Bad-tempered children?

Here's a tip from me as a triple mother: It happens to me all the time that I pick up bad-tempered children from school or day care. Surely, it has something to do with the fact that they are done by the day, but the main reason usually is that they are hungry and thirsty. The HCLF people among you would simply call them undercarbed :-).

My eldest gets a huge lunchbox filled with bread and fruits plus a bottle of water from me every day. But sometimes she just does not have the time to eat, let alone to drink.

Therefore, my first action when I pick her up in the afternoon: I let her eat and drink. She often quickly eats the bread box empty. Similarly, for the little ones I have always something to eat and a bottle of water with me when I pick them up. Of course, it matters a lot what you give them to eat! It shouldn't be just cake or chocolate, what my husband tends to do when he picks them up. Then, the energy levels of the children rise briefly but soon afterwards the sugar level drops rapidly and you end up with even worse-tempered children.

Currently I have some whole-grain toast with me. I do not know if this is the best solution, but the kids at least like it with jam and fruit. They get it at 4pm. Between 5.30 and 6 pm I try to set the supper. This does not always work, especially if we have a sports course we might end up eating dinner at 6.30.

During the day I have only marginal control over what my children eat. Therefore, I value a good breakfast. There have been times with cornflakes. But if you have eaten them yourself: they don't last long. Nowadays, we have porridge with bananas, cocoa and maple syrup for breakfast. A glass of water and soy milk (preferably they like chocolate flavor ) and when I have time and ripe bananas, I like to prepare them a banana smoothie. This is perfect to keep the kiddies full until lunch.

My children live vegan only at home. At school and in kindergarten they may eat whatever they want, even meat. My eldest does not want to eat meat anymore, because she understands that meat is dead animals. Nevertheless, she still loves cow's milk. The two little ones do not understand the whole issue. My younger girl loves bread with honey, which is obviously not vegan, but she gets it anyhow.

My husband and I, we try to be a good example for our children. They noted that diet is an important issue for us, but I try not to make a big drama out of it and hope that they can make the right decisions for themselves.

What do your children get in their lunch boxes?