Monday, September 24, 2012

The Culture of Snacks - Part 1

A recent debate broke out between the parents of my 5 year old's soccer team.   As the debate raged on one voice reached me clearly above the din and it asked pointedly "Why do we need to give the kids snacks anyway?".  Although its intent was to be facetious, it made me stop for a moment and think about this culture of snacks in youth sports.

After I engaged this fellow and asked him what he meant, he recalled to me his childhood bereft of snacks.  "We were lucky to have water and orange slices"  So why is it ours kids require a snack after a 1 hour game? 

I thought about my own 2 children,  my 5 year who gets a snack after every game and my 9 year who has since left the snack culture behind.  I realized I had lost track of when my older child stopped getting snacks at the end of a game and it peeked my curiosity as to what others thought might be the appropriate age to forgo the post game snack or if snacks were need at all.

If we do indeed give snacks out after games, what is the benefit if any?  What about the drawbacks? Are we pre-conditioning our children in someway to bad eating habits? 

Please tell me what you think, do our kid's need snacks after games?  If so why and at what age do you think this no longer applies?

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