5 year old secret eating?!

[Frozenheart]

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

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!

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?

[Firetimeagain]

@Ohdofuckofdear

What does she eat at meal times OP?

If you post what she eats we might be able to help with some suggestions of how to fill her up for longer.

I believe People are genuinely trying to help OP. See past the insults - I think we are a bit surprised at how long she is supposed to go without food/company - but try to see past that and engage.
This is your chance to break the cycle of poor habits & weight gain. You don't want her on here in 15 years time saying she is overweight and that her poor habits were set in childhood.

Can her dad not get up with her?

[nimbuscloud]

Is she eating because she’s bored? 2.5 hours is a lot of time for a small child to fill .

[Firetimeagain]

@StrongerOrWeaker

What sorts of things does she eat for lunch and dinner?

Again StrongerOrWeaker might be an experienced dietician willing to help & advise.
See past the criticism & give more info?

[JuliaBlackberry]

@Frozenheart

Can I confirm that this isn’t just happening in the mornings, I feel like a lot of you are focusing on her morning eating when after lunch snd teatime she is still saying she is hungry…

This confirms what everyone is saying - you need to get up and supervise her breakfast.

[CelloYouveGotABass]

When I was younger my parents worked shifts so used to leave breakfast out for us, cereal/bowl etc. and we would get the milk ourselves. It was clear that we could eat as much cereal, but other food was strictly off limits without asking. I don’t think this was a problem

[1AngelicFruitCake]

Has she got into a habit of eating out of boredom? I had problems with one of my children eating loads or saying they were hungry. I’m not slim and am about 2 stone overweight so I didn’t want them to be like me! I introduced firm times for breakfast, lunch and tea and made sure snacks were fruit or sometimes crackers and kept to it. Eventually she lost interest in asking so much.

As for the getting up on her own, I’ve always got up with mine and that means I’m able to see what they eat as well as spending time with them.

Finally, if you are both overweight then you need to tackle this. Don’t normalise being fat as just how you are. I say this kindly as I’m overweight and love eating and it’s so hard! If she sees you eating loads this might be normal to her so think about changing your habits, in front of her at least.

[twoundertwo2]

Maybe you could start waking up with her?
Tell her when she wakes up to come straight to you.
Then you can get breakfast ready for her & have breakfast together.
You could maybe also explain that if she ever needs a snack or is hungry she mustn't help herself but come to you instead?
I would also leave a glass of water by her bed to drink first thing when she wakes up. Often children get being thirsty/ hungry mixed up

[Ozanj]

[quote Frozenheart]@Carboncheque really? DD wakes up between 6am and 7am on weekends, I wake up around 8.30am on weekends, unless it’s a school day.[/quote]
Wake up earlier. She must be starving bless her.

[Clymene]

@CelloYouveGotABass

When I was younger my parents worked shifts so used to leave breakfast out for us, cereal/bowl etc. and we would get the milk ourselves. It was clear that we could eat as much cereal, but other food was strictly off limits without asking. I don’t think this was a problem

Well it wasn't a problem for you but it clearly is for the OP's child.

She's eating because she's lonely and bored. That's an association that you need to stop in its tracks now before it becomes ingrained. I would talk to your GP because she's very young to be laying down these pathways. And you need to get up with her.

[Frozenheart]

Just a bit more background of her day to day eating for lunch and tea.

Lunch: ham sandwich, yoghurt, apple, fruit pouch, sometimes a dairylea dunker if no bread / ham etc.
Tea: all home cooked meals made by me or DH. Spag Bol, lasagna, chicken curry, meatballs and pasta, roast dinner, fish with veg and baked potato, sausage casserole etc are just some of the meals we may have during the week.
She will then usually have a small pot of jelly for dessert or a banana.

Snacks throughout the day might include (not all in one day) : box of raisins, cheese-string, fruit, fruit pouch, toast cut into squares with butter and jam on.

Hope this helps give an insight now.

[Mossstitch]

For goodness sake, stop guilt tripping the poor op and give helpful advice, I'm sure she knows her child well enough to know if she is safe on her own downstairs! All of mine went down at weekend watching cartoons on a Saturday morning leaving me in bed a lot younger than 5yrs old, I was a light sleeper and heard them! I would say that those tiny boxes of cereal are very tiny, mine used them like popcorn in front of TV when about 2 but no where near filling enough for a 5 Yr old nor petit filous which I wouldn't have in, full size, full fat live yoghurt like the organic Yeo Valley ones more nutritious and filling for children who need the fat soluble vitamins in full fat dairy products. Just talk to her about healthy eating and leave something more filling for her to help herself to like shreddies or weetabix. Mine did always have 'supper' before bed as well, eg toast/bagel/cereal and milk drink so perhaps didn't wake up as hungry. They also all went through a 'podgy' stage before growth spurts 4-5 being one and 10-11 but are now all pretty normal weight adults, although weirdly all three different builds, youngest is 6'2" bean pole!

[teraculum29]

Maybe prepare some breakfast bits the night before and put on the table so when she gets up she can have it?
or pre prepare her breakfast and put in the fridge and say to her that whats in that bowl/container she can have??

[1AngelicFruitCake]

@Frozenheart

Just a bit more background of her day to day eating for lunch and tea.

Lunch: ham sandwich, yoghurt, apple, fruit pouch, sometimes a dairylea dunker if no bread / ham etc.
Tea: all home cooked meals made by me or DH. Spag Bol, lasagna, chicken curry, meatballs and pasta, roast dinner, fish with veg and baked potato, sausage casserole etc are just some of the meals we may have during the week.
She will then usually have a small pot of jelly for dessert or a banana.

Snacks throughout the day might include (not all in one day) : box of raisins, cheese-string, fruit, fruit pouch, toast cut into squares with butter and jam on.

Hope this helps give an insight now.

This sounds healthy and normal to me! Does she have many vegetables? Does she drink enough? I’ve tried swapping cereal for porridge and white bread\pasta for wholemeal.

[fruitbrewhaha]

You say she is safe downstairs without you, not hanging off the chandeliers, but that also she is on her own binging. So not safe then really. She needs your company.

She is over weight, you are overweight, you need to get on top of why you are eating too much.

[Clymene]

It's not unhelpful to say that the OP's DD clearly shouldn't be downstairs on her own @Mossstitch The kid is eating because she's alone downstairs every weekend morning for several hours. You don't have to be Poirot to come to that conclusion, nor is it unkind. And FWIW I agree that those individual cereal boxes are tiny.

BUT

The OP isn't a single parent so she and her husband can take it in turns to get up with their child.

She is already overweight and that is an issue when she's so young.

She is developing eating habits where she is associating food = comfort. That is a bigger to break and it needs to stop now or she will have disordered eating for life.

[Frozenheart]

@Winemewhynot I haven’t said we don’t do exercise as a family! We walk to and from school during the week, weekends we spend either at the park, soft play areas or seeing friends having picnics etc. Very quick of you to judge, and this is why I hate this website sometimes. I come on here asking for advice and just feel like I’m being branded as this awful, lazy af parent!

Granted I need to get up earlier with her, but sometimes I am up and in the shower or I am tidying the upstairs before heading downstairs. That little girl is loved, looked after and yes she may raid the cupboards and fridge; but I always, ALWAYS make sure that little girl has eaten something healthy when I am up and ready (toast, boiled eggs with soliders etc.)

So many people are so quick to judge, it really infuriates me when I come on here asking for advice and people are just having a go at me for saying I’m lazy…

[Husbandswife]

Stop buying wotsits/fromage frais/ white bread, wraps etc. Also ham is rubbish to feed a child. It’s a lot of processed food for a child (or anyone). It’s known to make you overeat.
Have the cupboards and fridge full of Greek yogurt, fruit, veggie sticks, healthy cereals (not Rice Krispies) etc.
Then rather than controlling the amount she eats she can eat as much healthy food as she likes.
Sometimes people are just bulk eaters (myself included). I have always like large plates of food, the key for me to stop being overweight is to make sure the majority of that food is veg and healthy. Otherwise I’d be morbidly obese.

I watched a show recently on what we feed our kids, it was quite interesting and well worth a watch. It addressed how easy it is to overeat certain foods, ones that we think we’re being healthy with.

[Thefaceofboe]

Get your lazy arse out of bed with your child! You lay in bed for hours whilst a five year old is eating shit and getting fatter and fatter!

Oh ffs is there any need to be so nasty. The OP has stated it’s not just a morning problem and that her child is constantly hungry, clearly looking for advice. About 50 posters have said for her to get up and sort breakfast out earlier so I think she gets the hint now.

But anyway her diet sounds pretty good, maybe she could have porridge or a crumpet before bed if she’s extra hungry in the morning? It does seem quite early to be having her tea without anything after x

[Tangledtresses]

Omg your getting so much grief here!!! My son does exactly the same... he gets up and eats a breakfast of sorts... pan au chocolate maybe a yoghurt or some cereal
He then wakes me up at 7....

I would just put out breakfast on the table and he can help himself

It's not secret eating it's just being independent!

[Thefaceofboe]

Also could you set up a snack basket with healthy snacks in for the day? And say when the basket is empty, all snacks are gone so she can ration throughout the day. Saw it on Facebook during lockdown and thought it was fab

[Frozenheart]

@Winemewhynot you’re actually vile; your attitude on my post is disgusting! Please go away.

[Veryverycalmnow]

Not advice, but I wish my DS would eat half of the stuff you list on here- he's at the other extreme- never seems hungry, hardly likes any food! Anyway, good luck with it.