to send my child to bed hungry?

[ladyfirenze]

dts 7 was offered snacks after school of raisins, apple and carrots with a glass of milk. He ate some raisins and turned down everything else. At five thirty he was served a roast dinner consisting of chicken, roast carrots and sweet potatoes, steamed mange tout and gravy. He sloped off for a poo during dinner and left his carrots and potatoes. I didn't push him to finish them, but I did say I thought he should. He's just got out of bed to tell me his tummy is rumbling and he's hungry. I've said he can have a drink of water and have sent him back to bed...... That's right isn't it.....

okay, the thing that makes me a bit harsh is a number of factors

he goes to bed at six thirty. Do not flame me for that! he normally goes out like a light, and rises at seven thirty. Any later and we have see through yawning children.

he's always famished after school, so he was hungry, I'm sure of it. He just couldn't be bothered to eat the food, if you get what I mean

also he's a twin - his brother, who ate the offered snacks, and his full dinner is asleep in bed. So, it's not fair on him either - brother doesn't do eating when he's meant to, and is allowed up later for food. I don't feel bad at all on the one hand. I'm shocked at the soft touches out there

DS has his dinner at 6, and a glass of milk and a slice of bread if he wants it before he goes to bed.

Growing children can't always eat enough at any one meal to stop them feeling hungry 3 hours later.

I don't know why it's such a big deal. He hardly refused all his dinner out of awkwardness.

It depends if he makes a habit of it. As a one off, I'd just believe him and offer something else. However, if it's happening a lot or becomming a regular thing then no - he'd have to learn.

Wow... you have a 7 year old who goes to bed at 6.30??? not going to flame you but that is incredibly early... I was still playing out with my friends at that age, or at brownies or swimming..

Not quite puppy but maybe giving supper so he doesn't go to bed hungry given what he has eaten earlier.

Why did you post in AIBU if you're so convinced that you're right?

mmelindor it's pretty basic. During waking hours you consume enough calorific content in small regular portions, every two to three hours. If you do this, you are never really hungry at night I forgot to mention, that ds also left half of his packed lunch as he wanted to play with his friends

Well i would say he is genuinely hungry if he has been awake for 2 hours in bed regardless i would have given him something after this length of time. I would also introduce a supper time.

If I ate at 5.30 I could easily be hungry again by 9.30.

Give him some milk and q slice of plain brown bread. No butter or anything. Filling qnd healthy if he really is hungry. Not interesting enough to make him try it on again if he is trying it on.

Well I wasn't then.... I am now LaFille

But I don't get the snacks thing being a reason for not giving him something now.

He might or might not have been hungry enough to have his snack, but that has no bearing on being hungry now, cause he has eaten his dinner in between.

There is not a snack-sized gap in his tummy.

and I like aibu best - there's no rules about what you can and can't post. to suggest so is a bit not nice.

Let me clarify my views. OP offered her DS snacks and a nutritious dinner - sounded like quite a big dinner to me - and some posts have critcised giving 'rabbit food' etc.

It should be no surprise that childhood obesity is a growing issue and in my family, I wouldn't encourage giving biscuits etc as a supper if that was going, in some way, to excuse my DS from eating his main dinner. My DS is offered supper at his Grandma's and has often not eaten his dinner as he's 'not hungry' and then half an hour later, asked for supper. Can't believe how gullible some parents are!

xp
but you don't eat exactly the same amount every two to three hours. Sometimes you are more hungry, so eat more. Sometimes less so so eat less.

I'm not a soft touch, I regularly used to send DS to bed despite the fact he hadn't eaten.

However, if it is not the usual behaviour of the child, it could be that he is just really hungry and not quite full from dinner.

I think it's daft to feel guilty because of his other twin being asleep - the other twin wouldn't notice then if the hungry child came and had a snack - plus the child is much more likely to sleep after having some bread/toast/milk, than being awake in bed thinking about food.

squeakytoy - I was very lucky with them. they slept a lot as babies, like morning noon and night, and they still took naps after playgroup. Nursery was tough for them as they had to stay awake all afternoon. To be honest it's a slight pain, having to be home and fed for 6.30, but by summer hopefully it could be seven....

Gosh, I'm feeling a bit peckish now

I was a skinny little beanpole of a child.. despite eating supper. But I wasnt in bed at 6.30 at night, I had my dinner and spent another couple of hours at least, running around or swimming.

Obesity is on the increase because children spend too much time inactive these days, it is as simple as that.

When I was a child there were no playstations, xboxes, or internet. We played games that involved physical activity. Sugar in food served as energy boost and we burned that energy off running around.

That's what chat is for. If you post in AIBU then generally it's safe to assume that you want opinions. It has sod all to do with 'not being nice'.

It is rather irritating when people go AIBU? And people go YABU. Then the OP goes No I'm not,you meanies! I'm not unreasonable because... and ... and... also... And people are left wondering what the point of asking in the first place was.

Ha! TheSecondComing Anyone else? :)

Good grief, just face it ladyfirenze you are practically starving your poor child, and depriving him of any kind of normal life by sending him to bed so early.
I think you should immediately bake a cake, wake up the other child and feed them now before someone reports your evil ways.

Gah

Most people who work a working day ie 9-5pm wouldn't be home by 5.30 let alone have cooked a meal by then

6.30pm is ridiculously early for a 7 yr old to go to bed

Mumsnet and food always makes me want a cheese toastie or chocolate.

Not sure why but I might be tempted to make a snack in a minute.

'and I like aibu best - there's no rules about what you can and can't post. to suggest so is a bit not nice.'

Don't let the thread police hear you say that they'll be after you....