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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

How to deal with greedy teen?

262 replies

JemimaThePuddleDuck · 05/06/2022 22:28

DS is 15.
He used to be sporty and fit, he was always playing out with his friends and was slim.
over covid he got into online gaming and he and his friends now just want to sit on discord calls playing games together every night, he doesn't go out, doesn't exercise and just wants to lie around watching YouTube or playing games.

He gave up all his sports and now spends most of his time in front of a screen.

I've tried to limit screen time, but it doesn't make a difference, he doesn't want to go outside or be active.

The main issue is his greediness and his weight.

Over the last six months he's become really greedy, like he can't control himself.
he's also gained weight, to the point where his clothes don't fit and I would consider him overweight.

It's definitely greediness, he's got into a habit of eating his packed lunch at break time, so by the time he gets home from school he is starving,
we always have plenty of easy to prepare food but he will go for the laziness option and stuff himself.

I tried to talk to him, discussed options and got in snacks he would like, but he will gorge himself on them.

Some examples,
He asked for specific cereals,
But he will eat the entire box, out of the bag, like it's a bag of crisps.
He asked for wraps and cheese to make quesadillas, he then ate two whole packs of wraps (16 in total) and a bag and a half of grated cheese, in two days.
He asked for instant noodles, he will make three packs at the same time in one bowl.
He asked for yoghurts, but will eat the entire multipack in a day or two.
He will make an enormous bowl of pasta, literally 250g (half a bag) of pasta and just have it with butter or pesto.
Multiple bags of crisps in one sitting.
More times than I can count he has eaten almost an entire loaf of bread either as toast or just bread and butter.

These are all for after school snacks, he then still expects a full meal for dinner two and a half hours later.

The biggest issue is he has gotten into the habit of eating his packed lunch things.

I pre make his sandwich's on a Sunday and put them in the fridge.
He takes a sandwich, a bag of crisps, an apple and a cereal bar to school.
I will quite often find that he has eaten all of the crisps or cereal bars or several of his sandwiches (not ones he's taken to school) part the way through the week.

This evening I have just discovered he had eaten two packets of his crisps and one of his lunch sandwiches,
we had a full roast dinner at 4.30pm, so he's had that and then helped himself to those.

I don't think it's hunger, I think it's greed and probably boredom,
He knows it's there and is lazy,
We have other snack food, there is a pack of cheese and onion rolls, yoghurts, other crisps, fruit and bread.
But he chose to eat his packed lunch sandwich.

I'm so frustrated.
I'm sick of buying food for him to gorge himself on and it be gone in a couple of days.
It's not normal or healthy, at this rate he will be obese soon.

I don't know what to do, I've tried taking to him, planning meals and getting healthier snacks in, I tried tough love, explaining his weight is an issue and he needs to stop eating like this, I've tried shouting, I've tried begging, I've tried hiding food and rationing it.... nothing has worked.

I don't know what to do, has anyone else been through this?

OP posts:
IstayedForTheFeminism · 08/06/2022 19:03

Swayingpalmtrees · 08/06/2022 09:30

Cool teens after the age of fourteen don't generally do anything public with their parents if there is even the smallest chance they will be seen by their friends. It is lame apparently Hmm and to be avoided at all costs. Some teens are honest and will tell you to your face, others will find any excuse under the sun to avoid causing offence.

I'm so glad my teens don't care about being "cool" and will still be seen in public with me! Grin

Swayingpalmtrees · 08/06/2022 19:51

I distinctly remember thinking that too Istayed rather smugly until one day we were in town and I noticed dd was walking a few steps behind - trailing buried in a hoody!! Grin

IstayedForTheFeminism · 08/06/2022 20:44

Swayingpalmtrees · 08/06/2022 19:51

I distinctly remember thinking that too Istayed rather smugly until one day we were in town and I noticed dd was walking a few steps behind - trailing buried in a hoody!! Grin

Grin As DS1 is almost 18 I figure he's past the stage where that would have happened! But I guess anythings possible!

valerianaofficiana · 08/06/2022 21:24

@Swayingplamtrees et al,there's cool and there's classy.
All depends on what sort of circles you and yours move🧐.

kateandme · 09/06/2022 04:03

IstayedForTheFeminism · 08/06/2022 20:44

Grin As DS1 is almost 18 I figure he's past the stage where that would have happened! But I guess anythings possible!

Walked with mine ,did stuff with them all the way through.decades later still do.its never been a problem.😊

Swayingpalmtrees · 09/06/2022 06:29

Anyone using the word 'classy' is clearly anything but val

IstayedForTheFeminism · 09/06/2022 07:12

kateandme · 09/06/2022 04:03

Walked with mine ,did stuff with them all the way through.decades later still do.its never been a problem.😊

I think this will be me and mine tbh. They invited me to join their game of Cards against Humanity with their friends the other day. Apparently I have the same humour as teenage boys Grin

veggiesupreme · 09/06/2022 11:32

I spend lots of time with dds, they have lots of friends so would rather hang out with them at weekends, as I did when I was there age. Much more fun to be had

Forpoxsake · 12/06/2022 09:10

MP

NumberCurtains · 12/06/2022 12:59

I haven't rtft, so apologies if this has been discussed already. I would be questioning ifhe is smoking/vaping/eating weed. Suddenly becoming lazy and eating loads at this age just screams weed to me. Does he ever had red eyes or seem foggy?

Theoldwoman · 03/07/2022 14:16

How are things going OP?

Gentleness · 03/02/2023 19:37

I know this is an old thread, but I found this post useful so I'm flagging it.

We're struggling at the moment with how to best handle weight gain with some over-eating and deep reluctance to exercise, and this post and the links helped put it in perspective.

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