Kids are going to eat me out of my HOUSE this summer!

kellygirl5538

Summer has started and my kids eating ALL the time. It's to the point where I hide food in the bedroom. I don't keep that much junk around. My question is do I allow them to eat whenever or whatever they want? If is is good food. They are not overweight and active. One is a 12 year old boy and 8 year old girl. My girls is not that bad. I was going to make an eating schedule to put on my fridge...is that over the top? suggestions please.

hiddensecant

Yeah, boys definitely eat more than girls ... As long as they're healthy and the food is healthy, I don't see any reason to limit their food intake.

A schedule would be good if they're eating so much before meals that they don't have an appetite for actual meals. Else, they probably have good enough instincts to go without.

mommy2js

My opinion: only buy healthy stuff and let them have whatever. If they don't have a weight issue and they are not eating massive amounts - I think kids are generally pretty good about eating when they are hungry and stopping when they are full. If they are like my kids, they are running around and playing non-stop, so they really are hungry! When they are in school, they are sitting a lot more and less active, but summer is different.

My daughter is bad about "always" being "hungry", so I just make sure that when she is eating between meals it is only fruit, veggies, nonfat yogurt or nonfat milk.

Of course, our freezer is stocked with the obligatory otter pops (1 a day!)

KatieM7

This is a hard one for me coming from a family were snacking was kind of off limits. I have struggled with this with my kids. I am doing better at it. For me I am trying to teach my kids that it might be that they are thirsty and to try drinking water and waiting and if they are still hungry then okay let's have a healthy snack. I have a sis that has let her kids eat whatever whenever they wanted and now her son is overweight. So there is obviously a limit to it when it goes from eating because of hunger and eating because they are bored.

Lightonmyfeet

They're still kids, and their growing bodies need food. Just make sure that you give them healthy, fresh foods.
I used to be able to eat sandwiches, bags of crackers, soup, waffles all in one sitting and stay fit when I was a kid. Now more of the food's making me fatter than taller. Haha.

kdsmith

My sister has a "snack" cupboard for her children to get food out of when they are hungry and one of her children is overweight. I don't really think that children should be given that responsibility of being able to eat whenever they want. I personally have a morning/afternoon snack for my children and it doesn't really matter to me what time they want it at, but if they still want to eat at other times then they are allowed a piece of fruit. If they eat the fruit then they were hungry but more often then not, that isn't good enough so I know that they aren't particularly hungry. My children are 7 and 4.5 so a little different age group.

WrenLynn

If you think it is bad now just wait until they are teenagers! I have three teenagers and it seems I go to the grocery and turn around and there isn't anything to eat! Both my husband and I work so it was really hard to keep track of who was eating what. We use to let the kids eat whenever but it was getting ridiculously expensive and I feel unhealthy for them so we changed our house rules mid stride. Now my kids have three meals and 2 snacks daily and it seems to be working alot better for all involved and the budget!

Evolution

It 's very normal for a 12 year old boy to eat you out of house and home. I have a 16 year old son and he did the same thing. Now he's a soccer player. He's now almost 6ft tall (5'11 1/2) and still eating. My sister has 5 boys and 1 girl. All her boys eat like there wont be any food tomorrow. As long as you keep healthy food around they should be fine. I do think if you add peanut butter to there snacks it slows them down i.e. celery and peanut butter, apples and peanut butter.