The 5pm meltdown: distinguishing fatigue from fussiness

Any parent of small children knows all too well that the hours between 5-7pm can be tough.

The evening rush – which, on any given day may include traffic, getting home from work, juggling multiple kids and their competing schedules, homework, along with bath time and eventually bedtime – can be the most stressful part of the day.

Then, you have the added pressure of serving a tasty and nutritionally balanced meal to children who are often not in the mood to eat at all.

If this scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Here is a step-by-step guide to help shift the 5pm dinner time meltdown to something a little more civilised, whilst ensuring your family gets the nutrients they need.

Why is 5pm so difficult with small children?

Perhaps one of the reasons so many of us find the evening hours so difficult is that while we’re looking forward to a filling meal, small children are often well and truly tired come late afternoon, especially if they’re not resting during the day, or have recently dropped a nap.

What’s more, kids today tend to graze on and off all day, or in the case of children enrolled in long-day care, they may have had a substantial meal in the middle of the day, and even a late afternoon snack within an hour of dinner being served.

This means that when you pop chicken or meat and veggies down in front of them, they might reject it, not because they don’t like it (or you). Instead, they’re just not that hungry.

Small children may not need as much food as you think

As parents, naturally, the desire to nourish small children with good-quality food is a strong one. But once children reach the age of two and above, they often need less food than you might expect.

This means if they have consumed a hot lunch at day care or grazed on snacks through the day, come dinner time, they may not need much more to eat. So, if they reject their nutritionally balanced dinner, you don’t need to worry too much. The most important thing is to avoid relying on sweet or preferred foods – milk and yoghurt, toast, fruit or even treats like ice-cream – in place of dinner. Doing this can teach kids to wait until parents relent and offer more tempting foods, paving the way to tricky food behaviour long-term.

What should they be eating?

From a nutrition perspective, at dinner time, small children need a balanced meal with a variety of nutritious foods like lean protein for key nutrients like iron, and vegetables for dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. If children don’t seem very hungry, start with very small portions of each item on the plate. This means that a simple dinner plate of a lean lamb chop, a few pieces of lean beef or homemade chicken nuggets with whole grains and cut-up vegetables, or homemade veggie chips will be more than enough food to satisfy them.

Aim to include at least one food they like on the plate and cut foods into small, easy-to-eat pieces. Familiar foods will be better received by tired kids, so offering staples regularly enough to become go-tos is a great option. If your child is a particularly fussy eater, it could be worth considering making a nutritional supplement one of these familiar favourites.

Keep in control

While it can be tempting to ask children what they feel like eating, keep in mind that kids don’t always recognise what their bodies need. What they do know is if you are likely to swap to other appealing foods, if they hold out – so be confident in leading the way at mealtimes.

Ultimately, kids will eat what they need, from the options available. So, if their intake is limited, keeping healthy foods on offer is what matters most.

Having additional nutritional support can also help take the pressure off, ensuring they’re still getting the essentials while you focus on keeping mealtimes calm and connected.

PediaSure can help cover the nutritional gaps for children ages 1-10 when fussy eating takes over, giving you one less thing to stress about. It’s an easy way to help support their growth while you work on expanding their food comfort zone. To find out more, visit www.pediasure.com.au.

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