How I (Still) Hide Snacks from My Kids

Still Struggling to Share

After all the drama of learning to share as a kid (which I talked about here if you missed it), you’d think I had turned into this wonderfully generous, selfless person by now.

Spoiler alert: “I haven’t”

At least not when it comes to chips and chocolates..

Apparently, I’m not alone—a survey found that over 66% of moms admit to hiding snacks from their kids.

The survey found 66% of moms admitted they hide snacks to avoid sharing them with their partner and children.

FOX NEWS

If anything, motherhood has only made me smarter about where and how I hide snacks. Because here’s the thing about kids. They have a superpower. The moment a packet of chips even thinks of making a crinkling noise, they teleport to your side, eyes wide, hands ready.
And so, like a true survivor, I adapted.

The Broken Drawer That’s Perfectly… Functional

There’s a reason I haven’t gotten that upper bedside drawer repaired. It sticks, jams, and it’s such a pain to open that my kids don’t even bother.So, it’s the perfect hiding spot for my Nutties. It’s not just a drawer. It’s a mother’s last safe space to hide snacks.

Where There’s a Chip, There’s a Way

And then there’s my late-night munching habit—something I try to keep low-key.

But when I sneak into my room and try to open a packet of chips, somehow, my daughters, in the next room, hear it. It’s like they have a built-in radar for snacks.

So I had to come up with a proper plan:

First, I switch on the ceiling fan and the kitchen exhaust fan (for ‘noise cancellation,’ of course).

Then, I make my way into the pantry (yes, deep inside, not just the kitchen), where I open the packet of chips as quietly as possible. After that, I put the chips into a big biscuit container—one that’s definitely not see-through.

And here’s the masterstroke: I walk into the kids’ room and casually offer them “biscuits” from the container.

Now, I already know my daughters are not very fond of biscuits, so naturally, they politely decline.

Perfect!!!

That leaves me free to carry the container back to my room.

Even if they catch me munching later, all they’ll see is a “biscuit box.” 

Nothing but a harmless biscuit box. 

Definitely not the Lay’s Magic Masala hiding inside.

How to Get Chips Without Asking: The Puppy Eyes Method

Here’s something my daughters have figured out: I have absolutely no self-control when it comes to chips. The moment I buy a packet, I have this unstoppable urge to finish it.

Sometimes, I end up polishing off my entire packet even before they’ve properly started theirs.

Once they’re all set with their packet and their favourite TV show, I casually wander in… as if I had no idea what was going on.

Sitting beside them with the most innocent, heart-melting puppy dog eyes. The kind of look that practically forces them to feel guilty about eating in front of me. They sigh, they grumble, but eventually, they have to offer me some.

It didn’t take them too long to figure out the pattern. Now, they’ve learnt their lesson: Never eat your packet of chips near me.

In fact, sometimes they secretly finish their chips before I even realise they had a packet, just so they don’t have to face my ‘why didn’t you share?’ expression.

Sometimes, I do feel a tiny twinge of guilt. I mean, shouldn’t I be setting a better example?

But then again, life is hard. A little secret crunching in my room is a small luxury. One I fully intend to keep.

Besides, I tell myself, “Too much junk is bad for kids anyway. I’m just protecting them.”

(Protecting them. Yes, that sounds much better.)

In my defense, I share a lot of things with my daughters—love, hugs, advice, even my favorite jeans sometimes.

But chips? That’s where I draw the line.

Sorry, girls. Some lessons are better taught… later.

Secretly crunching,

Harleen