ok, so I’m not the most organized person. It would be nice if I made time to cut up fresh fruit and make 20 individual fruit cups, or whip up Low Sugar Wheat Germ Whole Grain Peanut Free Muffins, but I’m not that nice, and I have time management issues. When I think back to my grade school days, I do remember my stomach growling louder than a mom with PMS. A teacher might not want to go over vowels with a group of starving students. So how about if kids bring their own snacks to school? We don’t want our children starving, and it’s very difficult to bring a snack for 20+ kids that can please everyone. And, if you forget, your child can mooch off a fellow student this promotes sharing as well.

And back to sporting events. The best thing a parent can do is make sure their child has a light nutritious meal with carbs and protein 2-3 hours prior to a game. And milk or chocolate milk is a much better choice than any sports drink. Unless your little athlete is a marathon runner or enjoys triathlons, sports drinks are not necessary. Forget energy drinks they are loaded with sugar AND caffeine! Kids have enough energy they don’t need caffeine. Moms need caf feine! (Remember, caffeine is a diuretic no one wants to go potty at half-time.)

So...in my perfect world aimed at making Mom’s life easier, providing snacks and drinks after sporting events isn’t necessary. If banned, this could be a very big movement in child sports history. I say we replace those snack lists for the kids with a cocktail list for the moms. Margarita, anyone?