Night Time Snack

I used to give my boys a cup of warm milk. When they got a little older, about 3 or 4, I gave them milk still just did not warm it up and a 1/2 apple, or 1/2 cup or so of dry cereal, like cheerios. They still enjoy these snacks and are 6 and 8!

Ok I'll be the "bad" mom here.... My son is 2.5yr and my daughter is 18mo.

We usually eat dinner around 4:30-5:00 so my kids need a snack before bed! As far as what you give its all up to you! Both of them usually get a special snack around 6:30, which snack of choice at this moment is about 8 cookies out of those 100 calorie packs.

Then at storytime, around 7:30-8:00, they both have a cup of milk. My son continues with his bedtime routine and my daughter continues to snack until her bedtime around 9:30 or so. But then its usually raisins or cereal.

Yeah I know it sounds like a lot of junk all written out, but for my daughter... If she don't eat all that she WILL NOT go to bed until after 11:00!!!!

And for those others of you who are thinking about how fat both my kids must be... They're both in the 10th percentile and they do eat 3 square meals during the day!!!

When we took our first child's bottle away we gave her a sippy cup with milk so that she would still have something. It went really well and we had no problems. Good luck!

I give my son a small snack and a little Pediasure before bedtime. He needs the calories because he has a metabolic disturbance, so I am really not worried about the extra cals. My sister in law also give her 15 month old a small snack like animal crackers or puffs and a sippy with a little water in it.

hey H., i know every child is different, but i'm going to tell you what worked for me with BOTH of my kids.... i did like you, weaned them down to one bottle per day, the evening bottle, but while i was doing that i started giving them their formula/milk/juice/whatever in one of those nuby sippy cups (they have soft spouts like nipples, which makes the transition easier) and then on my kids first birthdays, they got a brand new sippy cup, a 'big kid' or 'grown up' cup, and they didnt even think twice about the bottle in the evening. the only time my kids had a bottle after that was about 2 weeks after my older daughters bday and thats b/c she was really sick and couldnt focus on a cup.... but i swear it worked for us!! i H. you're just as lucky!! it seems like your daughter is already transitioning gracefully, so the best of luck!!! ~R.

I remember thinking that when my son was approaching his first birthday, that would be his last bottles. That did not work. Although only on one nighttime bottle, he didnt give that up until 18 months He drank milk in a cup until he was about 2 then ever since then he has dropped milk off altogether. He is 2 1/2, and just doesnt like it. So weve had to replace hisnightly milk with snack. Its same thing as the other moms, like cheerios, or a banana, and water. We eat dinner around 6:30 and he goes to bed around 9 and in that little gap of time he builds up for a snack. I am not sure if he even really needs the snack, because sometimes i think he is just asking because its part of a routine.

I'm a little late in responding so I H. you take time to read this. I disagree with the other responses that recommend a bed time snack. You are creating a habit that is not necessary or healthy. The reason for dropping the bedtime feeding is because by one year, a "normal" child should be getting enough calories during the day with his/her three meals and snack times that the evening bottle is unnecessary. It's a routine that can and should just be dropped as far as feeding goes.

I recommend replacing this together time with story time. Reading is a good way to cuddle, a good way to settle down for the night, and reading is an essential part to a child's development.

Your child will not starve just because 8 ounces of milk are not in his or her tummy, and your child's sleeping habits should be such that waking in the middle of the night should not be an issue (at least as far as hunger is concerned).

I've had four children, and my siblings have had another 24 between them, and we have all gone this route with 100% success. And with one of my siblings being a pediatrician, it has had his stamp of approval.

Hi H.,

When we took my son off of the bottle I just switched it to a sippy cup at first (this made the transition really easy) Then I started offering a snack before the sippy, Banana, String cheese, yogart, any thing that is filling and the amount he wanted to drink of milk got less and less. Now he still has a snack and a couple sips of milk and we are good to go. He also sleeps better with the solid food on his tummy. My son is very big for his age so your daughter may not need or want as much. Sounds like you are doing great, good luck!

S.

My son is 16 mos old and has been a big eater since day one. I weaned him off the nightime nursing @ about 13-14 mos and assumed he'd need a bedtime snack. I usually give him a little fruit coctail, yogurt and/or animal crackers with a small cup of milk (its tough to get milk in him lately, so the crackers help) and he sleeps wonderfully all through the night. (dont forget to brush her teeth after snack though. I'm told milk and yogurt are especially bad for creating cavities) my son has taken well to this nightly routine. Good luck!
H.

My mom always gave us some apple slices before bed. Her reasoning was that apples clean the teeth and of course is fruit. we always loved them.

When we stopped giving my son his bottle before bed, we didn't substitute it with anything. I'm sorry I don't remember his age, but I'm sure it was after he turned one.

He's 3 now and we don't give him a snack after dinner unless it's a special treat here and there.

Since every child is different, your daughter may insist on something. If she does, I'd give her a sippy with water in it. Or a bottle with water in it. My son did use a bottle during the day (but no longer at night) well after his same-age friends did but gave no resistance when we took it away.

HTH!
D.