On 25/01/2012 11:29 PM, Polly Esther wrote:
> Our niece is helping their neighbors by caring for 6 year-old twin boys,
> a 7 year-old and a 9 after school. Their mother is terminally ill and
> their dad picks the children up after work and a hospital visit. One of
> niece's challenges, she mentioned, was trying to get those bottomless
> pits filled and happy without wrecking her tight budget.
> It seems that there aren't many cooks here with small children but
> thought it was worth a try to see if there were any suggestions that
> would comfort and fill the little folks. I don't think nutrition is an
> issue for now; just survival. Polly

I appreciate that she is trying to help out, but why is is costing her?
If she really needs to worry about the cost of snacks then she needs to
talk to the father about reimbursement. It's nice for her to help out
but if it is becoming a financial burden for her that she has to speak
up. All she has to do is to ask him for some money to cover the cost
the snacks or to provide her with a supply of snack foods.

The healthiest snack foods are not expensive if purchased in large
quantities. Apples and carrots are cheap when you buy them in large
amounts. Around her you can get a couple pounds of carrots for $2, or a
50 pound bag for $6.