Do you let your children decide how much food they want, within reason?

[sandyballs]

My 6 year olds seem to be eating excessively the last couple of weeks. They're both tall and thin, so the weight issue isn't a problem but it seems greedy and excessive, plus expensive .

For instance, they'll eat two full bowls of cereal for breakfast and sometimes a yoghurt or fruit as well.

Lunchtime they will either have a hot school dinner or sandwiches, crisps (occasionally), yoghurt, fruit.

They'll come home starving and devour a big plate of dinner - spag bolognese, shepherds pie, fish fingers, or something similar and then about an hour later want a couple of rounds of toast, yoghurt, fruit. Should I limit this? DH thinks if they're hungry let them have it, it's not as if they're eating rubbish, but it seems such a lot.

I'm obviously grateful that they eat but would appreciate your views.

Anyone?

no - I left ds (10) eat as much or as little as he likes - he generally eats really well and very healthily and is skinny - he just regulates himself - no fads or real dislikes apart from milk,yogurt and cheese.

Mine go through phases of this. Probably a growth spurt. I wouldn't limit healthy food - if they're hungry, they're hungry. We have a policy of bread and butter and fruit always being allowed.

I do.

They have cycles of eating and not eating.

I think it's probably pretty healthy to eat when you're hungry and not when you're not.

Yes they have as much as they want, but I'll do a bargain that they can have a bowl of rice krispies if they eat an apple first, or with DS as he's fussy "if you'll try a strawberry" or something else healthy.

gah ! when I said no I meant yes - he can eat as much or as little as he likes at meal times !

if mine are still hungry I offer them something like an apple or a bowl of cereal, or a rice cake - if they are hungry they will eat it - if not then I assume they are not hungry.

Growth spurt? Kids eat loads just before a growth spurt!

As long as it is healthy stuff - and fruit is offered between meals, not crisps etc, it's not going to kill them.

wholemeal bread is best as it is slow release.
coco pops bad. weetabix/shredded wheat good!
good breakfast would be something like wholemeal toast, weetabix, fruit juice and yoghurt.
Healthy dinner then if they are hungry later, offer fruit, carrot sticks etc.
Drinks. If they say they are hungry, get them to drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. If they still say they are hungry, give them fruit or similar.
Entertainment. What do they do after school? Kids can snack if they are bored.

I dont let my DS choose the quantity of food he eats, but try to listen to him when he's hungry. I was brought up on a fairly strict eating regime where food was dished out at meal times and small snacks i.e biscuit or fruit at 11 and 4. If the previous meal wasnt eaten then the following snack wasnt allowed... 'If you arent hungry enough to eat all your lunch then you wont be needing a snack at 4' etc.
However you dont seem to have the not eating problem i would say maybe just try to routine it? For example if they had a big dinner and you know for a FACT they cant be ravenous just a light snack following?
Provided they are getting enough excercise (and your wallet isnt empty) I wouldnt worry about it TOO much, just keep an eye on things a little closer if you are worried.
Hopefully someone with a little more savvy will be along to help soon, or already has done in the time it took me to delete most of the nonsense i wrote that wasnt relevant

I don't know anymore. I used to subsribe to the 'as long as you eat your main meals you can have something else' school of thought. But now my eldest (10) eats endlessly after school then an adult portion of food for dinner plus a pudding of some kind, followed by a handful of apples, cheese and crackers later in the evening. And weekends are an endless graze - mostly healthy stuff and he is very active. But he is beginning to put on weight round the middle. Not a huge amount but enough to be noticeable when he's walking around naked or in his undercrackers. It might be a growth spurt coming up but it's been there for a few months now.

So I don't know. Not helpful I know but I am beginning to worry that I am going to have to cut his intake back a little. DOn't want to as he genuinely seems hungry but I don't want him to start piling on the weight just at the time when he's likely to become self-conscious about it.

Agree with the growth spurters ()!! Mine can have as much as they want at mealtimes, andd can have snacks as long as they are mostly decent quality. Of course with a bit of a treat thrown in!!!

I think that they eat over a week rather than over a day, if you see what I mean. My ds will eat HUGELY one day then very little the next. So long as it's healthy, then I'd let them get on with it. I would make sure the fruit bowl's always available, and offer wholemeal bread if they say they're hungry when you know they've had a good dinner.

Have you thought of introducing more whole grains into their diet? Wholemeal pasta, for example?

However, I do think that children (like adults) sometimes eat because they are bored - do you think this could be an issue? I know that mine would eat continually on a long car journey, for example!

Thanks for all your replies. I don't think it is boredom, they always seem to have something to do, they don't veg out in front of the tv snacking very often. They just seem to be hungry all the time. I think they eat more than Dh .