Like many parents, I often find mealtime with my children to be quite the challenge. My eldest is notoriously picky, while my youngest seems to have an endless craving for sweets and can barely last three minutes at the dining table. While chaotic mealtimes are common, they can be particularly overwhelming during the hours between school and bedtime.
After school, my kids come home ravenous—I’m talking about full-on hangry. It’s a familiar scene: “If you don’t feed me right now, I’ll lie on the floor and cry for half an hour!” I remember those days of coming home from school feeling just as famished. To combat their hunger, I used to offer up after-school snacks like mini pizza bagels, hummus with pita chips, or granola bars—anything quick and somewhat nutritious.
However, this snacking frenzy would stretch from the time they got home until dinner, making our evening meal essentially nonexistent. It became a frustrating cycle where one eating session blurred into the next.
Then, one afternoon, I had an epiphany: What if I served them dinner earlier—around 3 or 4 p.m.—when they were most hungry? This way, I could offer them a proper meal (or as proper as I can manage with picky eaters) and save the snacking for later.
I’ve been implementing this approach for a few months, and it has honestly been a game-changer. Sure, preparing dinner that early can be a bit tricky, and sometimes I resort to appetizers if they are really starving. But the meals I make are simple—think pasta, chicken nuggets, or grilled cheese paired with fruits or vegetables. They enjoy it, and it’s far more nutritious than the endless snacks that used to ruin their dinner appetites.
Typically, they eat this early dinner before tackling their homework, which means they are well-fed and ready for the tasks at hand. You might wonder, do they get hungry again before bedtime? If they do, I offer healthy snacks later on, which has significantly reduced the mindless munching before and after dinner—definitely a win in my book.
And what about me? I often join them for an early meal. As a busy parent, I wake up early and tend to eat an early breakfast and lunch, so an early dinner fits right into my routine. I usually sit down to eat around 4:30 or 5 p.m., followed by a light snack after the kids are in bed.
While it may sound unconventional, many parents I’ve spoken to have found themselves adopting similar schedules. After all, kids typically go to bed around 8 p.m., so why should they wait until 6 or 7 to eat? An earlier dinner aligns more closely with their natural hunger cues. Plus, it helps mitigate the dreaded 4 p.m. witching hour.
In short, feeding my kids an early dinner has proven to be a fantastic solution, and I can’t believe it took me so long to discover this approach. For anyone who thinks I’m a little out there for doing this, I’d simply ask: Does it really matter what time it is? Kids’ bodies don’t care about societal norms when it comes to mealtime.
My mantra is simple: feed your children well when they’re hungry. Do what works best for your family. Everything else is just noise. Bon appétit!
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Summary
Shifting my children’s dinner time to 3 or 4 p.m. has significantly improved our family mealtime dynamics, reducing chaos and ensuring they eat nutritious meals when hungry. This change not only benefits the kids but also allows me to have an early dinner alongside them, fitting into our busy schedules.