Calling a child greedy

It’s a pretty horrible thing to do

Yes but greed is a horrible thing.

If there's any shame involved, they're bringing it upon themselves by being greedy surely?

Yes, it's rude to call someone greedy for asking for more food. It is, however, ok to say "no, I think you've had enough of this extremely carby / not particularly healthy dinner. Would you like some vegetables instead to help fill you up?".

I agree with others that greed is generally more to do with snacks and treats but also making sure everyone has enough.

If someone's being greedy, they're being greedy.

It has absolutely nothing to do with their weight 😳

But it's a word that's frowned upon now and I'm not sure what's been chosen to replace it?

It all depends if they were in fact being greedy.
Did they have plenty to eat in the first instance? Is it a regular thing for the child to ask for more food when they have had what should be more than sufficient for a child of their age?
I wouldn't want to encourage a child to overeat.

Exactly. I think it depends on the situation. A child wanting extra of their dinner is hungry. A child wanting to eat icecream, followed by a doughnut, crisps etc would be greedy. Dc2 is slim, healthy, but can be very greedy when
it comes to sweet stuff; it isn't hunger. It is greed for indulgent food. My other dc is very good at self-regulating and would pick one thing. The other would want several. They have both been raised exactly the same.
I call myself greedy in a jokey way when I over indulge, I'll say to dcs "Mummy's being greedy, and they'll laugh and sag "naughty Mummy!" I'm within my BMI, but I'm human, and we all have our days! Greedy guts was a known saying when I was growing up, we all just laughed it off; it was never meant to cause offence.

Did nobody reprimand them? This is doing them (and society) no good in the long run.

It’s a horrible word meant to shame no matter the situation.

Some children are greedy though aren’t they. Whether they should be called that is another matter but they definitely have the capacity to be that, chubby or not.

I have never done this, but I certainly used to think it sometimes about kids taking more than their fair share, and not leaving enough for others. Probably partly my own fault for not plating up the portions myself when they were eating here. Nothing to do with the size or shape of the child.

Not a word I would ever use to describe someone. It is rude and unnecessary in my opinion.

I don't think it's a good thing to say, no.
I remember my cousin's wife calling me greedy at 13, when I had just lost my dad and was comfort eating at home. She reacted when I reached for a seconds slice of bread while waiting for a meal in a restaurant.
It wasn't her fault as she didn't mean it hurtfully, but it stuck with me and soon afterwards I began suffering from ED, which I've not fully recovered from 30 years later.

I think it rather depends on context..
Personally I think it's never a neutral statement but I agree that it's ok to rebuke for inappropriate behaviour. I reckon there are better ways of saying it though.

“You are being greedy” is factual, not shaming.

It’s not a positive word, but not everything said to children has to be brimming with positivity.

We were really thirsty as kids...Dad used to call us ''Bladderguts''. {Someone who drinks a lot of water}

My aunt used to guard the table at nans house every weekend when we went for a buffet tea. Sitting by the side, she'd monitor and judge what people chose, commenting constantly. She'd always make snide greedy and fatty comments about me and my sister, although we were actually very healthy eaters, healthy weights and very fit from sports. Ironically, although she was also fit at the time, she is now very overweight with a terrible diet. I had an eating disorder in my teens and her comments had a lot to do with it. We are NC completely now.

I honestly think I live in a parallel universe sometimes. Does no one have a little laugh and a joke with their child and call them a little greedy guts 🤦‍♀️

Children should be naturally slim and carry no 'chub'.
It's the parent's fault that the kids are carrying extra weight, second helpings for a slim child isn't 'greedy' as they are burning off the calories fast by being active.

A child who is already overweight is not being fed correctly (assuming everything else is ok) or has problems regulating.
Shaming them by calling them greedy is just flat out unkind

It’s the parents fault their child is fat visibly chubby so they definitely shouldn’t be using unpleasant terminology like greedy.

Yes. We shouldn't be insulting children. What would that person hope to achieve by calling them names?

Greedy is a very negative word and creates the wrong idea of how to behave around food.
But children should not be chubby. Chubby is basically heading towards overweight territory. We have lost sight of what a healthy child or adult looks like.

Yes, I do think it's rude. I've never heard anyone say it to an adult, so it shouldn't be said to a child.

Was it said as an "absolutely not, you greedy little pig" or a "no, you've had a fair portion already and to take more would be greedy" kind of way?

This - I don't think it's wrong to say someone is being greedy, whatever their age, if they are being greedy - and the term doesn't only apply to food, it can apply to other selfish grabbing of things you don't need - but the word should be used factually rather than framed as a personal insult, as with any pointing out of unpleasant behaviour.

I don't think it's a good word to use. Shaming isn't the best approach for guiding a child to make sensible choices around food. Like it or not, weight and food is a topic riven with value judgements. It needs to be handled with care.

Children don't generally shop, cook for and serve themselves.

Excepting things like endocrine or medication issues, if children are overweight, it's usually because adults have made poor decisions around lifestyle for them. Addressing these with name calling isn't the answer.