Parents mealtime meet sessions

[mommyof1]

How do you keep your gymmie fueled for meet sessions that run over lunchtime or dinnertime? We have a hard time getting Tinker Bell to eat much before a meet, and she refuses to eat the snacks we put in her competition bag (she claims they're not allowed to eat on the competition floor, even though the coaches tell them to pack snacks and I see her teammates eating). I suggested a thermos of chocolate milk to drink during the session, and she turned up her nose at that. All appeals to logic and reason (you must eat or of course you will feel tired and shaky) have failed. Help?

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Adapt and eat when they can. It's hard if the gymmie is not willing to eat before but it is what it is. You NEED fuel before competing (but not too much!). Perhaps you could ask her coach to bring it up with the group..? Lots of things are better eceived coming from their coach instead of mom...!

 

[gymdog]

Honestly, I would have her eat before and eat after. It is about 3 hours. I never ate during a meet either - didn't feel like it. I also never ate during practice either. I just don't like to. I can go 3-5 hours without eating. If she regularly does fine between meals and doesn't have blood sugar problems, I would say let her do her own thing.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

From my dance days I would say ick and no to the chocolate milk!! Maybe some dry granola or frozen grapes during. And water. I feed my kids before and after. They have snacks for during but never really seem to need them. It depends on the session they pull too.
I'd push water before over food. Kids tend to dehydrate and then headaches start.

 

[mommyof1]

Honestly, I would have her eat before and eat after. It is about 3 hours. I never ate during a meet either - didn't feel like it. I also never ate during practice either. I just don't like to. I can go 3-5 hours without eating. If she regularly does fine between meals and doesn't have blood sugar problems, I would say let her do her own thing.

The problems are that (1) she won't eat enough before the meet, and (2) she is a nibbler who has to eat every two hours or she has meltdowns. On an ordinary weekend day I will feed her lunch and then an hour and half later she will be crying because she is hungry.

 

[lhmom]

For lunch time meets, I usually have DD eat a good breakfast late morning (nothing greasy, just something with protein like eggs). That usually helps keep her going until she is out of the meet. I have packed snacks but she usually doesn't touch it until after the meet is done. Same goes for evening meets (later in the day lunch then maybe a small snack before she goes in to the meet). Seems to work ok for her.

 

[gymdog]

The problems are that (1) she won't eat enough before the meet, and (2) she is a nibbler who has to eat every two hours or she has meltdowns. On an ordinary weekend day I will feed her lunch and then an hour and half later she will be crying because she is hungry.

So, is she having meltdowns at the meet? What do her coaches say about it? Honestly I think if you provide food and she doesn't/won't eat it, pressuring her or trying to force it likely won't help...kids tend to dig in even more in my experience. I would try to get her to brainstorm what snacks she might want or might fit the parameters and mention she can always eat some in the car on the way there or in the awards. But in my experience when parents tell their kids they "have" to eat a certain thing or certain amount it usually backfires, for whatever reasons the kid will dig in and refuse to eat that.

Also and I don't know your child but just as general info in the thread, in my experience when a child with a condition like ADHD or SPD is overstimulated/excited like at an event like this, they usually will not eat. And of course certain medications are appetite suppressants if the child is being dosed differently than their regular school day for a weekend meet. If there's a special circumstance like this, I'm not sure how much you can do about that, except try to encourage or find more appealing snacks even if it means something she wouldn't usually get because it's not very healthy.

If she will drink something I would get a drink with some calories (Gatorade or 100% juice or something you are comfortable with - even if that's usually not something she would get, I think it is okay here...just get clear or light colored, not red) and then maybe try an applesauce pouch that she can drink. Some of them come with Greek yogurt now.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

First my gymmie isn't likely to turn down food. Although she doesn't eat during the meat usually.

I try to get her to eat later depending on meet times, so a lunch meet, I would get a good late breakfast in her. Dinner meet, she would have a late lunch.

In her gym bag I pack bits of this and that, so she has lots of choice but it doesn't seem like a heavy meal. If she doesn't eat at the meet at least it's available as soon as she gets buckled in the car. Things like a couple of slices of turkey, cheese sticks, grapes, apple slices, Apple sauce, yogurt, crackers, pretzels, hard boiled egg white with hummus, a bit of a bagel and cream cheese so she can graze, either on the way there and or home. And Hershey kisses from Mom, those usually get eaten at the meet.

 

[Musicmama]

I pack a little bit of many different types of snacks in her gym bag so that she has a variety of light, mostly healthy snacks (some that she only gets during meets). Those bite-sized Ritz cheese crackers are a big favorite because we never get them for her other than for meets. Grapes or blueberries are another favorite (with strict instructions to eat the blueberries WHOLE and not bite them in half since they can stain). I generally also put in some applesauce and a granola bar.

If she won't eat during, then make sure she has some grazing-friendly snacks in her bag (or your bag) for both before and afterwards. Having special "only for meets" snacks has helped the most for my dd who often forgets to eat and gets "hangry" pretty easily when she hasn't eaten in a while.

 

[sce]

She's young and needs to learn how to take care of and listen to her body. She probably needs it explained that she is running out of energy due to the lack of fuel (food) she has put in.

For my kids, depending on the time of day, I adjust what works for them. Early morning meets: ds has a smoothie for breakfast lots of fruit and yogurt to get him going, dd needs a bowl of cereal, oatmeal or a hard boiled egg (familiar, easy to eat foods). For meets that go over lunch or dinner: I do the meal before a bit later than usual (closer to the meet time) and make sure it's packed with protein.

Both of them choose what snacks they want in their bag (crackers, fruit snacks, applesauce pouch, grapes, berries, carrots, granola bar etc.) Ds does eat during the meet, dd usually just at the end. But she is allowed to go to her bag and grab a snack if he wants. Can you talk with the coach about encouraging your dd to snack to keep her energy up? Also, is she drinking water throughout the meet?

Regardless of how mine eat before and during they are falling apart afterwards and need to a proper meal right away.