To never buy snacks/squash/sweets etc again

[Fiera]

Every single time there is somthing remotely snackly in the house it just gets taken and eaten. The large double concentrate bottles of squash gone within 24 hours, any kind of sugary cerial gone the same day they come through the door.
I dont like to use the word 'steal' but tonight its the only word i can use because my daughter actually STOLE my can of coke.
We never usually buy coke or Fizzy anything, nut it was my eldest sons birthday and all the children had a can as a very rare treat. My daughter actualli hid my can up her sleeve (after having drank hers earlier in the evening) and went and drank it in her bedroom.
Even my toddler daughters 'treats' like 'GoGo' biscuits and 'Goodies' puffs just disapear before she even knows theyre there.
We have a full fruit bowl, two actually, every day and even they get emptied. They have hot meals every day so theyre not 'hungry' just greedy.
I just dont understand why they do it and im seriously considering just not buying again.
My toddler will happily drink water (theres hardly ever any squash left for her anyway)

[uhoh45]

Put a lock on the cupboard. I don't know why you're getting a hard time op. It's sound frustrating!

A lock on the cupboard so they don't have a free for all or just put a few things in the cupboard not everything all at once. Buy basic cereal nothing fancy and put your toddlers snacks else where.

Did you punish your daughter for stealing your coke? Sounds petty but theft is theft and she knew what she was doing!!

[tinytemper66]

Hide the goodies in your bedroom. If they go into your space and take it then you 'punish' accordingly.

[Biologifemini]

Squash isn’t bad but it does give kids a taste for sweet drinks, which isnt good.
They should be just used to drinking water. There isn’t any nutritional value to squash and it will just encourage bad habits later.
If teens are hungry they can have toast, rather than crisps.

[Sleephead1]

I'm a only child but my husband is one of four and I know his mum experienced this. They just ate loads of cereal/ crisps ECT she told me one of his brothers ate 12 weetabix in a day ! Then it was all gone in a couple of days and she couldnt afford to keep buying it so they just had to do without snack type foods. Why don't you try still getting some things for snacks but more crackers/ cheese / breadsticks and if you had the time you could bake a couple of times a week things like flapjack / muffins ECT with the younger ones. I wouldn't buy juice I was never allowed it and never craved it I don't really like it and never buy it I've always just drank water. I'm surprised about the comments about coke I don't know anyone who gives fizzy drinks regularly.

[Justanotherzombie]

And people wonder why 2/3 of adults are overweight.

OP, you need to make some rules around taking food. I’d worry about the kids having a habit of gorging themselves on things. But if your house is overall healthy about eating they at least know the right way to eat when the time comes to manage their diets themselves.

[Teacher22]

I think that perhaps there are two issues here and the OP has raised concerned about both of them.

The first is the speedy consumption of ‘treat’ food and drink beyond what is reasonable and fair. It seems as if the greediest and least scrupulous are getting the most unhealthy diet.

Secondly is the issue of filching and taking the treats of others.

I sympathise with the OP over both as she see the situation getting out of hand.

A solution might be to restrict junk food and treats by stopping buying them and explaining that it is because the rules are being bypassed. Secondly, explain exactly why it is wrong to take the treats of others and by laying down rules for punishments in the future.

You might want to make a point ahead of this by taking a valued possession from the filchers temporarily and then asking the child in question how they felt when their, say phone, went missing. Then point out that is how they are making others feel before returning the item. Connect this with the future regime and say that until their behaviour improves and they can be trusted no treats will enter the house.

It will be hard on the OP because no one wants to deny their children desirable things but they must learn not to be selfish to make their way in life amongst others.

Imagine what would happen if they took other children’s treats at school. If the answer is that they would only steal at home then the situation is that the children are seriously ‘taking the mickey’.

Having said this, most children behave in the same way. I stopped buying chocolate because the children took it. You just need to make a stand and let them know it isn’t acceptable.

[ivykaty44]

No need for sweets and fizzy drinks, but don’t class then as ‘treats’ there not prizes or treats or special foods

I never used to buy biscuits very often, when I did they would last in the tin. I made home made cakes occasionally & they lasted in a Tupperware a few days, we would have a piece after supper

Don’t buy if you don’t want to as nutritionally fizzy drinks and sweets are void

[Bananarama12]

There were 3 of us growing up and exactly the same happened. EVERYTHING would be eaten in 2 days after dad did the weekly shop. We used to hide packets of crisps from each other etc to have later in the week 😂 and yes bottles of squash would not last long. Makes me laugh now.

[Bananarama12]

We also only were given fizzy drinks on birthdays/at Christmas and I still don't drink it really. It was a nice treat though.

[extinctspecies]

We have never had squash or fizzy drinks in the house.

My kids are allowed to order them if we are out in a pub or restaurant, that's it.

They drink water.

They are not greedy or overweight.

They are hungry teenagers but they get enough to eat.

[DairyisClosed]

Do they do this with healthy snacks as well? If this is a general problem I would suggest they are acfually hungry after all or they are bored and eating because they are bored. In your place I would just stop buying the sugary stuff (squash is definitely a 'treat' full of sugar and no nutritional benefit. It is sugary crap by definition). And just drill into them that if they eat sugary food/drinks they will get very fat. Otherwise they will just end up binding on this stuff when they leave home and will get fat. They already have an unhealthy relationship with food, at least that way it will be unhealthy in a healthy way.

[ivykaty44]

Dairyisclose op gives that information in her post

[LyannaStarktheWolfMaid]

My kids (one teen) get sweets once a week on Saturday, and usually either crisps or a dessert on Sunday evening while we watch a film together. Other than that snacks are fruit, plain crackers and toast. Cereal is low sugar type. That’s it, except for high days and holidays. Stop buying treats and they won’t be able to eat them!

[Tatapie]

Ditch the squash. It's completely unnecessary. 1 can of fizzy st the weekend/ special occasion. Rules or boxes for snack. Consequences if stuff nicked. They are taking the proverbial!

[ny20005]

Lock them away - the snacks, not the kids 😜

Mine are only allowed snacks when I give permission whereas my friends always allowed hers to help themselves & hers decend like locusts when she buys anything

She can't keep cupboards filled. Leave plenty of fruit & crackers & lock everything else away. Any 'stealing' is punished & has consequences

[Amanduh]

I don’t know why you’re getting a hard time OP. Or told you’re depriving them or obsessive 😂 everything you’ve said is perfectly reasonable. Coke is a treat. And the snacks and squash they are being horribly greedy with! Get a cupboard lock. Or don’t buy it.

[hettie]

I have never ever bought coke, Fanta or any other sweet fizzy drinks to have in the hous, nor do we buy squash. We might have something like that if we are out and about/in a pub. Likewise we don't have chocolate biscuits or chocolate or sweets as I don't buy them. Again , of we are out/ visit a cafe.. The kids get given sweets and chocolates it's fine to have, but not something we regularly buy weekly at the supermarket..So nothing to be sneaked away or 'taken'. They have free access to fruit, can make themselves cheese and crackers or peanut butter sandwiches, grab a yoghurt. If they're hungry between meals they can grab that.
Why would you not stop buying this stuff? It's nutritional value is crap all of it, loads of better ways to get carbs and fats in for growing teens ways that come unprocessed with vitamin and mineral content)

[Crazyladee]

I hear your pain OP.

I have two greedy teenagers..both have zero willpower and would ravage the treats within the shopping before I had even finished unpacking it. I was sick of having evenings where I would fancy the odd freddo or bag of popcorn to find empty wrappers in the cupboards. Or when I fancied a vodka and lemonade, there was never any lemonade left even though I had just done the shopping. Basically, if its there in their reach, it will get eaten.

DH has a lockable multi drawer toolbox in the integral garage. We designated the bottom drawer which is the deepest for the snacks, pop and treats..Now they have to ask me for a bag of crisps or biscuit etc and I go and find the key (which is hidden) and pick out what they want. That way, I can limit their snacking. Sometimes, they can't be bothered to ask me and will grab some fruit instead. Result!

[thehairyhog]

I think it’s unfair to expect them to self-regulate given what you’ve said. Some can, some can’t but they clearly can’t. Either don’t buy it, or don’t leave it out. I’d want to be careful about giving food this much power in my household.

[Whisky2014]

I remember doing this when i was a teenager. If i didnt eat the snacks my brother would eat them all!
I think the worst part is your daughter stealing your can of coke.

[colditz]

The polarised hysteria in this thread is hilarious!

“children should have completely free access to all food, always, and don’t expect them to drink water!”

“NO! Children should NEVER even KNOW ABOUT snacks and should only ever drink water! We don’t eat jelly babies in my house, we sacrifice them to the God Of Wholegrain”

“Argggh NO! You’re evil and your children are sad and abused!”

“No YOU’RE evil and YOUR children are sad and abused “

Etc

[Whisky2014]

And as a teen, i was never full. I could eat all my main meals and still want snacks.
It was the same when Original source appeared on the shelves. Mint body wash...we were always going tbrough the stuff. But it was a "fun" product and we used loads at a time.

[Juells]

@hettie Why would you not stop buying this stuff?

I'll admit I can't get my head around that. If it's not in the house it can't be eaten.

[Lethaldrizzle]

My kids never have to ask me for food. They can eat what they want pretty much when ever. We don't have 'treats' in our house but we do have sweet stuff which no-one really gives a fuck about. All my kids are slim and healthy and don't obsess about food because I've never made a deal out of it.

[Lovemusic33]

I always have squash in the house, we get through a bottle a day (me and 2 teens), I prefer them drinking it than juice and they won’t drink plain water. They are allowed one treat/snack when they get home from school so either a bag of crisps or a chocolate bar (small kit kat type thing). I do limit them or they would eat all day. I don’t buy loads of treats, just enough for them to have one a day.