Too excited to eat

[anareen]

DD (7) told me she only eats a little of her lunch at school because she is too excited and wants to go and play. This broke my heart. DD is very good about being self aware or simply things that will be beneficial for her. Ex. We talk about how she feels after a shower vs before, how certain foods keep her full longer than others etc etc. She is in activities outside of school where she gets interaction with other children. My thought is speaking to the teacher? Any other thoughts on how to navigate this?

This is weird. You talk about feelings before and after a shower? Heartbroken because she doesn't want all of her dinner and bring a choice of snacks for after school?

If she knows you're bringing snacks and a choice at that, why would she care about eating all her lunch?

Leave the kid alone man. She doesn't need you banging on about nutrition and healthy meals. It's storing up issues imo.

The shower thing is more boggling though.

Mine are the same,they're fine!We do joke about how fruit and sandwiches go for lovely day out though...

I find they eat more on rainy days where they can't go out.

It all seems very intense

I'm sure you know what you're doing, OP, but (kindly) remember she's a child

Don't make her be old before she needs to be

Yep, all of this.

OP, I think you need to chill out about everything. I can’t say I have ever discussed feelings about showers with any of my children.

You seem to be obsessing on really odd things. make sure. You don’t push your child into over thinking everything. It’s not a good way to be. There are very few things you have to deconstruct your feelings over. Showers and school lunches are not them.

Leaving some lunch because she wants to socialise is something I'd be celebrating. You can deal with nutrition in the meals she has at home.

Mine are the same,they're fine!We do joke about how fruit and sandwiches go for lovely day out though...

@PubicZirconia 🤣 we have the “stunt apple.”

In it goes on a Monday, and there it stays until
Friday when the rabbit gets it.

DD eats heaps of fruit and veg at home, but can’t be arsed at school. Half the things that go in the lunch box are just to show any staff that are looking what a great parent I am 🤣

Is she severely underweight or lacking in energy? If so, maybe take her to the doctor. If not, chill out. You're doing your job fine - you're providing her with healthy, balanced food that she can eat if she's hungry. The school day is not that long and they also have a snack.

I know it's frustrating when the lunch box comes back mostly untouched (I have this a lot of the time too!). But I've done my job - I've provided food for my child. Up to them whether they eat it.

You are not alone 🤣Despite the revolting waste,I still pack a full fresh lunchbox which just gets cosy in their bag🤣Just in case Mrs Higgins etc. decides to have a look one day.

I have a compost heap now which is the final destination of the unloved apples and cucumbers!

The cherry tomatoes and cucumber in my DC's lunch box are purely for display purposes 😂.

They all do this, yours is just better at telling you!

Mine never bothered with lots of fiddly bits. Filling sandwich (build in some salad or veg), one other item: done. No selction of mini pots or things that needed any work to eat.

I'm concerned that you seem very intense. Why talk about feelings before and after a shower? You also mention "clean" eating which is not creating a healthy attitude to food for young children. It's normal for kids to not est much lunch as they want to go and play. Perhaps you need to let go a little?

It's perfectly normal.

you sound incredibly intense about things, constantly discussing how she feels before/after a shower, food etc

let her be a child, she's 7.

its GOID to be more excited about playing with friends than eating lunch. Put in her lunch box what she wants to eat (within bounds of course. Nutritional dense food thst will keep her full for the afternoon. Save the cucumber & carrot sticks for st home).

Breaks your heart?

It's the best thing ever, surely?!

Honestly, it sounds like you need to chill out about not just this, but your attitude to food etc in general. She sounds like a normal kid.

'Henrietta, how do you feel after a shower?'

'clean'

She’s behaving like a normal 7 year old.

All my dc were the same. I just offered it to them when they came home.

School lunches are about refuelling, not gourmet meals.

A sandwich full round cut in half, in wholemeal bread with some protein , and a yogurt or cheese chunk. Sometimes a bit of flapjack. It’s 5 meals out of 21 in the week.

And it’s your job to think about nutrition, not hers. All she needs to know is that we don’t eat loads of sugary snacks and drinks.

At that age I was the kind of kid who took an hour finishing their school lunch and an hour sitting down bored to death because I had no friends.

I think her too excited to eat her whole meal is actually good, as long as her weight is healthy and makes up for it with snacks and meals the rest of the day.

Hmm I think asking them how they feel before a shower is even more off key!

I mean you’re probably just trying to cajole your dd into having a shower or bath but expecting them to “feel” negative emotions before a wash is a bit strange.

Most youngsters will happily miss a few showers and it won’t (quite rightly) impact them emotionally.

Jeez, it all sounds a bit intense at yours.

Sorry but this all sounds very odd and intense. Do you have obsessiveness issues around food and hygiene? You need to lighten up and stop micromanaging your daughter.

This is all good. My oldest does not eat during the day at all because his ADHD medication makes him lose his appetite and he simply cannot face the very good school lunches. He's thin and underweight but is under a paediatric dietician. He's older though- teenager.

We front load hard on breakfast. He has a full fat milkshake every single day with frozen berries and banana blitzed in it plus scrambled eggs and toast. Sometimes a sausage sandwich etc. Then a balanced dinner (as balanced as I can manage anyway).

Oh yes we had the stunt apple as well in the primary school days when lunchboxes were inspected!! We even called it that!

friday nights I always cooked and pureed it and had it for breakfast with yoghurt the next day.

@anareen

why did it break your heart op?