2 year old constantly whining for snacks!

[GlummyMummy]

I've posted on here about this before but the problem has really escalated recently so really hoping someone has some good advice!

My 2 year old daughter spends her whole day looking for food, it seems to occupy her every thought and I can only distract her for so long before she asks for it again. It's slightly better if we are out of the house but if we are at home she just constantly stands pointing at the cupboard and shouting for snack, cheese, sweeties etc etc. I try to ignore her but she is very persistent and it's particularly embarrassing if we have someone in the house with us.

How has anyone else coped with this? I am paranoid she is going to end up huge, as she seems to eat so much more than other kids. I am always amazed when we are at toddler groups etc and parents have to persuade their kids to leave the toys and come and eat snack....my daughter is always the first one there! If we are playing at other kids houses, she has usually finished their snack and hers before they even come looking for it! It's mortifying!

She has become quite a wingey child lately in general (definitely the terrible twos) and is very strong willed and demanding. I hope it's just a phase as it's exhausting! Nothing seems to occupy her, she doesn't even settle for a story these days, so I'm getting no respite at all!

Any ideas/anything worked for others?

As for constantly looking for snacks, I am repeating myself but just say no. Repeatedly, a hundred times if necessary. She's only asking because you give them to her. If you don't, she won't bother.

Fabfivefreddie makes a good point. You don't need to completely cut carbs out of meals, everyone needs some carbs, however you should try to cut down the amount in her snacks.

Snacks could be:
Banana
Natural yogurt with honey
Carrot sticks with dip
Cheese sticks or babybel
Handful of nuts (watch for choking though)
Mini cocktail sausages

What do you usually do when she whines for snacks? I remember reading somewhere about something similar and one mum had cracked this problem by treating whining for food like any other whining. She started giving a firm talk about how whining was not acceptable every time it happened and told the child to stop. If he/she didn't then they had a timeout. It soon broke the habit although the important thing is to make it not about the food but the behaviour so it's the whiny voice/food stamping/constant repetition that you concentrate on when telling off rather than repeating 'no you can't have a snack/biscuit/whatever'. Obviously you say that at first so they know they can't have one but if the whining continues you concentrate on the whining and give a consequence for that.

If its a real problem psychologically for both of you then I'd reorganise the cupboards, show her that there are no more biscuits by opening the cupboard where she knows they are kept and showing that it is now full of plates/ try pasta/ tins or whatever, and have a "graze plate" out all the time with cut up apple, carrot sticks, a couple of babybel or just chunksof cheese, a hard boiled egg cut in two, whatever other things she will / might eat but isn't obsessive about, and weather the tantrum Ing for anything else by insisting she can eat all she wants from the graze plate but that there are no other types of snacks in the house.

That way she has control of how much, and has possession, but you control what she eats.

Let her have some control though - most eating disorders are to some extent about being desperate to be incontrol of something and focusing that need on food.

Also just spending more time outdoors away from the house is a good idea - helps generally with coping with days with toddlers and with avoiding over eating in people of all ages.

Don't let controlling your DD's food intake and worrying your 2 year old will get huge dominate your relationship though - make sure you always let her have something if she claims hunger but don't be afraid to weather the tantrum when you tell her she can have as much x y or z as she likes but no biscuits ... and distract her by getting out and about (even if it's just a walk with her in the buggy or her sitting in a swing at the park with you pushing) so you aren't both obsessing over her eating/ not eating all the time!

good tips everyone, really useful. I like the idea of a graze plate and re-organising the cupboards, as I say a lot of it is about possession for her so if there is food in sight all the time she might relax more. This is harder to do when out and about but would work in the house.

For info, she is 88cm and 2 stone 2 at age two. Not sure if that is overweight or not!

At that age ds grazed constantly.

No she isn't overweight (you can check on nhs website) my 16 month old is a similar build and fine according to the hv.
It amazes me how much food they can put away, 2yr old ate 2 hotdogs and a nectarine for lunch today. I'm a little scared of the teenage yrs!

I know!! no wonder our food bill has trebled! Daughter seems to be a grazer, lots of snacks and not a big fan of meals! I find it hard as there are only a few meals she will actually eat (mostly bread/pasta based) but trying to keep reintroducing other things so she might take to them one day!

Hmm this sounds very common. Make sure the meals he has is full that he won't feel hungry . Kids after all like to munch snacks than normal diets. it will change with time.

Lots of useful advice here. Just thought I'd chip in though - the fact that she's fussy about what she'll eat at meal times and is limited suggests she's actually not that hungry. I've pretty much dropped snacks now, other than when she's been really active, or my 2.3 y/o just won't eat her main meal. She seems to have survived and I find it MUCH easier to get a good, varied diet into her through meals than I do with lots of snacks.

Highlove - you have hit the nail on the head! She isn't hungry I dont think, as often she will hold onto the snack in her hands for a while before opening. I definitely think it's boredom and also just the possession thing of having something that's hers! I don't usually give snacks in the morning if we are just at home, she has lunch at 11.30am anyway. She is definitely worst if she has people round. She knows that folk round = kettle on = snacks coming out!!

It is hard to think of different meals for her now, particularly as she is really averse to using a spoon and everything has to be finger food. Feel we alternate between about 3 different options and that's it!

This is odd and might be just my weirdo 2 year old but he likes carrots/celery sticks to dip into an egg rather than bread!

Tinned chickpeas make a great toddler snack

wow, swg - that's impressive! My daughter would think the world had ended if I offered her a celery stick!! ;-)

And Kiwiinkits - she actually does quite like chickpeas in meals so might give that a go! thanks

I think it's a mixture of his daddy liking celery as a snack and the fact he's allowed to wander around with chopped celery in a bowl. (I hate the stuff but you do you, kid)

good for him though!!

Glummymummy- I was wondering if things improved?