She ate all the biscuits

[Imissmusic]

I got a pack of chocolate chip cookies for today after dinner for everyone to have a few-Dd has a balanced diet but we don’t have a dessert or biscuits, crisps etc every night or in the house that often-more on weekends or if we bake something.
I hid the rest of the biscuits away for another day.
I went to have a shower, when Dd came up to bed, she told me she looked everywhere for them, found them and ate them.

Would you be cross? She’s 7

Yes I think I would be cross although wouldnt be cross at her if that makes sense.

I would say it needs tackling but perhaps not head on. Perhaps by hiding them better!

I havent read the thread, no doubt this many pages in someone is going to say she has disordered eating because you dont smother her in deserts or sweet stuff and its akin to neglect.

My son is nearly 7, he is allowed to have a couple biscuits or small bit of chocolate most days, but he only ever takes 2-3 biscuits or small bit of choc. We don't make a big deal out of them being a treat and they are never hidden. He would never take them without asking first either, and he would never eat a full pack. It sounds a lot for a 7yr old and I would wonder why she went searching for them and eating the whole pack in one go.

As a 50 year old with no self control around biscuits, I couldn't judge her.

Why?

Do you ask someone every time you want to eat fruit?

The more you restrict, the more the child seeks to binge.

I speak as a child who was told eating is greedy & has had lifelong weight issues. My DC have always been free to eat what they want, no restrictions. Of course they’ve been educated on nutrition & healthy choices, but no restrictions. They’re all slim & healthy adults while I’m still a fat flump who feels like eating high calorie food is a treat 🤦🏻‍♀️.

lol. It’s not like she’s never allowed them. Jesus! This is mental. Just let your kids do what they want hey. What could possibly go wrong

I think there’s a clue here. Neither parent “present” - not blaming you btw if you were showering!! But who knows re your DH - and she eats a half pack of biscuits then tells you. Attention? Wanting a reaction?

It's still OPs fault that the child is obsessed with biscuits.... Her limiting them so much and actively choosing to hide them away has resulted in this.

It's all OPs fault for giving her child a weird relationship with biscuits.... Honestly, we have 3 open packs at home, all in reach of DD6, she'll occasionally help herself to one as a snack, but will just as likely choose a kiwi or a babybel or some milk 🤷‍♀️

she loves sweet treats, is that an "issue", only if you think so @Imissmusic

Yes it’s exactly that, she’d eat it all day if she could. I’ve noticed some of her friends can take it or leave it if I put things out when they come to play, others get excited 😛
It’s the fact she rooted around for them and ate them all after already having had a fair few after dinner and it being obvious they’d now been put out of the way

Don't think it was a whole pack, it was leftover pack?

OP has made it sound like they don't have biscuits often and it's a rare "treat" and therefore something to be coveted...

The child is only doing this because of the OP being weird with biscuits.

Yes I would be annoyed at this. However, does she know that things need to be eaten in moderation?
I have a biscuit jar and my kids know that sweet treats are not for helping themselves. They also know that 1 or 2 is plenty and that they need to ask.

I don’t think it’s reasonable to just expect a 7 year old to not scoff the lot unless the know the rules.

Oh dear

OP What is your own relationship with food like?
Do you restrict? Do you calorie count?

You see that’s my dd, she wouldn’t want an excessive amount or find it at all enjoyable to have more than that.

My DS would.

The only thing that works well is timing his proper meals and healthy snacks - such as when he gets in from school, he isn’t a toddler with “snack times” - so that he doesn’t get really hungry and start on things with no nutritional value just because they’re there and he’s “hungry” (in his mind). That and making sure he’s not going in for boredom eating because he has nothing to do. But he does have ADHD so I think that’s what he will sensory seek with snacks if given the chance/ lack of other choices.

No biscuits in the house usually? Hiding biscuits? What sort of weird controlling household is this?! Poor kid. You need the telling off not her.

This. She's 7, she doesn't know whats best for her, she should be asking you if she can have snacks, drinks, watch TV, play on computer, go outside etc. If you don't provide some boundaries, you're likely to have a very difficult time when she's a teenager.

That’s reassuring! Thanks

I grew up with no restrictions, no hidden food and ate a broad diet but became overweight because I'm a natural ganet - pure and simple.
Still am, but now good sense and willpower keep me on the straight and narrow - mostly. We had fruit, veg, yoghurt etc which I happily ate but I also liked biscuits and crisps too much and left to my own devices, I ate too many. Lots, but not all, kids are like that and it's more about their nature than their environment.

I wouldn't be annoyed but would focus on the fact they were for everyone.

It's so hard to know what the best approach is. My family had nothing in the house growing up, no snacks, and so as soon as I had a little pocket money I binged and got an eating disorder. So with my DC I had lots of crisps and snacks around in addition to providing healthy meals and teaching/living good habits on food and exercise. As teens my DD is buying junk with pocket money just like I did, even though snacks are in the house too! I myself for years could never leave a pack of biscuits uneaten, I'd finish everything. Now I have no problem ignoring delicious things and never eat to be full. So who knows, but don't be cross with her.

It's true.... Otherwise why else would a 7 year old determinedly look absolutely everywhere just to get a biscuit? A biscuit !

There's something wrong there.... And it will be the fault of the OP

The fact that you need to hide food would indicate that there is a problem around food issus in your house.

Yes I have possibly misread it! I still think it's odd that she's gone hunting for them though.

My DD would never help herself to a treat, she knows she has to ask first. It shows a general lack of respect if your child has been told that the day’s treat has been had and the rest are being saved but then they just help themselves anyway. Also how is a 7 year old left unsupervised to the point they are rummaging around finding hidden biscuits.