Mum shares controversial 'snack hack' to combat ravenous teens' appetites

With the soaring prices of supermarket snacks, a mum came up with a budget solution to feed her boys. She's since been told she's "traumatising" them.

When you have teens, the daily task of feeding them can feel like an uphill battle. 

At the same time, trying to combat their never-ending appetite is also a challenge, lest they eat everything in the house and bankrupt you weekly.

Every parent has their arsenal of tactics to deal with this, but one Aussie mum’s strategy has proved controversial within a parenting Facebook group. 

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The controversial 'snack hack' that's dividing opinions

Posting to the Mums on a Budget Facebook page, the mum shared her method for curbing the insatiable appetites of her teenage boys. 

“Lockable drawer for snack packs for my teens,” she wrote alongside a photo of snack-sized packets of chips and cookies inside a deep drawer.

That’s her simple yet contentious “budget hack” — lock away the snacks and implement 'access hours' for her boys to get a couple of packets out a day. 

She elaborated, “It gets unlocked in the mornings and they can get one to two packets out for their lunch boxes (I know it’s not healthy but they pair it with a wrap/ sandwich and a piece of fruit so it works for us).”

This arrangement stops them from eating “the $7.50 20 pack of snack packs in one afternoon,” the mum claimed.  

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“Putting chips in a locked drawer is NOT a hack”

With snacks securely locked away, the mum believes this is the perfect compromise between letting the kids eat 'junk' and teaching them moderation.

Yet, many of the commenters didn’t see it that way. 

Accusations of fostering eating disorders came up a lot, as did the terms “trauma” and “PTSD”. 

“I hope child protection sees this, you’re depriving your kids,” one commenter slammed.

“As a child of a strict mum who locked away food and who now has PTSD from it, growing up was hard with food restrictions. I think if grown kids can't respect the rules of one or two packs a day, then don't buy it,” another woman wrote. 

“Handing out snacks like boot camp is a little dramatic in my opinion,” they added.

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Another woman shared her similar experience, saying, “My dad did this and it led me to binge eat when I was finally able to purchase food for myself. Therapy helped a lot but as an adult, this is not healthy for your kids’ mindset and mental health surrounding food.”

Then one person even claimed that “locking up food away from the access of children is illegal.”

Meanwhile, others shared that the post made them feel "sad" and "uncomfortable."

“Or you can just explain the rules to your children instead of locking food up. Putting chips in a locked drawer is NOT a hack,” wrote another.

“Just ask them not to??” expressed a different group member. “These are not toddlers for goodness sake. Teach them some manners and restraint. Or better yet, teach them how to cook pasta or make a brownie. This is so weird.”

“The world would be a better place if more parents made tough decisions like this”

On the other hand, some people stood up for the mum, with one saying, “That's a great idea! I'm sure that fruit and veg are readily available for when they are home and hungry. Kids need to learn boundaries and you are doing a great job as a parent. Plus, the prices of snack packets have gone up so much lately.”

“Love this! I would rather them eat the fruit and healthy food first before reaching for these,” chimed in a second.

And a third added, “Good on you! You are teaching your children control and hopefully one day they will have SELF-control. I have a snack box and my two boys know is only for school lunch boxes… I don’t need to lock it, but I would! The world would be a much better place if more parents made tough decisions like this.”

And another mum shared that she locks up food as well and the mum's post made her feel less alone.

“We have to lock away our food too! We have a very limited budget at the moment. I buy bigger packs and then break them down myself into smaller bags. We also lock the pantry not by choice, budget is a big part of it,” she said.

“I think each family has to do what is right for their situation. Glad we aren’t the only ones doing this.”

Originally published as Mum shares controversial 'snack hack' to combat ravenous teens' appetites