Aibu to be concerned about my daughter?

[Barbaquequeen]

My daughter is10years old and is of a slim build. She enjoys 3 different sporting activities but outside of this she does not play and run about in her spare time as she used to. She much prefers sitting on the couch, watching tv and has to be coaxed to play out.
i hVe noticed she has started to behave in a sneaky manner when it comes to food. She will take bars from the treat press and take it to her room. She returned home from an activity late last night and I asked her would she like to get herself a snack before bed. She buttered no less than 8 cream crackers. I said nothing as I didn’t want to make a big deal or an issue out of it and I didn’t want to make her feel bad or ashamed. I try to make her have a good attitude to food. She has 3 good family meals a day, I will always offer her more at these meals and she is usually given a treat or desert daily
should I have said something about the cream crackers and should I be concerned?

Surely most people would have a snack /supper after an activity? Ds 14 can eat 6 slices of toast for supper without an activity!

absolutely and I encourage this. I just thought 8 buttered crackers was excessive

At 10 she might be hitting her growth spurt and be hungry. Are you somewhat restrictive with food? Mine were having toast for supper after a big dinner at that age.

Keep an eye on it, but she is probably in early adolescence, which means she will be hungrier and value her privacy more.

On average girls between 11 and 14 need the same calories as adult women, and between 14 and 17 they need a bit more.

The crackers could easily be explained by hunger (8 crackers with butter is probably no more than 2 pieces of toast with butter), and taking chocolate to her room might well just be to relax and daydream on her own.

Being glued to the sofa and screens is pretty normal too, so encourage her to keep up the sport - that’s really important

Sounds like a normal kid to me Op

Daughter same age. Very slim build. Lately been eating 3 good meals and snacking lots too. Even mentioned to hubby that her appetite had increased Lately (again, outside of school not running about etc). I put it down to her body starting/getting ready to change for puberty. I wouldn't worry.

I ate shit loads as a child, I'm talking 4 full bowls of cereal for breakfast kind of shit loads, and big adult portions from the age of 8. I am still a bigger eater than most but wouldn't be able to manage anywhere near that now. I would sneak food but only because it was unhealthy stuff that was restricted. I was also very slim. I have never had any hint of an eating disorder but someone could have been suspicious had they seen how I ate. I was just a growing girl.

Sounds like a growth spurt. My DD was like this between 10/12 and ate non stop.

I think 8 crackers is too much as well

Just on terms of balance, not that I'd be worried about calories or intake.

I'd be clear that treats weren't to be taken behind your back, and be clear on the rules around when she can have them.

About the crackers I'd have told her to have something with them, so maybe fewer crackers but have a banana or cheese or whatever.

Your son is male and at peak growing point. Her daughter is 10 years old and female. They are completely different people.

Sounds normal to me, kids at that age don’t stop eating. I think 3 sporting activities a week is pretty good going also. The TV watching also sounds pretty normal too. Kids all communicate online nowadays sadly

8 isn't too many if she's hungry, she's doing 3 sports so biting lots of energy. Please do not be controlling with food, it won't end well.

Not everything has to be controlling!

8 cream crackers with butter is both too much (the crackers) and lacking balance. Perfectly fine to say this.

Who says I crackers is "too much"? They're like 20-30 calories or something.

*8

8 Jacob's cream crackers, without butter, would be 280 cals.

I wouldn't remotely care about calories.

It's just a pointless snack - she needs something more filling eg 4 crackers with some cheese; 2 crackers, yogurt & a banana.

It's about creating good eating habits, certainly not worrying about calories.

Growing kids need cereal or toast before bed. 3 meals is not enough. They will need to encouraged to have healthy carbs snd protein snacks

Keep your cupboards stocked. They just keep on eating

Doesn’t sound like so
to be worried about no. She’s a growing kid and needs the calories. It’s not a nutritious choice, but if rest of her diet is varied who cares.

I agree about healthy snacks. They don't 'need' cereal or toast before bed.

Some might - but it's not a requirement.

Cereal or toast alone isn't nutritious anyway. Add berries or yogurt (to the cereal) or some peanut butter (to the toast) and that's a lot more nutritious.

Oh come on. Im a huge fan of healthy eating but no one eats perfectly balanced snacks 24/7. She's 10 years old. Let her eat some crackers and butter.

I really don't get this. How hard is it to have some crackers & cheese / ham / banana.

It's no effort. I can't see the point of 8 crackers, she's not likely to feel full on that anyway.

Please don’t comment on her snacking it will make her more likely to have shame around eating and want to hide it. So long as you are modelling healthy eating and she is being offered decent meals then you do not need to be concerned. Her weight may well go up with puberty and she may eat weird snacks sometimes, but nothing wrong with that. My mum used to comment on what we ate with the best of intentions but it just ended up fuelling a binge eating disorder in me when I was already struggling with the challenges of adolescent body and hormone changes! Make sure there is healthy food readily available but unless she starts drastically changing her eating habits I wouldn’t be concerned at all.

8 crackers is not much OP! She's a growing girl! My DD similar age eats tons

She is just hungry! Get more snacks in and increase portion size.