Page 2 | My child is a greedy pig. Is it my fault?

Graphista · 27/10/2020 00:54

Ok, wasn't sure whether to mention buy with you now mentioning the aching knees there's one time when my Dd did this and it was something a bit more unusual - when she was coming down with something!

The main time it was VERY noticeable was when she developed glandular fever, it was like her body literally knew it was about to shut down and she needed reserves of energy to cope

But it's happened before and since in less extreme ways when she's about to come down with something that will kill her appetite, to the point I started to take it as an early warning sign and stock up on honey, lemon etc!

I spoke with my mum about it and apparently as a little kid I was the same and she did the same as me, soon as she noticed my appetite ramped up she was "on notice" for me coming down with something.

Happens to me as an adult prior to period starting too (I have endo I'm generally in too much pain to eat much at all the first 3-5 days)

Just another possibility. Certainly wouldn't do any harm to encourage them to eat more protein and fruit and veg in case it is this. Boost their immune system a bit.

Original poster

Paddingtonjuice · 27/10/2020 00:55

KittyLuna, they are nicer than I remembered and rather beautifully packaged for a lunchtime chocolate biscuit.

OP posts:

Original poster

Paddingtonjuice · 27/10/2020 00:58

Thanks graphista, will keep my eye out. Does not seem unwell for now. Just really hungry

OP posts:

FortunesFave · 27/10/2020 01:02

Needs more protein OP. Cereal's a crappy, empty breakfast. Make eggs instead..show them how. Also, have hard boiled eggs ready in the fridge for a snack.

NeonGenesis · 27/10/2020 01:09

Please don't use the term "greedy pig" to describe your child. I'm sure you wouldn't actually say it their face, but my mother did it to me once and it was the beginning of a horrible road of disordered eating and unhappiness.

Nancydrawn · 27/10/2020 01:13

I think that's a really shitty way to talk about your kid.

HoppingPavlova · 27/10/2020 01:13

I don’t understand why you have all this junk food in your house?

Both children have poor diets if the ‘healthy’ one is having a packet of crisps and ice cream each day. That’s once a week stuff, not once a day.

Your one with high appetite and normal weight probably needs more fuel but not the crap they are currently stuffing in. Just give them free access to unprocessed healthy food.

Also, all the ‘if no overweight, no problem, let them go for it’ posts - nope. I’ve seen plenty of thin adults who are really unhealthy and have clogged arteries or other problems related mainly to poor diet and lifestyle. Slim does not necessarily mean healthy. The problem with letting a slim child free on unhealthy food is it then sets up bad habits for life. Give them unlimited healthy food (and that’s not a packet of crisps and ice cream each day either). Watch for bad habits like grazing though, not the best for blood sugar, give food that results in fairly sustained level of blood glucose to next main meal.

MessAllOver · 27/10/2020 01:25

They're eating the wrong things. Lots of sugar highs (and resultant slumps, causing them to snack more) and not enough protein.

Graphista · 27/10/2020 01:55

Does not seem unwell for now. Just really hungry

Hopefully not the case, but dd and I both unfortunately have that habit of going downhill super quick from picture of health one day to looking at deaths door the bloody next!

Mum and I were both caught out first couple times with our respective kids.

Dd also has the delightful thing of spiking VERY high fevers very quickly (unrelated) to point of febrile convulsions when tiny, which is fucking terrifying to deal with even as an ex nurse! This I know know is related to her disability and quite common but little known among sufferers. Now I don't bat an eye!

Contrary to the advice for "normal" people of not acting to cool them now we've been specifically told she has to get it down ASAP so I had many a lovely night freezing myself holding and cooling down a feverish dd with fans and tepid flannels etc! Not fun!

Not that she's had one for a while, she's away studying now.

I’ve seen plenty of thin adults who are really unhealthy and have clogged arteries or other problems related mainly to poor diet and lifestyle

This is true

There's a phenomenon known as "skinny outside fat inside" which is rare but occurs in some and we've been warned - again due to her disability (gives her a higher metabolism than others) that she needs to be aware of this and guard against it. That just because she is very slim doesn't mean she can go for it eating high ldl cholesterol foods etc her heart is also more vulnerable because of her condition so she needs to be heart smart and eat healthily - just more than others to get the cals. Dd also has to graze as her body can't cope with normal sized meals so she has 5-6 SMALL meals a day, effectively breaking up what others would have in one meal into 2 meals. Sometimes that means she'll have protein and veg in one but no carbs and carbs and veg in another but no protein etc but she has to watch she gets all nutrients over the day/week.

Graphista · 27/10/2020 01:56

Know now not know know autocorrect does seriously weird things sometimes

Guylan · 27/10/2020 02:52

and that’s not a packet of crisps and ice cream each day either

Minor point but the OP says her 12 yr old has a packet of crisps and a penguin. A penguin is not an ice cream but a chocolate biscuit, about 100 calories. Not what I would call excessive if active, though others will think differently.

Yeahnahmum · 27/10/2020 03:26

Feed him some food with more protein to keep him fuller . And ease up on the junk food. Skinny or not that is just not healthy. Skinny doesnt mean he is healthy. But he just has a big appetite that needs to be met . But meet him with good alternatives 😁

Sunshiney1981 · 27/10/2020 04:20

As others have said, he/she needs more protein.
To go all day until an evening meal with just a bit of tuna in a sandwich but no other protein and just some cereal and bread is not good. No wonder he/she is hungry, I’d be ravenous too.

Cereal is not a good breakfast. How can a child last all the way up to lunchtime? Cereal is just empty refined rubbish. (Unless it’s proper porridge but even then it’s not a big breakfast).

HoppingPavlova · 27/10/2020 04:25

A penguin is not an ice cream but a chocolate biscuit, about 100 calories. Not what I would call excessive if active, though others will think differently.

It really doesn’t make a difference. An ice cream. A chocolate biscuit. A lolly. A packet of crisps. Why? A child (or adult) does not need a treat every day. That’s why they are classed as treats. Again, if active they need more calories but not shit calories which, put simply, are bad for your insides even if you don’t put on weight on the outside.

If children are in the habit of having a healthy diet with treat occasionally it becomes normal. Sure, at the occasional party let them go for it, don’t restrict them and no it doesn’t lead to them acting like pigs in a trough at parties. It’s an unhealthy relationship and messaging around food that does that.

Angelina82 · 27/10/2020 04:27

Don’t allow a 10 year old free reign to so much junk food and then call them nasty names for taking advantage of it. Stop buying the shit and feed them healthier protein rich meals.

SuzieQQQ · 27/10/2020 04:33

Maybe get them checked for thyroid issues or type 1 diabetes. Other than that I’d say they just have a fast metabolism and are growing

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 27/10/2020 04:45

Your ten year old is a girl isn't she? Are you serving her smaller portions than her brother at meals because she's female? The language you use is pretty nasty and the preference for your son pretty obvious.

The secret eating does suggest problems because it's secret, but unpacking why she does it involves moving away from calling her a greedy pig.

Aridane · 27/10/2020 04:56

@jennie0412

If they are skinny, leave them to it. Do not give them issues with food. If they're skinny then they're clearly eating the right amount, and if you restrict it they'll end up binging when they get the chance to have more food. They're growing children, when i was 10 I was constantly hungry too.

I’m not sure I ageee - they won’t remain skinny if they eat all that persistently, and it’s crap he’s eating too. If hungry, just have a sandwich

maddiemookins16mum · 27/10/2020 05:45

MN will tell you ‘he’s a growing lad’, ‘he needs his food’ etc etc. But that’s greedy in my eyes.
He’s more likely bored.

RoseGold7 · 27/10/2020 05:58

@Paddingtonjuice

My 10 year old child is eating us out of house and home. I have always had a relaxed attitude to food but think I need to rethink now. 12 year old is great, just has his meals plus 1 bag of crisps per day, 1 penguin, plenty of fruit. Today 10 year old has eaten cereal for breakfast, tuns sandwich for lunch. Sausage, mash and vegetables for tea. Then while I have not been watching, 2 bags of monster munch, 4 lollipops that I had saved for Halloween, 3 ice lollies, 1 entire punnet of strawberries, 2 trios, 2 sausage rolls. 2 apples. About 6 crackers with butter. Then went to bed complaining they were hungry. This is not normal is it? They are actually skinny. Am I right in thinking they will overweight be soon if I don’t stop this?

I’m skinny and in my 20s. I’d be hungry if I only ate cereal at breakfast and a tuna sandwich at lunch. I’d try and incorporate more protein and healthy fats into his diet. Increase his portions of his meals to limit the need for snacking. He’s probably having a growth spurt and needs more food now he’s heading towards his teens. NEVER call him a greedy pig or say that you want him to remain skinny. That causes body dysmorphia.

RoseGold7 · 27/10/2020 06:05

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

Your ten year old is a girl isn't she? Are you serving her smaller portions than her brother at meals because she's female? The language you use is pretty nasty and the preference for your son pretty obvious.

The secret eating does suggest problems because it's secret, but unpacking why she does it involves moving away from calling her a greedy pig.

Just noticed the OP’s use of “they, their and child” rather than gendered pronouns. I bet it’s a girl too. Age 10 is not unusual to start puberty and body changes - hips, thighs, breasts. She needs more food now. She should have the same portions as the 12 year old boy. No wonder she’s hungry.

Mummyoflittledragon · 27/10/2020 06:06

You haven’t specified if it’s a boy or girl. I hope HairBrained is wrong. I was going to say the same thing as Graphista about my dd. She was constantly hungry really for months and months until started her periods. It curtailed as soon as they started and she’s not eating a great deal again. He friend is the same. Like dd before her periods started she has noticeably put on weight and she is eating more than dd when it was definitely the other way around before. Her mum isn’t worrying about it.

vidalbaboon · 27/10/2020 06:11

Cereal for breakfast leaves me starving.

ShinyGreenElephant · 27/10/2020 06:18

More protein, less junk available. But its normal for kids to go through stages of eating all day, especially when they're off school and there's less to do. I do it myself if I'm just sitting around the house and there's food available. Just improve the quality of the snacks and portion sizes of meals, decent breakfast with eggs ideally and let her eat what she wants, probably a growth spurt.

Shxx · 27/10/2020 06:22

Have you checked for worm? This also sounds like bored eating