Feeding my children too much

[QuirkyKoala]

I am hope this can settle a debate.

I have 2 boys (5 and 2) and we are in disagreement about how much they should be eating in the morning. A family member has been giving 5 year old 2 Weetabix and a slice of toast and 2 year old 2 Weetabix. I feel this is too much as I could barely manage what the 5 year old is eating.

YANBU - that's too much food
YABU - let them eat what they want

Every child is different and appetites change. When my son was 2 he'd eat toast, cereal, fruit and a yogert and sometimes ask for more. He's six now and rarely has more than three bites of anything at breakfast. Put out the food and let the children decide how much they want to eat.

Does the food given get eaten? Or is it wasted? If it’s continuously wasted then I’d say lower the amount but if the kids are eating it, they must be hungry enough to do so.

Do you historically have issues with food OP? Are you restrictive with your own diet? It strikes me as peculiar that you would find issue with this as as you can see it’s a fairly standard breakfast for most children.

I thought food rationing was over decades ago?

It's so annoying that some women feel the desperate need to insert what they say they eat into a post-of-concern about what a child is eating. It makes me roll my eyes very hard every time I see it.

It's irrelevant and attention-seeking. Every time.

My now 8 year old boy has always eaten a huge breakfast (normally 2 Weetabix, fruit and maybe toast). He takes huge growth spurts. Some kids are bigger eaters. If he is at nursery or school he will definitely need a big breakfast as children who don't eat proper breakfasts struggle far more to learn.

You couldn't eat 2 weetabix and 1 slice of toast?? Really??? I bet you're a waste of money at a hotel breakfast.

Where’s the fruit, yogurt or egg? Will make them feel full longer

Mine would eat a weetabix and some fruit at around 9 months old. I would try to swap the toast for something more nutritional but I don't think it's a lot of food.

It’s important to follow their lead and hunger cues - your job to offer healthy food, their job to decide how much they need. Look up division of responsibility - Ellen satter. FWIW, one of mine could eat more and one a lot less and both are healthy and in correct proportion to their height!

My almost 2 year old will eat 2 weetabix. My 6 year old will eat 1. Eldest has never been a big breakfast eater whereas breakfast is my youngest favourite meal. If they are hungry let them eat at mealtimes and reduce snacks if needed. Kids are good at managing how much they need themselves so unless there are weight issues then this is a you issue not them.

My 9 month old granddaughter eats 1 Weetabix with fruit for breakfast - this is after having a bottle of formula when she first gets up. This is often followed by a crust of bread to chew on while her parents get ready for the day. I expect that she will eat more for breakfast when she is now longer having so many bottles of formula in a few months time.

So no, I don’t think 2 Weetabix with a piece of toast is too much for an active 5 year old but I would also add some fruit with it.

There is no exact portion size, if the chikd eats it all then that's the right size. If they constantly leave alot then it's too big. It sounds like they eat it and children are constantly constantly on the go so need plenty of fuel.

My just-turned 5 year old daughter eats 3 Weetabix and two slices of toast, or, she has porridge and one slice.

when going through a growth spurt my daughter 3.5yo will eat 2 weetabix with fruit and yoghurt. Then she’ll also go through times where she’ll not finish 1 if her appetite is smaller. If we’re having porridge she has the same size portion as me, again with fruit and yoghurt. I feel that she needs the energy as she is very active all day and will sometimes be pickier at other meals and not eat if much, so I like her to eat well at breakfast.

You wait till they’re 15 and washing down 4 weetabix with 2 slices of toast.

It doesn't seem too much in quantity, but as others I've said it's a lot of the same thing. I would give them 1 Weetabix or 1-2 toasts, and if they are still hungry something else like yogurt and fruits.

It depends, of course.

Are all their meals carb-heavy and short on protein and fruit and veg like this, or do they otherwise have a balanced diet? Are they active and slim (can you see their ribs?) or are they already over weight?

I think children are generally quite good at self regulating appetite and I always encourage DD to listen to her body so her intake fluctuates wildly.
If you're giving this much headspace to two weetabix and some toast, I suggest you look at your own relationship with food and maybe feed your kids breakfast yourself

I find if little kids eat a lot at one meal they tend to eat less at another.

Mine usually eat 2 things for breakfast at least on school days as quite a big gap until break so
cereal / porridge and fruit
toast and yoghurt
pancakes and fruit etc

they have always had 2 weetabix (sometimes take 3) but again with fruit or yoghurt. If they had toast they would have fruit and yoghurt. I wouldn’t give weetabix and toast together personally but i don’t think it’s necessarily too much or a bad breakfast either. If you’re kids eat it whats the issue?

Do they eat 2 weetabix?
Ate they overweight?
Do you have a cup of coffee or tea in the morning too contributing to feeling full?
Do you serve 1 weetabix and a snack before lunch? Does relative not offer snacks? That might be why she offers more breakfast than you,

If they are roughly average weight for their age / height, YABVU I'm afraid. Please don't create unhealthy associations with food.

If they are a bit chunky, the volume is still fine, but less carbs and more protein would be better.

All children are different, but for context, my tall, wirey 4yo often has peanut butter toast, a piece of fruit and a large portion of yogurt for breakfast. Sometimes a biscuit afterwards too - so three courses, the same as dinner.

Breakfast is exactly that.....'break - fast'. Considering that kids are normally asleep for perhaps 9 hours (well my kids had longer) or maybe more their tummies will be empty on waking and they need fluids and fuel to start the day.

Surely, as long as the food is wholesome, varied and contains fat, fibre, protein and carbs a good hearty breakfast is a great kick-start to the day. My one criticism is all the sugary, crappy cereals the supermarkets sell ! All a total load of 'diabetic creating shite'! Kinds don't 'need' chocco-pops, honey-wheats, or whatever else the manufacturers create. It is the parents responsibility to start the children off with the right food choices. Give them crappy food and that's all they will know. Plus all the wrong cereals are so much more expensive.

For what it's worth, there's nowt wrong with two weetabix and a slice of toast but don't put sugar on the cereal and only butter on the toast.

For two year old I’d have thought two weetabix was too much, yes. It’s just so heavy, no problem with the toast but I’d give a yoghurt, banana or frontage frais instead of the second weetabix. Fine for the five yo though!