She ate all the biscuits

No.. Not really.. It's not exactly terrible.. Maybe have them in the biscuit tin more often and make it clear that biscuits are like sweets.. only OK occasionally and if they dissappear from the tin they won't be replaced...!! So always ask first as it's not OK to just take .. she knows this doesn't she.

I'd be cross too.

I'd never deny a child food if they say they are hungry but I wouldn't be giving them all of the "treats" which are for everyone.

I have to admit @Imissmusic that I would have been annoyed, but the one thing I am not seeing from your posts are consequences. If I had done this as a child or if my child were to do this, then they would not get any biscuits from the next packet and it would be explained why to them. Learning to share is a life skill and by not being consistent you are setting her up to fail.

If I had attempted to eat chocolate chips or chunks during cooking, I would have been told to leave the kitchen, however it would not have happened as it would have meant that I lost out on the treat of the last scrape of the bowl. You are at a point when you need to be teaching deferred gratification, I have friends whose children are allowed to open Christmas presents days before the event, I will only open on the day itself but that self-discipline has to be taught and learned, it is part of the joy of the occasion, the anticipation is part of the process.

Of course it isn't. My eldest girl (out of 3) was constantly after food from the age of three months and if I had allowed her to eat everything she wanted when she was still a baby (loaves of bread, grown up dinners - this is the absolute truth) she would have been obese by now, so of course I hid the biscuits. But she did show some ingenuity when looking for them (or similar) and finding them later. She shared them with the other two though! Best thing I could do was just not to have them. Some people I know had secret Mars Bar sessions after their children were asleep.

Incidentally my daughter is now 49, beautiful, talented, clever, with immense drive and initiative and originality, and not obese.

My hiding place is at the bottom of the ironing basket . No-one ever goes in there .!

Hmmmm I don't think 'cross' applies exactly. If I was you I'd be very careful. When I was that age, and later (always) I'd take all the biscuits I could lay my hands on. I'd sneak them. Not all but as many as poss. I got away with it cos there were 5 of us kids. Many many many years later I realised I'd had an eating disorder, Binge Eating Disorder, as far back as I remember. I'm now in my late 60s and still it's a problem, a constant struggle to not let myself get completely enormous, and a big issue with only partial success. Also, looking back at old photos (the few I didn't manage to destroy) I realise I had genuine body dismorphia. But unlike you, my (very busy) mother didn't give us a balanced diet. She clearly did her best but we had a lot of sweet carbs etc at meals. (I'm lucky insofar as I never heard about the techniques that Bulimea sufferers use, or I'd likely have thought them a good idea.) So I'd suggest being careful, and in particular to not over-regulate your daughter's 'balanced diet'. I still, despite all my self-education and my experience, see sweet snacks as being treats rather than savoury things. I think the power of habits incredibly strong, and certainly I see myself as an addict. When I was a child, these things weren't known about and so one. Absolutely no one noticed and I thought I was just a greedy pig. You have the good fortune to be bringing up your DD in more enlightened times, but also the pressures on kids are more. Good luck.

I think the point is that they were hidden, which even a 7 year old will know that is because she isn't allowed to just help herself. I would be angry, but more about the searching for something hidden

Hi sorry but I have many grown up children and my twins are 7 they will eat ALL the biscuits. You should be proud your 7 year old told you she eat the biscuits. Is there a reason why she is not allowed them every night. Mine have crisps on a daily basis and are happy active healthy children. Some times its the taking away thats the problem....are you on a constant diet/healthy eating plan. There are ways and means of healthy eating but at 7, thats a bit much

There are very good responses in this thread. Personally, I would’ve done what the two posts before my earlier post said: understand as a parent that these food products are designed to be addictive, talk about what should’ve been done next time with dd, make her understand wider implications like actions have consequences.
also I must add, get your partner to be involved in supervising and instilling discipline as well. He was downstairs that time with her, if she was able to eat a whole pack of biscuits without your partner realising, then he’s not supervising enough is he? What if it was something poisonous from the kitchen that she ingested?

Wow!

Couldn't think of a better way to make the hidden food feels like forbidden fruit if I tried.

How have you responded before when she’s eaten a whole pack in one go or eating bday cake all day?
I think it’s more about letting her know about boundaries and the effects of eating too much junk food. At 7, she would be able to understand those in the context of sweets/treats as PPs said.

Because this kind of food is literally designed to be addictive. Particularly something like Maryland chocolate chip cookies.

So it's unsurprising when a 7 year old finds it....addictive!

Some people will be way more predisposed to it than others. I wouldn't expect those who can tuck the packet away & make it last a fortnight to understand!

It's not necessarily about lack of willpower, although is ADHD is a possibility, reduced executive functioning & a lower tolerance for 'deferred gratification' than same age peers might well be a part of it.

I know which particular triggers I have (MSG definitely, maltodextrin absolutely, anything combining fat/sugar/salt in general, yes). Typically I deal with it by not having crisps & biscuits in the house. I make cakes & sometimes biscuits with the children. But have to fill the cupboards with better options to eat.

Rules about asking for snacks will get you so far. Sensible conversations about healthy & balanced eating are essential, of course - without demonising any one product, but helping DD to understand that the food industrial complex literally WANTS her to overeat this kind of stuff of a regular basis! But helping her to know herself is the biggest thing.

If she came to you to 'confess' eating them all in one go, the most appropriate punishment might be to ask HER what you think you should do about it (together). She may already recognise it's a problem for her without knowing what to do about it, so helping with some practical suggestions might be a sensible path to give her the control to prevent things from spiralling into an eating disorder later in life. (Removing things from the house or diet altogether is unlikely to achieve this!)

I would be cross, not because of the biscuits per se but the selfish behaviour, other people being deprived. I remember around that age there was a greedy child in my class, took more than her fair share of e.g. birthday treats, stole things from people’s lunch boxes etc. and as a consequence no one liked her and she had no friends. That’s the sort of behaviour I’d be worried about, and want to cut off at source - no one wants to be friends with a selfish person. I’d likely go and buy more biscuits for the next day but not let her have any as she already ate her share the previous night. Actions have consequences.

Don't waste your time on people who haven't lived a life with a SEND child. Or if they have and not have it on the same scale as you, they'll never get it.

I used to be that judgemental when I was a younger mum when I had my 3 boys in my 20s who are NT.
Then I had my last boy at 37 (implant issue) & he is autistic. We have locks on all doors, kitchen cupboards, triple locks and bolts on any door that leads outside etc. I cringe at my younger self for being so ignorant x

Id honestly hand something out and she misses out next time. It’s really greedy and I’d want her to understand she was eating everyone else’s share.

She told youI which is good, it's normal for people to like snacks, especially children. I would try not to be strict with treats or food or make a thing of it. In future, maybe put half the packet on a small plate to make them look more and hide the packet well Don't make a thing of it because it could trigger an issue with food etc. As long as her diet is healthy a few treats won't do any harm.

Just do we are clear, are you saying that a therapist would say that eating disorders are caused by:

• Not having unlimited quantities of UPF snacks in the house at all times?
• Not permitting your 7 yo child to eat whole packets of food in one go?
• A combination of the above?

I think it depends a lot on what's normal in your household. Does she have free rein to help herself to a snack when she's hungry unless she's been told it's off limits (meant for a special occasion, etc.), or is she limited to certain types of snacks, supposed to ask, etc? You say in a follow-up that she knew they were put away for tomorrow/another day and for other people to have. If you're sure she understood that, then her behaviour was perhaps understandable but still wrong. Only you can really know if she needs reprimanded or just reminded about sharing, etc.

Honestly, though - whether or not I'd ever show it to a 7yo - anyone in the household habitually going and searching for things they know have been put away for another day and then eating the lot would irritate the hell out of me. I would have to figure out a way to calmly explain that it's selfish and unfair to others (especially if there are other children in the house) and makes more work for you if something you were counting on is suddenly all gone.

She didn't eat the whole pack, she ate the remains of the pack. And she confessed at bedtime.

A 7 year old should know eating the whole oack of biscuits is selfish and greedy

But why is food being hidden ? Also how does she have free access to be able to get to the food, what was your husband doing to not see her searching high and low for food and then eating them all. My kids have never needed to get to the biscuits so much they have scoffed the lot. It’s almost like a fear she will never get them again so eating them as quickly as possible.

A packet of cookies has maybe ten or twelve in. Op said they all had some, she must've hidden the packet away with four to six cookies in it.
This whole thread is mental.

Oh check out Little Ms Perfect.

I think I’d be telling her that it’s not acceptable behaviour to take all the food and that you would have minded if she had one or 2. I’d sell it on the not being polite/ anntisocial angle rather than ‘she’s a gannet angle. Also she needs to know there is some sort of consequence if she does it again.

Balanced diet = a packet of biscuits in each hand.