Ravenous toddler

[FairMidden]

DS is 21 months and has been having a growth spurt, I reckon. For the last 3 weeks or so he's been waking in the night (as usual) but sometimes isn't satisfied with a breastfeed and asks for food. A few times we've given him a sandwich in the night and he's then gone back to sleep. The other night he'd had a huge dinner so I kept the lights off and offered him an ultra-boring cold boiled potato thinking he was trying it on a bit - he complained because it was cold then went back to sleep .

Anyway, he had a big dinner last night at around half 6 - Cumberland sausage, and roast veg and potatoes, and a pot of fromage frais. He woke before 6 this morning, still tired, had a breastfeed then begged for breakfast. He's obviously being woken up because he's so hungry.

I don't really know what to do - not keen to keep giving him food in the night but we're eating quite late and he does still seem hungry in the night at times. Any suggestions?

my ds at this age was just the same went on for few months then stopped he lived on bread and butter not ideal but we had to do what worked and kept him settled he did start sleeping through

my ds is now 4 and always hungry again

I used to give mine porridge right before they went to bed when they were having a growth spurt.

Hmmmmm, porridge before bed had crossed my mind but he usually has dinner then goes straight for a bath and bed, which doesn't leave much time to get another meal in. Plus, he's full from having dinner. We'll maybe try it though.

I don't mind giving him food in the night (goodness knows we're up with him every night anyway, I'm not expecting a sleep through), but I suspect he'll get wise and claim he's hungry. I just need to make sure it's something really boring I guess!

6.30pm is v late for him to be having tea (imho). Does he have a substantial afternoon tea? E.g. if my 19mo had to wait until 6.30pm (which has been known) he's had afternoon snack at 3ish and another snack at 5ish then full-on dinner. Maybe he could have earlier dinner then supper with something to eat and a big drink of milk?

His mealtimes are pretty irregular tbh - some days he's home with DP, some days with me, sometimes with the CM. If he's with the CM he doesn't get home until after half 5, then dinner has to be prepared, so it would still be late then. As far as snacks, there's no real routine - he usually has a couple of pieces of fruit, an oatcake and cheese or something throughout the afternoon, but just as and when. Some days he eats this, sometimes not. I'm reluctant to force him into a routine because every day is different

Today he came home from the CM, said he was hungry, then refused his dinner and eventually had a few bites of a ham sandwich. He's got some warm milk with him now and DP is putting him to bed.

I'm starting to wonder if half of his constant squitty nappies issues are because his eating is too irregular, but then I start to think I'm getting too uptight about making him eat when I think he should and creating fights

Both my ds's were like this from 18m till nearly 3! They are tall and grew an awful lot.
Sometimes we'd give a banana late, or sometimes weetabix for supper.

On work days they have tea at nursery 4pm then tea with us at 6.30, on home days they have tea at 5 with me or dp then supper at 7.30 before bed otherwise they will wake up starving at 5am.