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Original poster

Sick of my greedy daughter

243 replies

Orangeanddemons · 29/12/2013 18:56

Dd is 7. She has always been greedy, but she is just intolerable now. We don't have any crap or junk in the house, as she was unmanageable around it.

She has eaten a large roast dinner 2 hours ago followed by yoghurt. She is now mithering and screaming that she is hungry. We try to ignore, but eventually you have to take a stand. She is like this every single day. Obsessed with food, nagging for food all the time.

I have had endless conversations about mouth versus tummy hunger, but it makes no difference. Nothing does. She just wants to eat all the time. I have tried to bring her up with a healthy attitude to food, but she is just obsessed with eating, so I have to restrict her.

We have 3 ds's too. None of them are like this. I am at my wits end

OP posts:
Original poster
Orangeanddemons · 29/12/2013 19:02

She has had today;

Slice whole meal toast and bowl of shreddies
Yoghurt and an apple
Baked potato and cheese
Banana
Big roast dinner followed by another yoghurt.
The odd small handful of nuts.

She is now starving apparently and going mad for more. She is generally a very persistent and demanding child, and this feels like yet one more thing we have to take a stand on Sad

OP posts:
PoloMintCity · 29/12/2013 19:03

What does your GP say? Could she have any undiagnosed/underlying conditions that make her so hungry?

whitsernam · 29/12/2013 19:03

I'm not the most knowledgable poster on the planet, but have you taken her to the GP? Is she overweight? There is a syndrome that involves non-stop eating; it's very difficult to deal with, but I'd want to rule out a medical reason before anything else.

Good luck!! This has to be very draining on your energy....Sad

Marne · 29/12/2013 19:03

I would just offer her fruit (a apple or banana).

My 8 year old dd is the same, would eat all day, we have had to put a lock on the kitchen as she has Autism and doesn't seem to know when she is full, she now has to ask for food and I offer her fruit (I am happy for her to eat as much as she likes).

Madamecastafiore · 29/12/2013 19:05

How much does she drink? Could she be thirsty?

I don't think what she has eaten is that much to be honest. Some days my DS eats that much.

Could you stop giving her huge portions to get her used to eating smaller amounts?

Whereisegg · 29/12/2013 19:06

my ds is 7, and tbh that amount of food doesn't seem excessive.

ds will also ask for food A LOT and depending on how long until the next meal, we will just direct him to the fruit bowl.

It is the screaming that would annoy me.

ScrambledSmegs · 29/12/2013 19:07

Is she always like this or is it phases? Does she seem to ever be full? If not I would suggest going to the GP.

Have you heard of Prader Willi Syndrome? I met a teenage boy with this syndrome (amongst other health issues) and his parents actually had to keep the fridge and food cupboards locked as he would eat constantly otherwise. He never felt full.

HECTheHeraldAngelsSing · 29/12/2013 19:07

Take her to the gp to rule out any physical problem.

offer her a drink every time she claims to be hungry. Children often mistake thirst for hunger.

if you rule out physical problem and thirst then shes just going to have to scream. She needs to learn that she doesnt have to feel stuffed full all the time. Or she will become very unhealthy .

NigellasDealer · 29/12/2013 19:07

is she overweight?
do you encourage her to drink water when she thinks she is hungry/

HECTheHeraldAngelsSing · 29/12/2013 19:08

Oh, and make her diet more protein heavy. Apparently that makes you less hungry.

Madamecastafiore · 29/12/2013 19:08

It may be she is exerting control through food though. To get attention.

feesh · 29/12/2013 19:08

That doesn't seem like a lot of food to me! I was always a skinny minny with a massive appetite when I was growing up. I'm sure I ate more than that most days!

TippiShagpile · 29/12/2013 19:09

Is she overweight?

Beamur · 29/12/2013 19:09

That doesn't sound like an excessive amount of food (but obv depends on portion sizes, how active she is and if her weight is normal)
I think I'd also want to be sure you're not dealing with any underlying health issues first too. Sounds like yr sticking to a pretty healthy diet there as well.

Dollydishus · 29/12/2013 19:15

That's not masses of food for a child if they are in a growth spurt. My very slight but energetic 7 year old would eat that and still be hungry (boy). Agree with other posters, offer water or milk, fruit, or toast. Something filling but dull.

Both my sons are hungry within 30 minutes of eating tea. Even if they've eaten loads and said they were full. They top up on fruit, bread and butter, milk. One is 7 and one is 16, always been like this.

They are not in the least over weight, rather the other way, like whippets in fact.

Don't battle over food. Provide dull, filling items without any fuss and plenty of plain drinks, to take out the attention factor.

And check with your GP for other issues.

stillenacht · 29/12/2013 19:17

My DS is 10 (he has severe autism) and has eaten the following today:

A nutella sandwich
A bacon sandwich
A cheese sandwich
2 yoghurts
2 small packets if buttons
A banana
6 packets of crisps (! I know but crisps are a nightmare with him.. He could easily get through 12 packets a day if I let him)
Meatballs and pasta
A Freddo

I expect he will have another nutella sandwich before bed. He is on epilepsy med which makes him hungry but I don't think what your dd has had is a lot. DS is not overweight by the waySmile

TippiShagpile · 29/12/2013 19:18

This is interesting for me as I have a ds (8) who will hardly eat a thing and is all skin and bone. His brother (9) is skinny but tries everything and eats well. Ds2 is less than 3 stone.

stickysausages · 29/12/2013 19:21

Agree a visit to GP is in order, for you as much as her, as I'm not sure she is actually over eating...?

aciddrops · 29/12/2013 19:22

If she is not overweight then you have no need to worry. I have a DS like that and it is irritating but he is thin so I don't worry.

willowstar · 29/12/2013 19:23

My 4 year old daughter would get through that if she was in an eating everything phase...she is tall but slim. It doesn't seem particularly excessive to me.

Grennie · 29/12/2013 19:23

I was like that as a child. My feeling of being full is very slight and I have had to learn to recognise it as an adult. As a child I ate until I was stuffed if I was allowed to.

HECTheHeraldAngelsSing · 29/12/2013 19:25

I think thats loads of food. I am surprised so many of you think its a small amount of food!

toast AND cereal for breakfast, a baked potato topped with cheese for lunch, a LARGE full roast dinner, plus several snacks?

and yelling for food two hours after a large meal?

RhondaJean · 29/12/2013 19:26

She hasn't eaten that much really, I would be offering a plain food like toast, if she is genuinely hungry she will eat it but if not then there's no "reward" in it?

RhondaJean · 29/12/2013 19:27

Lol hec epic cross posts there

tumbletumble · 29/12/2013 19:28

My DS age 8 eats loads but is very active and very skinny. Is your DD overweight?