Diary of a Daycare Teacher

The New Kid Snack Attack

The New Kid Snack Attack

Dear Reader,

Day Two in the toddler room, and just when I thought I had seen it all, *a new kid* arrives. Meet Lucas. He's the kind of kid who enters a room with the kind of confidence only a toddler can muster, like he's already plotting world domination... or at least a snack he can claim as his own.

As soon as Lucas set foot in the room, he sized up the competition, a look of determination crossing his face. It was like watching a small, baby-faced General walk into a battlezone. He gave a quick nod to Joey, Bella, and Ellie as if to say, *I'm here to win.* I could already tell snack time was going to get interesting.

Snack time rolled around like the inevitable storm on the horizon. As I set out the crackers and juice, Lucas casually sauntered to the table, his eyes locked on the goldfish crackers like they were the Holy Grail. He didn't rush, didn't shout, just *stared* at them.

And then, like an animal stalking its prey, Lucas made his move. Without warning, he dove in, grabbed a handful of crackers, and stuffed them into his mouth as if there were no tomorrow. The other toddlers were still debating which snack they wanted, and there was Lucas—taking advantage of the situation like a seasoned snack warrior. He didn't even look around to see if anyone noticed. It was almost *too smooth*.

Joey, who had been eyeing the crackers for a good 10 minutes, was suddenly enraged. "He took my crackers!" Joey wailed, pointing at Lucas with a dramatic finger, as if accusing him of a crime. Lucas, now with his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, only smiled sweetly and let out a tiny giggle.

Bella, always one to capitalize on an opportunity, tried to swoop in and grab a juice box while everyone was distracted. "Not so fast, Bella!" I said, but she had already grabbed it and was pretending it was a treasure she'd found on a desert island. Ellie, noticing the snack chaos, calmly slid her cracker plate over to the edge of the table and then tried to sneak an extra serving under the table. "Gotcha!" I said, but by then, Lucas had already moved on to his next goal: *the raisins*.

He took a handful and, without even tasting them, flung them across the room like they were grenade-sized bombs. Of course, this caused an uproar. "Who's throwing raisins?" I asked, trying to keep my composure, but Lucas just shrugged and said, "I'm hungry." Yeah, kid, I can see that.

By the time snack time ended, Lucas had managed to get more than his fair share of crackers, raisins, and juice, and I was left cleaning up the aftermath—crumbs everywhere, juice splatters on the walls, and a quiet toddler room where every kid was secretly plotting their next snack-related move.

And as for Lucas? He sat back, satisfied, like he had just conquered the galaxy, his face smothered in cracker crumbs. I'm not sure who won the battle, but it was clear that Lucas was going to be a *force* to be reckoned with in this toddler world.

Bring on Day Three. I'm getting a snack shield.