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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to think that this isn't the norm? Perhaps it is? Ds and food.

82 replies

Pyjamaramadrama · 07/04/2014 19:10

I've a 5 year old growing lad, big for his age (very tall and gangly).

He never, and I mean never stops going on about food.

I'm sure it's not just me because other people have noticed and commented that he's got a 'sweet tooth', a 'good appetite'. People have even joked blimey don't you feed him.

He associates everywhere we go with food. Cinema, shopping centre, he knows where the man is who gives pretzel samples, supermarket he always wants the free samples not to mention drooling over and grabbing everything we see, visiting people.

I think I feed him well, mostly healthy, plenty of food, junk too and never demonise junk food, here we gave a takeaway most weekends.

Example, today he's had shredded wheat for breakfast, he has toast and fruit for morning snack at school, lunch was 2 small wholemeal ham rolls, a piece of cheese, yoghurt, cucumber and carrot and a pear. He came home and took another yoghurt, a milkshake, and a scotch egg (he doesn't usually have so much junk after school), then he had leftover lasagne and a bowl of salad for tea followed by a plum. Yet he then had a tantrum over some leftover galaxy bar, and has just been in the bin, yes the bin and took out an empty popcorn bag.

The first thing he says when he opens his eyes, comes out of school, before he goes to bed is can he have a snack, he talks me in circles about how he's only had 1 snack, or half of this, so he can have a piece of that.

We can come out of a restaurant and he will immediately ask what's for tea. I say that was tea, but he wants tea at home too. I've caught him sneaking chocolate into his lunchbox even though he knows Fridays he can have a chocolate at school.

I promise he gets enough food, more than enough, and he's not fat in the slightest, but I think that's more because I don't allow him to go overboard. But it feels like a constant battle.

I'm at the end of my tether with this.

If people say it's normal though I will shut up and go away.

OP posts:
Pyjamaramadrama · 08/04/2014 20:13

Saying 'far too much wheat', isn't really helpful.

That is an example of one day, and quite a bad day. We don't eat the same things everyday, and besides, eating a less than perfect diet isn't going to cause ds to starve and become as food and snack obsessed as he has.

I only gave that example to show that he had eaten plenty enough yesterday not to be raiding the bin, eating too much wheat doesn't make you raid the bin, or does it?

If I told you what he'd had today, tomorrow it would be different again, weekends would be different again.

If I gave an example day when we'd been to the chip shop, it wouldn't mean we'd go to the chip shop every day.

Sorry but I'm really stressed out with this, and that is just unhelpful.

Thank you to those who have offered constructive advice.

OP posts:
onepieceoflollipop · 08/04/2014 20:20

My dd is 10 and really loves food, but she has become more selective as she has got older. She made me laugh the other day, talking about the reception year school trip "oh yes, I had a rice pudding tub in my lunchbox!" She has many food relatd memories.
If she is bored the problem is worse. I try and get both dds out of the house a lot, for non food related activities, e.g. local walk early evening, swimming etc. Could your ds be bored?
Dd has started to develop a strong interest in stationery, and to some extent this has replaced her over interest in food. I encourage any interest she shows in other things, e.g. new book or magazine.
I also buy small portions (pre packed) of "treat" items, cheeses, multipack crisps etc. I know it costs more overall but she accepts that (for example) a 75 calorie cereal bar is a portion, rather than negotiating over how many biscuits she can have.
Yes agree with others about checking he has adequate protein. I also buy mine full fat yogurt as ime it is more satisfying.

onepieceoflollipop · 08/04/2014 20:23

OP we have had similar issues with grandparents overfeeding and undermining, I empathise with that, I find it stressful.
As my dd is older, we are aware we need to set her up with the ability to make good choices as I won't have much control over her diet once she goes to year 7 I imagine.
She has always been known as a child who really loves food. Not just sweets, but pretty much all food.

Pyjamaramadrama · 08/04/2014 20:26

I'm positive he's not bored, he has swimming and dance 2 nights a week. Two nights he has after school club while I work, we only have one evening at home.

The minute he opens his eyes in the morning he's speaking of snacks, we could be out at the beach and he'd still be talking about food.

We were actually sitting having our tea tonight, he'd barely started his and he grabbed a big spoonful of my rice, and yes I did tell him off.

OP posts:
WilsonFrickett · 08/04/2014 21:05

Is his behaviour ok in other ways op?

Pyjamaramadrama · 08/04/2014 21:20

I'd say so yes, he always has very good feedback at school. He is very kind to other people especially his peers, he will concentrate well on everything he does, sometimes I have to ask him to put his uniform tidy and make his bed 10 times, but generally he's a good kid.

He does play up about the food though.

OP posts:
hotcrosshunny · 08/04/2014 21:32

Ignore him when he plays up around food. Maybe it is partly an attention thing too?

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