My daughter is 7, and she still asks me to get her a glass of water. It's not that she can't do it,it's just that she likes ME to do it. Ok, she's lazy. I not only tell her to get her own beverages, but I tell her to get her own snacks. Of course, that's easier said than done. In my mind, I picture elaborate snack making processes, and my kitchen turning into a disaster zone. So, in haste, I have been telling my daughter to just grab some crackers. Yikes, not a good habit to start, and the sad thing is that I'm the one initiating it!

I've revised my 'snack' plan, and made a list of things that I know my daughter can make for herself, and not destroy the house at the same time.

Fruit. Not all fruit needs to be cut. Apples, Bananas, Grapes, Nectarines, Plums, and Berries of any type. For the exception of Bananas, I instruct my daughter to wash ALL her fruit before she eats it. I have taught her the proper way to scrub and dry. Even though we buy organic fruit, you never know what may be sitting on the fruit skin (bug poo?) I digress...

Popcorn. Yes, it's the lazy snack, but pre-popped natural popcorn is now readily available in stores like Trader Joes, Fresh & Easy and Whole Foods. Stay away from the microwave popcorn! The bag, the chemicals, the salt - don't get me started on how bad and toxic those are.

Cheese Slices. I have pre-sliced cheese in tubberware. Cheese is actually pretty filling, so a slice or two usually holds off the hungries.

Nuts. My daughter is 'nut picky'. However, if I have a stash of cashews or almonds out, and occasionally regular peanuts, she'll eat them. I always make her grab a big papertowel with this snack, and the greasy nut hands always seem to end up on my sofa. Do I sound anal? It's ok, I am.

Carrots. If your child will eat baby carrots AND hummus, you're golden. My daughter runs hot and cold on this, but I still push. This is an excellent, nutritious snack, and we should ALL encourage our kids to eat hummus. Keep trying if they don't like it now, some day the taste buds will mature!

That's it! Anything beyond this means it is probably pre-packages, or going to totally wreck dinner. If we go through 2 snacks, then I determine it IS time for a main meal.

Happy Kid Snacking, and Happy Sanity!