Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

3 yr old taking food in the middle of the night

18 replies

Gloriousmud · 23/02/2013 06:09

Wonder if anyone can give some advice. We have a 5, 3 and 1 yr olds. Our 3 year old is a laid back, happy wee thing, but in recent weeks/months, he has been coming downstairs in the middle of the night and taking food up to his room. I found a wee stash of wrappers underhis pillow a few nights ago, and we talked about it with him, but I've just got up and found he has been down at some point as the lights are on, and a chair is pushed up to the counter.

We are making sure that he gets plenty of food during the day. Mostly he takes sweets or chocolate if he can find them. He does get sweets etc sometimes, but not every day. We don't have a locked cupboard, but were keeping them on the fridge, but he has been climbing up onto the counter, then on top of a food processor, then getting things off the fridge.

I don't really want to hide food unless absolutely necessary - I'd rather try to deal with why he is taking it if possible instead.

DOes anyone have any experience of this?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

Gloriousmud · 23/02/2013 19:20

Bumping for the evening crowd.

OP posts:

Iggly · 23/02/2013 19:56

No experience but what about minimising your reaction? So chuck the wrappers away.
I would also stop buying them. What if he has an accident in the night climbing up?
Finally are you sure it's him and not the older one?

MrsMushroom · 23/02/2013 23:39

Gosh that's full on for a three year old! Brave I mean...Are you sure it's him? Could his older sibling be hiding the wrappers in his room?

I think you need to hide them tbh. there's nothing wrong with keeping sweets out of temptations way....I do...if he's taking them in the night, is it possible he's not sleeping well?

If so, I wonder why he's not coming in to you instead?

it seems quite extreme.

nannyof3 · 23/02/2013 23:46

Very unusual for a 3 year old...

Its turning into a habit..

U need to hide the sweets/chocolate

What if he chokes on something???

wannabedomesticgoddess · 23/02/2013 23:50

My 4 yo does this. 5.30am is what time DP caught her. He had taken the baby down to give me sleep and DD1 creeped down the creaky(!) stairs.

She takes yoghurts, cheese, cereal, anything she can find really.

I havent a clue why because she is never refused food. I have no advice, just wanted to let you know theres someone going through similar.

MrsSham · 23/02/2013 23:54

Do you think he is awake or could he be still asleep doing this. I remember watching similar about a much older child with sleep problems doing this and when filmed it was thought he was maybe asleep, if I remember correctly. How is his behaviour and attention span it could a sign of sleep disturbance related to other problems.

It is incredibly dangerous you do need to find some measures, could you pot bells or wind chime on his bedroom door, that may be enough to stop him or at least alert you if he comes out of his room.

MrsMushroom · 24/02/2013 00:02

nanny makes a good point. OP very important to stop the access.

Wannabe...5.30am is a reasonable waking up time for a 4 year old. She was probably hungry.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 24/02/2013 00:06

That was one day though. And she knows that when she gets up to come wake me and I will get her breakfast.

Her usual wake up is 8.

MerryCouthyMows · 24/02/2013 00:15

5.30am would NOT be a 'reasonable' time for a 4yo to wake in my house! 6.30 onwards, maybe. 5.30? No!

That would elicit me taking them back to bed with a firm "it's still nighttime, lie down and go back to sleep".

At 1/2yo, maybe. Not at 4yo!

MrsMushroom · 24/02/2013 00:18

No I know it's not a great time and all that but to a 4 year old, it's morning...and they're hungry. Just pointing out the difference here...OPs son is getting up in the dead of night. In darkness.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 24/02/2013 00:18

I agree Couthy.

Its the sneaking though. Our stairs are really creaky but DP didnt hear her until she opened the sitting room door. And he was awake. We havent a hope of hearing her if we are asleep!

MrsSham · 24/02/2013 00:20

I certainly think a,though unreasonable to an adult and not ideal 5.30 would not be out of the ordinary for many 4 year olds. I certainly wouldn't greet it in such a firm manner, maybe encourage back to bed or look at a book or play in room for a hour. But I don't think it would be fair to try and force a child back to sleep who has woken at that time.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 24/02/2013 00:23

Clearly my point has been missed entirely.

So I am bowing out of this thread now. Hope you get some answers regarding your DS OP!

MajaBiene · 24/02/2013 00:29

5.30am is the dead of night as far as I am concerned! The child obviously knows it is night time too or they wouldn't be creeping around snaffling food...

OP, this whole situation sounds very worrying and dangerous. I would think about getting a door alarm on the bedroom so you are woken if he gets up. Pr alternatively putting a lock/catch on the kitchen door.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 24/02/2013 00:32

5:30 is not a reasonable time for anyone to be awake and hungry!

Iggly · 24/02/2013 07:40

I disagree about half 5 not being reasonable. What time does a typical 4 year old have tea? 5pm? So being hungry over 12 hours later isn't crazy.

Anyway that's a side track from the OP's issue.

Iggly · 24/02/2013 07:40

I disagree about half 5 not being reasonable. What time does a typical 4 year old have tea? 5pm? So being hungry over 12 hours later isn't crazy.

Anyway that's a side track from the OP's issue.

MortifiedAdams · 24/02/2013 07:47

Put a stair gate on the doorway of their room?

Ask them why they are going downstairs and taking treats up to bed?

Tell them.not to do it.

Flip