The Sip and Snack Station – Revisited

Their is a thief amongst us.
Lately things have been going missing.
Biscuits, chips, red frogs, chocolates.
At first I blamed “Domesticated Dad” thinking he was overindulging on midnight snacks.
But it was not……
It was “My Pigeon Pair”
The constant crumbs appearing in the strangest corners of the house should have been a clue!
They have been conspiring against me to “steal” whole packets! 
 
I wrote that 3 years ago!!!  The beauty of having a blog is being able to go back in time and revisit little snapshots of your life!  These organising ideas start with the best of intentions but I must admit occasionally the habits formed start to slip.  Life gets hectic and you are just trying to survive each day with a new baby, let alone put organising ideas into place.
 
But this week the same problem resurfaced.  I find the kids constantly asking for food and drink. I am usually stuck on the couch feeding the endlessly hungry baby, so they end up helping themselves.  This can be great, but I am the first to admit I often look back at the day (and in the pantry) and wonder how many snacks they have consumed! Also when Master O is not home to lend a hand it is harder for Little Miss A to help herself to a drink. Cue whinging and whining and draging chairs around the house to reach the tap or a mother breastfeeding a baby with one hand and unscrewing a lid and filling a drink bottle with the other.  Poor baby nearly ends up in the sink!
So…….
 
A quick check of the blog and I remembered that we used to have an effective solution….. 
 
 
The Sip and Snack Station
 
 
 
I must admit I got a bit sad looking at the picture.  It was taken 3 years ago.  Little Miss A would have been about 14 months and master O 4!!!
Check out Little Miss A’s sippy cup and how small Master O’s drink bottle was!
 
Over the years we have had many versions of this idea but we truly are in need of upgrading it and getting the habit working again!!!!
 
How it used to work…
 
I  placed all snacks out of their reach.
They receive a snack “ration” each day.
I place the amount of snacks I want them to eat in a day, in a small plastic container each morning.
It is their choice if they eat them all at once or gradually over a morning.
I may need to refill it at lunch time with some new fresh snacks.
I  placed them in a container similar to my Winter station but this time within their reach. 
It also holds their drink bottles.
 
Why it works…..
 
Emergencies:
Oh I had forgotten about this situation!
“Yesterday, Little Miss A had a vomitting episode and I had to rush off to the doctor.
It was so good to be able to simply grab the contents of this station and throw it in my bag knowing they would have water and snacks regardless of how long I would be out for.”
 
I am afraid this situation will always exist regardless of how old your children are! 
 
 Food Intake:
It allows me to monitor how much and what they eat.
 
Convenience:  
Little Miss A knows where a drink or snack is and I don’t have to juggle feeding a baby and filling a drink at the same time!
 
So today I will be updating and creating a new Sip and Snack station for our growing family, stay tuned to Instagram for pictures!
 
Do you have a snack thief at your place?