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Parenting

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Help! My 9 year old will not stop eating

12 replies

MichaelMosleyisagod · 02/06/2020 19:23

I am looking for advice. My nine year old daughter will not stop eating - she grazes constantly. Due to reduced activity levels in lockdown (despite our regular encouragement), she has now put on quite a bit of weight. How do I broach they subject with her? I am more than aware that saying the wrong thing at this age could be detrimental. Has anyone else had the same problem? Many thanks in advance

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LivingThatLockdownLife · 02/06/2020 19:25

Don't have any junk food in the house. Hide the bread. If it's not there she can't eat it.

I wouldn't say anything to her really, just remove the junk and offer healthy snacks instead. Look at keto snacks.

midnightstar66 · 02/06/2020 19:26

My 7 year old is the same. I've not mentioned it but have been providing different snacks - thankfully she loves raw veg and fruit and started couch to 5k and asked her to do it with me. We've also been taking more bike rides, long walks etc which not only cuts down on snacking time but gets her active too

CorianderLord · 02/06/2020 19:52

Don't look at keto snacks, a child does not need to be putting her body into ketogenesis Hmm yes just hide the bad snack and tel her you have to watch what you have in the fridge for dinners as it's hard to get so the shop so she needs to ask because she takes anything but fruit

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LivingThatLockdownLife · 03/06/2020 06:53

I didn't mean keto snacks for weight loss. I find keto snacks helpful because they can help one feel full. Unlike carbs or fruit which can make one feel more hungry 5 mins later.

SnuggyBuggy · 03/06/2020 06:57

I agree you need to not have it available. It sounds like she is eating out of boredom rather than hunger

Widowodiw · 03/06/2020 07:02

You are surely allowing her to graze all day? If she’s 9 you can do away with her having free access to the food. Mine are 8 and 11 and have to ask for food still. If I say no, then they don’t get anything.

4amWitchingHour · 03/06/2020 07:04

Does she have to ask for snacks or is it free rein? At 9 you still have a responsibility to monitor/control her food intake, don't put the responsibility all on her by having a conversation about grazing and weight gain. She needs your help and part of that is imposing boundaries.

Aria20 · 03/06/2020 07:09

My 9 yo son is the same, Asking for snacks all the time, keep saying to him he's bored not hungry but he's still eating all his dinner...
I give him raw carrot sticks, peppers and cucumber or an apple or banana instead when he asks and if he's still asking after that he does have a biscuit. He hasn't put on any weight though he's very slim and lanky!

LeGrandBleu · 03/06/2020 07:22

She doesn't eat snacks because she is hungry but because it is an habit or out of boredom, so the point is not the type of snack but stopping the snacking full stop.
I am French and live in Australia and still after all those years I don't understand why people eat all the time, everywhere, adult carrying food in bags, cars, even for a simple walk to the Parc.
In France, we have breakfast, then nothing until lunch around 12.30-1pm then a seated afternoon snack (can be fruit, biscuits, cake, yoghurt) at 4pm then nothing till dinner around 7.30-8pm.

The stomach doesn't need to be full all the time. It is ok to feel hunger which is very different than cravings but are caused by addictions to certain food.

In our home, we only eat in the kitchen or dining table. No food in bedrooms or lounge, only water. You could do the same in your house. Blame the crumbs or stains to say enough, we only eat sitting down together, and only 4 times a day.
Also, when the biscuits , crips, chocolate are finished, don't buy more. Don't buy the industrial white bread but a dark rustic one, then even if she sneaks in the kitchen, there won't be much to pick from and she will slowly lose the habit.

It has nothing to do with weightloss but detrimental eating habits. Nobody needs daily crisps or oreos and they have no place in a healthy life style. Of course there are biscuit or chocolate from time to time, but not daily.

The contrast is so evident whenever we go to New Caledonia, when you see French families, reading, sunbathing, chatting on the and then you can tell a cruise ship has arrived because families have those gigantic bags of crisps, of savoury cracker or biscuits, which they bought in Australia to eat during the cruise .

yikesanotherbooboo · 03/06/2020 07:22

No need to broach it with her. She will grow into her weight. Stop the snacks and keep a sensible eye over portions.it is not good for children and little girls in particular to be feeling bad about themselves and their weight. At this age it is very easy to remedy and you have full control.

Rockbird · 03/06/2020 07:28

My 8yo is food obsessed too. She always was but she's ten times worse now and she's also got very chunky and she knows it (I haven't said and would never say that to her). I've already told her that once our current tuck shop is run down I won't be buying more. I'm happy to up my baking for the occasional treats but we have plenty of fruit and veg she can snack on, it's totally boredom driving her.

Michaelmosleyisagod · 03/06/2020 22:43

Thanks all. Will try some of your suggestions - we are mainly struggling as we are both working full time from home and juggling home schooling, so she often grazes when we are in meetings!! And if there are no snacks, she bakes 🤦🏼‍♀️ so think I need to hide the flour too!

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