Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Parenting our children -> Preschoolers
Eats all day
1  2  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
Mauve


 

Post Wed, Dec 14 2016, 4:04 pm
My 3.5 yo wants to eat ALL day.
Today for example. She woke up. Had a slice of bread. Then later ate in school breakfast, snack lunch snack. She came home. Had snack. Full dinner (I mean full) now she's asking for cake cuz he sister had. So I gave her a pc. Tandrumed for more.... then she saw chick peas and she says shes hungry. I gave her 10-15 pcs.
Its not enough. She tells me she's hungry and she won't be able to sleep cuz she's hungry....
I siad it's not good for your tummy to eat all day. That tomorrow she'll have breakfast.


She's always been a "big" child. Been in the upper nintieth percentiles for weight and hight when EBF. She wore 12 mo clothing by 3 months.... and 3t at 18 months. she really slimmed down and is still really tall for her age. Generally I feed her like a 4-5 year old as thats the size clothing she wears (needs it for height but needs to be taken in as shes not so full/chubby) Point is, shes not fat.

Does she really need more food?

If not why is she askig for food ALL day. Wherever she goes she asks for food (well mostly junk food - but she'll take regular food too). We have locks on our pantry as she would empty it whenever I would turn my back.

Shes three. I cant keep telling her no to food. What messages am I giving her? Maybe she's reallt hungry?
Back to top

Blessing1




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 14 2016, 7:52 pm
Maybe you should do some blood work to find out why she's always hungry.
Might be a metabolic issue.
Good luck
Back to top

rachel6543




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 14 2016, 10:02 pm
If she's still hungry after regular meals & snacks, how about offering fruit or veggies as the only choice? That's what I do for my son. I always have bananas, apples & whatever seasonal fruit is on sale around. if my son is still hungry after dinner he's welcome to have fruit. And today for the first time ever, after my son was done with dinner he was still hungry and I offered a green salad & he ate it.

Also, is your child getting enough protein every day (cheese/yogurt/nuts/meat...etc?)?

And is your child drinking enough water? Sometimes we mistake hungry for when we're actually thirsty.

I also agree with the poster above. If you have concerns about nutrition, I would follow up with your child's Doctor.
Back to top

amother
Mauve


 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 4:17 am
She woke up at 6:30 again crying that she's hungry.
I guess I'll schedule a visit with her pediatrician.
Back to top

FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 4:23 am
Please ask for a genetic test for Prader-Willi Syndrome. This is the age when it generally starts showing up.

I'm not trying to scare you. Most likely it's just a growth spurt. Still, if you're going to the doctor already, it's worth ruling it out.
Back to top

amother
Mauve


 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 4:42 am
People may experience:
Developmental: delayed development, learning disability, delayed puberty, failure to thrive, short stature, or speech delay in a child
Behavioral: compulsive behavior, self-harm, or aggression
Whole body: excessive hunger or reduced hormone production
Muscular: flaccid muscles or abnormality walking
Also common: infertility, obesity, baby feeding difficulties, excess sleepiness, lazy eye, scoliosis, sleep apnea, or small feet
The above is from google.


Looks like the only thing she has is excessive hunger.
She is very tall. Spoke early and knew her abcs and alef bais before 3. She is the kind of kid who you could bargain with at a very young age - "you dont have to, but of you give your babysister the toy she wants then I'll let you go outside in the sandbox" (that was at 2.5 yo. my sibling's 3 year olds don't respond at all to it)

We did have some feeding difficulties but they had a specific cause (she was bottle fed the first few days due to a very difficult birth and bottles were easier. And then we both developed thrush... but after a few days all was well.
I dont think she's more compulive than a regular 3 year old. No self harm or aggression, she's a very gentle child.

I guess I'll have a talk with the ped. But first I'll call her playgroup and see what her teacher has to say.
Back to top

amother
Mauve


 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 4:47 am
Thanks frantic. So I googled.
I'll still call her ped to make sure but it sounds like pinworms.
We have been really struggling with that lately.
Poor kid.
Back to top

gp2.0




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 5:45 am
My 3 yo asks for junk food when she's hungry. Like another poster said, is she getting enough protein, fats, fiber and nutrients? A slice of bread for breakfast is not enough food. (Especially if it's white or rye bread.) I wouldn't rely on school to feed her well - schools feed carb-loaded cheap garbage whenever they can. My kids are always starved when they come home.

I assume she gets milk at school. But is she getting any butter, eggs, yogurt, cheese, fish, chicken/meat, fruits or vegetables at any point during the day except for at dinner?
Back to top

gibberish




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 6:58 am
I have 3.5 year old too who for the past few months has been eating all day. We don't bring junk food into the house, but he eats lots of veggies, fruits, and plenty of protein.
However, he is clearly going through a growth spurt. He put on a couple of pounds (was always underweight) and his height shot up.

Could it be that your daughter is going through a growth spurt too?
Back to top

baby12x




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 7:08 am
1 slice of bread for breakfast
10-15 chickpeas?
That is not enough food
What are her snack and lunches and suppers like?
Back to top

gibberish




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 7:13 am
baby12x wrote:
1 slice of bread for breakfast
10-15 chickpeas?
That is not enough food
What are her snack and lunches and suppers like?


After re-reading the OP, I agree with this. This is not enough food for a 3.5 year old.
Back to top

FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 7:24 am
Yeah, my money is on a growth spurt and/or pinworms. Go for the obvious ones first!

I only mentions PWS because it's often overlooked by doctors, and then you miss the opportunity for early intervention.
Back to top

amother
Blue


 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 7:31 am
It could possibly be a problem with core/sensory... children with these issues dont have the fealing of fullness.
But make sure shes truly eating proper meals. Maybe speek to a nutritionist just for prospetive
Back to top

amother
Mauve


 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 10:24 am
She had a slice of bread BEFORE breakfast. Not FOR breakfast. She eats breakfast at school. She tells me her teacher gives her bread w cottage cheese/eggs/yogurt/farina/avacado/tuna for breakfast/lunch she eats fruits and veggies mostly at home. The chick pease was after a very full supper and a slice of cake (she saw her sister having) and asking sister for a goody - two squares dark chocolate. AFTER that she had chick peas.....


So I ordered something for her pinworms. I'll give it a week and see what happens.
Back to top

gp2.0




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 10:27 am
If she had pinworms she would probably wake up at night crying that her privates hurt and they would be uncomfortable and itchy.
Back to top

gp2.0




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 10:36 am
amother wrote:
She had a slice of bread BEFORE breakfast. Not FOR breakfast. She eats breakfast at school. She tells me her teacher gives her bread w cottage cheese/eggs/yogurt/farina/avacado/tuna for breakfast/lunch she eats fruits and veggies mostly at home. The chick pease was after a very full supper and a slice of cake (she saw her sister having) and asking sister for a goody - two squares dark chocolate. AFTER that she had chick peas.....


So I ordered something for her pinworms. I'll give it a week and see what happens.


The school food sounds ok (except the bread and farina which is essentially bread+bread). I would ask the teacher if she eats well at school and exactly what she's eating. Is she filling up on bread and eating less of the other food? Is she drinking enough throughout the day? Can you send her fruits and vegetables for snack like sliced cucumbers or clementines? And is the teacher giving her slightly larger portions because of her taller height? Or maybe she is just giving her extra bread?

In general young children are very good at self regulating their eating habits. Therefore the simplest answer is that if she's hungry she just needs more food. Though it doesn't hurt to rule out anything else with your pediatrician.
Back to top

newmother




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 11:19 am
What time does she eat in school? My kids have always eaten breakfast at home and then again at school in years it was offered. They are up at 6:30/7:00 and school doesn't start till 9:00 so it's not fair to make a kids wait till 9:00 to eat
Back to top

baby12x




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 11:13 pm
amother wrote:
She had a slice of bread BEFORE breakfast. Not FOR breakfast. She eats breakfast at school. She tells me her teacher gives her bread w cottage cheese/eggs/yogurt/farina/avacado/tuna for breakfast/lunch she eats fruits and veggies mostly at home. The chick pease was after a very full supper and a slice of cake (she saw her sister having) and asking sister for a goody - two squares dark chocolate. AFTER that she had chick peas.....


So I ordered something for her pinworms. I'll give it a week and see what happens.


What time is lunch?
What did she have for supper?
While fruits and veggies are healthy they may not be filling for her. I personally need a lot of fruits an veggies to feel full and get hungry soon after that.
Also what time is supper and what time is she going to sleep?
Maybe she needs a snack after supper.
Back to top

baby12x




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 15 2016, 11:17 pm
amother wrote:
She had a slice of bread BEFORE breakfast. Not FOR breakfast. She eats breakfast at school. She tells me her teacher gives her bread w cottage cheese/eggs/yogurt/farina/avacado/tuna for breakfast/lunch she eats fruits and veggies mostly at home. The chick pease was after a very full supper and a slice of cake (she saw her sister having) and asking sister for a goody - two squares dark chocolate. AFTER that she had chick peas.....


So I ordered something for her pinworms. I'll give it a week and see what happens.

My point is that while the food you're describing seems adequate but not so much that I would jump to any other conclusion besides for give her more food if she is hungry and she is not overweight. What may seem perfectly fine for you may not be enough for her. Her body may need more than yours or your other kids. Also, we very much buy into the concept of three meals a day but she may need more meals with filling things spread out. Think 6 meals. Instead of yoghurt, eggs, tuna and bread for breakfast and lunch she may need yogurt and eggs and then later tuna and bread
Back to top

amother
Orange


 

Post Sat, Dec 17 2016, 11:49 am
If your kid is that hungry, feed her! Just keep it healthy. 3 year olds don't say they are hungry just for the heck of it, especially if they are crying. Sometimes it is out of boredom, but if you try to offer to play with her again and she still says she's hungry and eats, then she's hungry. If she's tall, she really might need a lot of extra calories. It doesn't sound like what she's eating is excessive, even if maybe a little more than the average three year old.

A few suggestions:
See if you can keep her meals bigger (so she gets full at each meal, and this is how full she feels, not whether you think she ate a full amount) and have set times for smaller snacks in between each meal (normal to have snack between breakfast and lunch, and again between lunch and dinner) - if her body gets on a very regular eating schedule, it may help her.
Keep a food journal - the only way to know if what she's eating is excessive is to keep a food general. Write down, every time she eats, what the food is, and how much of the item she ate (estimate, if you're not sure).
See a child nutritionist - they can be very helpful at figuring out how to find filling options, and also will let you know if you're kid is eating too much. (Also, if you'll see one, they usually make you keep a food journal, so it will save you time if you do the food journal first and then bring it with)
Back to top
Page 1 of 2 1  2  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Parenting our children -> Preschoolers

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Uber eats - time sensitive 7 Fri, Nov 17 2023, 10:29 am View last post
Anyone have Uber eats coupon
by amother
2 Mon, Nov 13 2023, 6:43 am View last post
Grubhub/ Uber eats code
by amother
0 Sun, Oct 29 2023, 3:34 pm View last post
Uber Eats - how does it work?
by amother
26 Thu, Jun 08 2023, 4:23 pm View last post
Our live-in eats us out of everything we buy 6 Fri, Apr 28 2023, 6:45 pm View last post