Solution for preventing DD helping herself to food

[Munder]

She is clearly helping herself to food and eating it in secret. She's been getting noticibly bigger too :(

How do I fix this?

I'm considering locks for one of our cupboards in the kitchen.

She is allowed and snack when she comes home from school but her dad needs to go back to work in the office upstairs so can't monitor the kitchen all the time.

Help!

Maybe ask her why she feels the need to eat so much?

Don't buy snacks!

Buy just healthy stuff.

How old is she?

Make sure the snack she has is healthy and protein based to fill her up.
Make dinner earlier so she doesn’t get as hungry.
What does she have for lunch? Could that be made more filling?
Only buy healthy snacks.

How old is she? Have you discussed this with her? It would be better to do that than just stick a random lock on the cupboard

How old is she?

Making food forbidden could lead to binging if she isn’t already.

Leading by example, not having a load a crap around and having gentle discussions would be better.

What sort of food is she “helping herself” to?

How long is she on her own for after school? Is she bored?

Stop buying fattening food?

Age of child?

How old is she?

For a bit of background, DD has been a bit really good eater since she was a baby.

We sort of wondered if we were feeding her too much. She'd keep wanting more.

Some sort of questionnaire thing came home from school asking various questions about your child's health, I ticked the bit about having worries over her weight.

So we went through this program, made a few changes - main ones being no more than 2 snacks a day at 100 calories each. She didn't gain or lose once we got dishcharged from the program.

She's on the 90th centile.

She has always been a bit bigger than average, but would slim down every growth spurt.

Now I am quite concerned about how are clothes are fitting etc.

How do I fix this tactfully?

She does bugger all exercise except for what she does at school - gym, outdoor learning, and occasional gym after school club. She used to go to swim lessons (for a number of years) every weekend but we stopped that when she would kick up a stink every morning before we had to go.

Given the choice she would sit on her arse all day watching TV and playing tablet (until her time runs out on it).

How old is she ? What does she do with herself? How long is she supposed to entertain herself?

How old is she? Could she have her weeks worth of snacks in a box and once they are gone they are gone or would she be too young to understand this

How old is she?
What is she snacking on?
When is she snacking, after lunch, after dinner? Is she getting enough to eat at mealtimes?

Is she old enough to have periods? When I was a teen I remember binging majorly on my periods, like desperately searching the cupboards for chocolate and eating everything in sight because I couldn't find chocolate

What exercise do you do?
Don’t lock anything- speak to her about what’s going on when she wants to eat. Talk about it from a health perspective rather than a looks or clothing thing.

She's 8.

She's eating crap of course. We have easter eggs as I'm sure most people do. We just discovered that she's eaten the kitkat chunky from one.

I might just have to take my snacks to work to keep. Most of my snacks she'll not eat right enough. Soreen, sesame snaps, fibre One bars,fruit and nut mixes.

We have a few 100 calorie snacks available, some that are chocolatey because I don't want to exclude it completely. But if she's eating 2 or 3 then that's damaging.

I think she is binge eating tbh.

I think she's probably bored. My 8yo DS will start raiding snacks after he's been on screens for a while. I think it's because it's such a passive activity he's seeking some physical stimulation.

I stop him from getting the snack and tell him to find something 'better' to do with himself.

However, he does around 12hrs of sport a week on top of school, so it doesn't happen that often.

So how old is she?

What kind of snacks are in your house?

Have you talked to her about why she's hiding her eating?

What exercise do you / dad / as a family do?

She’s 8??
Why is she able to help herself? Why are you buying rubbish in the first place?
Get her on a meal plan routine, take her park/swimming/gymnastics/whatever for exercise. At 8 her diet and exercise is your responsibility not hers

She might have to wait for an hour before I get home.

She eats school dinners. Lately her dad has been doing spot checks in her bag. We ask her to get water and snack ready etc. But she's been cramming in extra.

I might just have to take my snacks to work to keep or you could all eat healthier as a family?

What exercise are you all doing?

What are your meals like?

DH needs to get home and fix her a healthy snack.

So there's an hour between her getting in with Dad and you getting in where she's left entirely to her own devises?

Stop buying unhealthy snacks.

What are breakfast and evening meal like?

Perhaps the school meals are very small. Get a healthy sandwich ready for her when she comes in?

Kids are usually starving when they get in from school
Don't buy junk food, prepare a healthy soup or salad that she can have as soon as she gets home.
Then she can have another healthy snack or supper before bed.
The easiest way to manage meals is to batch cook and have portions in fridge and freezer - no waiting.

Get a healthy sandwich ready for her when she comes in?

Not before dinner surely?

Mine have a slice of soreen or a rice cake with humous or a banana after school. Dinner is around 6. I wouldn't want them eating sandwich at 4!!