Always hungury 4 year old or just habbit?

[myermay]

My 4 year old has always been a good eater. I think it seems odd as my elder child is not bothered whether he eats or not. Ds2 is always saying he's hungury. We only had lunch an hour ago, sandwich, yoghurt, crisps, mini sausages & fruit and lolly pop ^ waterbut now he's just told me again that he's hungury. So i offered fruit and he's declined.

I'm wondering however if it's boredom? or habbit that he gotten into. Is it normal for kids to always want food? i do find that he's quite a repetitive child anyway, he tells me he loves me constantly, which is why i'm wondering if he just saying it because he's bored? any suggestions welcome

Mine says (in v wingey voice) "I'm huuuungry" which is code for "I want chocolate/sweet/fruutshuut/Greggs sausage roll or similar. Invariably if I offer him a cheese sandwich or banana, he will accept if actually hungry or change his mind when he realises "special treats" not on offer at the mo .

Having said that, both my 5 and 6 year old absolutely astonish me by the amounts they can eat and how soon after a proper meal they have an appetite again. DS2 has now v much taken to the concept of a "tape worm" inside him that steals all his food - maybe I should not have mentioned that to him ??

So, if your DS is not overweight, healthy, eats healthy stuff when he asks for more, I do not think you need to worry.

How's his weight? That should tell you a lot. I have an always hungry four year old too, but he's skinny as a bean and runs all day. He eats more than me, but hasn't an ounce of fat and always eats his meals. I let him have snacks - healthy ones controlled by me, but he can help himself to fruit whenever he wants. As he always eats at meal times, we've decided he needs the snacks iyswim. If he didn't, I wouldn't let him have them.

Does he drink plenty? If he is eating a lot then he will need lots of fluids, and children can sometimes mistake thirst for hunger, and that is quite a salty lunch