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Original poster

5 year old secret eating?!

393 replies

Frozenheart · 18/09/2021 18:03

My lovely 5 year old DD has always been a very good eater ever since she was weaned.
The last couple of months, I have come downstairs to find my fridge and cupboards raided. All of this is being eaten before I wake up in the mornings.
Yesterday, her morning raid consisted of:

6x small petits filos yoghurts, 1x dairylea dunker, 1x apple and 1x satsuma.

This morning, she ate 6x more small yogurts, 1x packet of wotsits and 3x plain tortilla wraps Confused

We always make sure we have filling, healthy meals during the day, but the words ”im still hungry still come out after finishing her meals and when we put her to bed!
In reception class last year, she was weighed and measured and it later came back to us that she is overweight. This wasn’t a surprise to us, as she has always been ahead of ages in clothes for her age. and her dad and I aren’t the slimmest of people!Grin

So my main question is, would any see this as a cause for concern and to contact the gp? Is there anything we could change?

OP posts:
EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 00:06

No as unpalatable as op and others find the thread
The comments aren’t mean
There’s no Pearl clutching
It’s not snarky
But advising op to ignore posts and minimising isn’t a kindness, it’s a falsehood to ignore a problem in order to not cause offence

This is fixable , op plans to change things. That’s to her credit

ElephantOfRisk · 19/09/2021 00:06

Plain popcorn also makes a decent snack.

Sunshinelover2 · 19/09/2021 00:10

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 01:35

I don’t think it is useful to apply a pejorative label like food addiction to a 5yo
This is easily fixed, op wants to sort this out. Not useful to pathologise this

Susannahmoody · 19/09/2021 01:39

Have you had her tested for diabetes?

georgarina · 19/09/2021 05:34

God there are some disgusting comments on this thread.

There's some good advice too though OP - hope you can take it onboard, use it to make some positive changes and ignore the rest.

mynameisbrian · 19/09/2021 08:12

This wasn’t a surprise to us, as she has always been ahead of ages in clothes for her age. and her dad and I aren’t the slimmest of people! Grin

That’s why I suggested you found it amusing as he put a little grin at the end of this sentence.

You never respond to anything anyone says or advice. In my post I mentioned many things abs you focussed on me suggesting you find it amusing. Says it all really.

Original poster
Frozenheart · 19/09/2021 08:32

@mynameisbrian if you actually look back on the thread, you’ll find I’ve responded to polite advice

OP posts:
00100001 · 19/09/2021 08:35

@Cherrysoup

Prader-willi?

My first thought. Get her checked. I don’t think this is normal at all.

Prader-willi is NOT a 5yo eating junk unsupervised in the morning.

Give the kid decent food,and I can guarantee they're magically not hungry. Especially if the food they get when they say they're hungry after a full meal isn't sugar snacks (little packs of cereals, cakes, Petit Filous etc) or wotsits.

00100001 · 19/09/2021 08:35

[quote Frozenheart]@mynameisbrian if you actually look back on the thread, you’ll find I’ve responded to polite advice[/quote]
How did getting up with DD go today?

What did she eat for breakfast?

Bluntness100 · 19/09/2021 08:38

@mswales

Just jumping on here to say OP my just turned 4 year old also watches TV in the morning while I sleep and most of the parents I know get extra sleep while their kid watches a bit of TV first thing in the morning! Just wanted to stress you are not the only one doing this at all! May not be usual on Mumsnet but it does seem to be in real life. It's a great thing about them getting a bit older. He is always within earshot. I sit while he eats a tangerine or banana as I am still too scared of choking to have him eat unsupervised but then I go back to sleep for anything up to an hour until he wakes me up to say he's hungry.
But that’s not what’s happening? This child doesn’t eat for thirteen hours straight then gets up and has to find her own breakfast and she’s left alone for two to three hours. And this isn’t something everyone does.why would you post this? Thay little girl is five and she’s at risk, from choking, trying to use the cooker, falling, anything. You protect the child first, not try to make the op feel better.
icedcoffees · 19/09/2021 08:42

She doesn't have food addiction.

She's a 5yo left unattended who is raiding the cupboards as she's hungry - many small children would do similar if placed in the same scenario.

OP has recognised the issue and hopefully things got off to a better start today.

Bluntness100 · 19/09/2021 08:43

Give the kid decent food,and I can guarantee they're magically not hungry. Especially if the food they get when they say they're hungry after a full meal isn't sugar snacks (little packs of cereals, cakes, Petit Filous etc) or wotsits

Exactly. Some people are responding like this is a well fed adult who is capable of making food choices, which is concerning. It’s a Little girl who has a very poor diet and is neglected in the mornings.

CatTerrier · 19/09/2021 08:47

I used to do this as a child and my children do it too, none of us are over weight.

In our house, biscuits are inaccessible and we did go through a period of using cupboard locks, children now know that they can help themselves to cereal or fruit.

No way would I be getting up before my children at weekends 🙄

If they were eating things like yoghurts they would find that there would be none available after supper.

Bluntness100 · 19/09/2021 08:49

If they were eating things like yoghurts they would find that there would be none available after supper

A five year old isn’t capable of making thay connection when hungry and alone. And if you leave your five year old alone for two to three hours at a time and leave her to make her own breakfast then you also are at fault.

Saying oh I neglect my five year old too doesn’t make it ok.

Original poster
Frozenheart · 19/09/2021 08:52

@00100001 hi,

I actually woke up to dd in my bed this morning , she got up and I got up to go to the toilet, heard the fridge open and shouted downstairs to wait until I’ve come down the stairs.
I then gave her some weetabix, she asked for a yoghurt after and I said no, so she had an apple instead.

OP posts:
CatTerrier · 19/09/2021 08:53

Regarding constantly saying she is hungry, we get that and it got awful over lockdown. We now have a rule that we have snacks at 11am and 3.30pm, anything around that they can have something from the fruit bowl. On the whole they are now used to the routine and ask me less!

TheGrumpyGoat · 19/09/2021 08:54

No way would I be getting up before my children at weekends 🙄

I thought it was just normal to get up at the same time as your children!

zippadeedoo · 19/09/2021 09:01

That's great OP - well done for taking the advice. Hope you can stick to it for most days and hopefully your daughter will be more content and satisfied with a hearty breakfast when she gets up

icedcoffees · 19/09/2021 09:04

No way would I be getting up before my children at weekends 🙄

Isn't it just part of being a parent to get up with your kids and supervise them on weekends?

DominicRaabsTravelAgent · 19/09/2021 09:04

That's a great start Frozen Smile

Bluntness100 · 19/09/2021 09:11

Well done op! That’s a great start.

Original poster
Frozenheart · 19/09/2021 09:15

Thank you, I have also made a vow to myself to start going to bed a bit earlier myself on weekends (I go to bed at 10pm when she has school), as once dd is in bed I seize that chance to relax (binge Netflix etc) and before I know it, it’s 12amBlush so as for next weekend, it’s early to bed for me!

OP posts:
Newchallenge · 19/09/2021 09:49

Sounds like you have made a great start making changes there OP. Good luck!

EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 09:57

Morning @Frozenheart that sounds like a nice morning with breakfast and time with dd. She’ll love her time with mum, you’re the very person she wants to be with
I miss lie ins they’re a distant memory but hey ho…