Fourth Commandment Reality Check

[Emily2009]

Some schools let you eat whenever you wish.

Maybe not usually, though.

I know mine does, but I’m pretty small for my age and maybe they just think I need it.

I eat a snack at least every other hour and am really really hungry if I don’t (I’m 18). So, maybe your kids really are hungry.

 

[Jennifer_J]

Thank you for your reply to my original question. I started this thread because some people over in the moral theology forum argued that breaking parents’ snacking rules was potentially a mortal sin. I wanted to check out what people who hang out here in family life thought of the idea of snacks as mortal sins. (If my children had cleaned up after themselves in the kitchen and ate healthy snacks, I probably wouldn’t have ever implemented this rule in the first place.) I didn’t really start this thread to see if people here liked or agreed with my snack policy–I know my policy is unusual and tough.

I want to add, (for any of you who don’t know), I have seven children, and we homeschool them through 8th grade. Most “regular” schools (and daycares) don’t allow children to eat anytime they want either. While I understand the idea of regular snack and meal times may not be very common in most family homes, most families do not homeschool nor have large families.

I agree with Cat’s last post! ( hey, it can happen, Cat!!) Your snacking rule and whether it is a sin is tied up together–esp if your children see your schedule as too harsh and they are hungry. No doubt we need structure and rules, but eating is such an individual thing and growing kids get hungry. I also think it’s a bit humerous that you are homeschooling, but use the SCHOOLS as an example of why you chose your snacking schedule! I think schools are wrong to not allow students to bring snacks or provide snacks as needed for all grades, not just K and 1 (that’s what our school does). There’s nothing worse than being so hungry at school that you feel sick, or to have your blood sugar crash and feel lethargic. IMHO the schools schedule stinks!

I also have a larg-ish family (is 6 large?), while I don’t homeschool, I certainly have them all home for breaks and summer. I understand the desire for a clean kitchen and healthy eating, but my rule is if you are hungry-EAT! I provide fruit, carrots, crackers, cheese, bread, milk, etc that they can have as needed. We also have sweet snacks occasionally for fun.

You obviously have figure out what works for your family and your kids. Maybe a family meeting is in order to discuss this. God bless!

 

[whatevergirl]

***I think it’s a good rule…our kitchen always seems messy, and I’m always the one cleaning it up…or dh. We had a talk with the kids though…if you eat something, a snack, whatever…you need to clean it up. Our kids really only eat when hungry…so, they don’t have to ask permission to get a snack. However, if they smell dinner cooking, and they ask…when’s dinner? And we answer…in 20 minutes, they obviously won’t grab a snack or it will spoil their dinner.

I think that if a kid undermines authority and is just sneaking food, as Jennifer said, to be sneaky…it could be venially sinful, I suppose.

I think the thought is, in little things they should adhere to parental rules, then in big things, they most likely will adhere. ***

 

[journey137]

I don’t have kids old enough to snack, let alone sneak a snack, but my husband always has the worst case of the munchies What I do is just buy/make enough snack stuff for a little bit every night that week and don’t buy/make more when it runs out. We’ll have chips, cookies, cake, etc in minimal quantities at the house at one time because, as he says, you have to eat it quick or it’ll all be gone guess in his mind his brothers are going to come visit and eat all our food like they used to when he was growing up – how his mother kept them fed I will never know. I try to keep plenty of healthy snacks around because if he’s legitimately hungry and not trying to hog all the sweets, he’ll go for those. As dd gets older and as we (hopefully) have more kids, I plan on continuing to keep lots of healthy snacks and only a few junk snacks around as a special treat. They will be able to snack whenever they want on the healthy stuff, but the junk will definitely be rationed.