6 year old raiding chocolate

[FedupofTurkey]

Every weekend the same thing - 6 yr dss raids the chocolate cupboard. He knows he's not supposed to as i say it every week but it makes no difference. The consequence is he doesn't get chocolate for the rest of the day but again it makes no difference. What can I do, the chocolate is in a cupboard as high as possible.

[JuniperHeartwand]

Don't have a chocolate cupboard at all?

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Don't have a chocolate cupboard. I can't control myself around that sort of thing, it is unfair yo expect a 6 year old to have that sort of control.

[MrsDavidBowie]

Put it somewhere else.
Don't buy any.

[Mygoldfishrocks]

blimey. dont they all do this?

just put it elsewhere

[NigellasDealer]

"chocolate cupboard"

[Pregnantberry]

I have a 6 yo DSS as well!

We would be pretty cross with him for stealing food, but like Juniper says, the idea of a 'chocolate cupboard' seems like a bit of an unnecessary temptation. It doesn't seem healthy for him to have an expectation to be able to eat chocolates every day anyway (you mentioned his punishment is no more chocolate for the day).

Would your DP/H be on board with trying to wean him out of this habit? Usually I would think he needs to take charge on it really, depending on your family dynamic.

HTH

[FedupofTurkey]

It is elsewhere! There is some in the kitchen, but the rest is stored elsewhere! It'd be unfair on the other kids not to have any in the house. The 6 year old has an extremely sweet tooth, I've been trying to reduce the amount of sugar he has.

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

Why would it be unfair not to have any? Genuinely perplexed not judgy.

You can give treats but don't see why has to be chocolate. In fact walking to corner shop with you for chocolate might be more fun !

[Mygoldfishrocks]

put it all elsewhere and dole it out

this is a bit of a non problem

[JuniperHeartwand]

Okay, an idea then.

Put a set amount of treats in the "chocolate cupboard" once a week (after you go shopping for example). Once it's gone, it's gone. So no restriction, temptation etc - if the 6yo eats it all at once and is sick he'll learn, if he eats it all and it means there's none left for siblings then he'll certainly learn from them about sharing!

[RiverTam]

chocolate cupboard? why not buy chocolate and eat it there and then, rather than have it hanging around. That's a lot of self-control you're expecting anyone, child or adult, to have!

[Marne]

We have a chocolate cupboard (I don't eat it), my 8 year old can not control herself around any food, tbh she has Autism and can eat until shes sick, we have to lock the kitchen door to keep her out, I also hide things in different cupboards to confuse her. We always have chocolate in the house, the kids have a small chocolate biscuit or cake in their lunch boxes and dh will take a chocolate bar to work to eat with his lunch, we also keep biscuits in case people come over for tea or coffee. Dd 2 will also pinch fruit, raw veg, frozen food and yoghurts so nothing is safe .

[Orangeanddemons]

Christ, if we had a chocolate cupboard, I would never stop eating it. Neither would dd. surely even having one is just asking for trouble?

[AcrossthePond55]

I agree with others, either hide it or lock it away & dole it out. There's nothing wrong with sweets in the house, but if a family member (adult or child) can't control themselves, then the temptation needs to be removed.

My own DH has a terrible sweet tooth. A chocolate bar will last me 3 days as all I need is a 'bite' to satisfy me. I literally have a 'lock box' to stash my chocs in.

[AcrossthePond55]

Oh, and what's the point of saying he can't have any more chocolate 'that day'. He's already HAD chocolate so he probably doesn't really care. Saying he can't have any chocolate for the next 3 days may work better.

[Fluffycloudland77]

We just don't have chocolate in the house

[Meglet]

Store the chocolate in your bedroom, top of the wardrobe?

[starlight1234]

I would say the consequence is you don't buy chocolate.....

My Ds loves chocolate and it crept up on us his cereal had chocolate mousse for puddings and though I didn't realise he was eating so much..I stopped replaced all the yoghurts with fruit yoghurts , Cereal no chocolate etc until he started enjoying the other foods as treats ...

Any of your children don't need daily chocolate..

Like a previous poster said why would he be bothered he has already got his chocolate

[Ragwort]

But why have the temptation TheAwfulDaughter - surely in your own house you can help yourself to treats - in our house I am the only one who goes to the 'chocolate cupboard' with disastrous results .

I think if you genuinely don't want one child to over eat on 'treats' then it is best to hide them, or just not buy them.

It must be a bit like ignoring an open bottle of wine ...........

[RiverTam]

I was just going to mention wine - if I had a house full of wine I would crack open a bottle every other night. If I had a cupboard full of treats I would eat them. The self-control is not buying the stuff in the first place!

[RedandChecker]

A six year old in a home they should feel comfortable in is not the same as being in someone else's home or stealing from lunch boxes FGS I'm sure at other peoples homes he wouldn't just raid their chocolate cupboard would he!? The temptation is there in a home he is comfortable in. You've given an option of no chocolate for the rest of the day and it is a sanction he is willing to live with. Change the sanction or just don't have a chocolate cupboard, I would be raiding the chocolate cupboard at 6 too!!!