Eating Habits

We've been joking lately about how snack time at day care must be a little bit like feeding time at the zoo. They do have regular meal times, of course, but in between meals (like when the kids get there before breakfast or between 3:00 snack time and when the kids get picked up) they put out little snacks on the table for the kids. Some cheez-its, or fruit loops, or something like that they can just pick up and snack on. Husband has seen it when the snacks get put out and the vultures descend upon the table. We sort of do the same with Grant between meals - crackers to munch on while dinner is getting ready or some cereal to snack on before he goes to school.

Lately Grant has become pretty territorial with his food. Not with us...but with Brodie. Apparently he doesn't feel that we pose much threat to his snack time but seems to have realized that Brodie is very much aware and ready to pounce on opportunity enjoy the snack as well. 

The other morning I put out a handful of fruit loops on the coffee table for Grant in the living room while we got ready for the day. If Brodie moved a muscle Grant would yell "Ooooh!" and go running for the pile and then put his arms around it so Brodie couldn't get them. And he's even started telling Brodie "No!" when he tries to get at his food. But the other day I guess he decided to just set up camp to protect his snack. I put out the cereal and gave him his sippy cup with milk. Grant immediately went to get his little stool (that came with his drum set), plopped it in front of the coffee table, and enjoyed his pre-day care snack while warding off Brodie's attempted thievery.

*Side Note: I realize some of my posts lately sound a little anti-day care and I'm not trying to sound that way at all. We are both quite happy with the facility that we use and we, so far, have had no problems with how they run things. They are so much more involved and helpful and I, for one, am so glad we decided to switch from the place we started out in. I really am amused by the thought of what snack time must be like there. But I do know that they make them sit down for the real meals (breakfast & lunch) at a little table and all eat together. We've been trying to do that more often at home too (rather than the "shift eating" we've become accustomed to) and I think that's part of the reason Grant now feels the need to pull a chair up to the coffee table. That, and we have a very greedy dog who will steal anything you're eating if you're not careful about it. Grant may only be 1, but he's not stupid.