Am I asking too much??

AndiJoy812

My sister-in-law did exactly what everyone is recommending.. She called a family meeting and simpley stated that as long as everyone was eating her healthy stuff, that's all she was going to buy going forward. If any of them (including her hubby LOL) wanted junk, they had to buy it themselves. Worked like a champ!

Love this. I think I will have to try this next time. It may just do the trick. We do eat healthy - but I can NOT eat like they do.

samf36

Well I would quit buying the preschoolers special food they are very capable of opening a large container of yogurt and scooping some in a bowl just like the teens. I make my living caring for preschools and they can and should eat what the whole family is eating. Have bowls of cut up veggies in the fridge and fruit on the counter. Preschooler can peal and orange and eat a whole apple. It is really amazing what they an do if you let them.
As for mom treats break their fingers if they tough your stuff : ) . No really take it out of their allowance or make them go tot the store and buy you more with their money.

lookatme09

I just had that discussion with my kids. We but stuff that are healthy and its gone within a day that should last a week. We are trying to encourage portion control. I only have hubby and 7 and 11 yr old girls and FYI, I have hidden some expensive treats from kids so that I can have a treat sometimes. But It just so expensive to have food disappear before sundown.

bubbles1212

I agree with everyone on here. I have an 8 and 11 year old. They usually want to eat the healthy food too but also still like their junk food.. I buy enough healthy food for them to eat too and a little less of the junk so they become the forbidden...Maybe try that

Newf77

I think you might have asked your question incorrectly, because yes you are being selfish. I think your underlining question was more, I am frustrated my kids are eating me out of house and home how can I make sure there is food for me when I am hungry. Answer as previously stated double up on the goodies.

mygrl4meee

Let me just add this too - we feeeeeeed our kids. My boys eat triple of what I do, and are super skinny! They eat well, and eat a LOT - and that is OK! They are supposed to! AND they have a LOT of input to what we get at the store...if not, we would be throwing away food all of the time, and we can't afford to do that.

I totally get what your saying. My sons eat way more than me and one is super thin. We have taken to hiding somethings from them but most of the stuff like the fit and active brand from Aldi"s I been leaving out in the open because I am replacing some of our normal food with this brand.

Cindy311

Well, honestly I don't like the idea of my kids eating "diet" things. Not because I'm selfish but simply they contain ingredients that I don't think would be the best for their bodies. Yeah, yeah I'll eat it but won't give it to them so maybe I should give it up too, lol!

sewist

I understand, unlike some others here.

While we have made family wide changes (such as weighing our meat portions) our needs are not the same. I buy whole foods as much as possible, teach how to prepare their favorite recipes, etc.
So in our house the nuts are fair game. But for altered foods - I purchase a "like" item for them. If I buy skinny cow ice cream sandwiches for me, I also buy reg ice cream sandwiches for them. Basically they get the tastier, cheaper!, plentiful product.

This works with my 19 & 22 y.o. guys.

AndiJoy812

Let me give a better example: I had a 30 oz bag of almonds for a snack after my workouts. I eat one serving per day, which is 24 nuts...so the bag should have lasted a very long time. There was 3/4 of the bag left on Tues. On Wed, I went to get some after my workout, and there was only 1/8 of the bag left. Still think I am being selfish? That is a LOT of almonds!
And here is the deal...I don't care if they want to grab a handful...but the whole bag??

aippolito1

you're going to have to start punishing them. they are WAY past the age of being able to get away with not listening to mom. definitely. if they have a car, take away car privileges. if they have a girlfriend, take girlfriend privileges away. it's as simple as that. they'll have to figure out which is more important to them.

EMarvie

I am in the SAME boat!! - 17, 14, and 13 yrs old..

and a 3 yr old - the big kids (my step kids) eat everything like it's going out of style. it's happened too long . I've had to start locking a cabinet.. and forget about ice cream treat.

my next move... not buying anything anymore - just healthy fruits and veggies. lots of lean protein and yummy stuff that i know they dont like. maybe they'll stop eating all the snacks and start eating properly.

(and lock up my 3 yr olds snacks) -

good luck to you , and if you find a better solution.. please message me.

TourThePast

And here is the deal...I don't care if they want to grab a handful...but the whole bag??

If you genuinely cannot afford to let them eat as many almonds as they would like to, you need to explain to them that they are very expensive and that nobody, including you, can have more than a handful a day.

Or divide the bag up when you get it and hand them out, so everyone has a fair share.

Do they know how much things cost? If not, and their habit of eating healthy food is causing your family financial hardship, they need educating pdq.

TourThePast

you're going to have to start punishing them.

Yeah, in this society with all the eating disorders and obesity, lets punish kids for eating almonds.

*shakes head*

Punish them if they have broken a clearly stated and reasonable house rule, maybe!

EMarvie

I think you might have asked your question incorrectly, because yes you are being selfish. I think your underlining question was more, I am frustrated my kids are eating me out of house and home how can I make sure there is food for me when I am hungry. Answer as previously stated double up on the goodies.

I dont agree with this or a few of the others posts. I can buy a cupboard full of "lunch snacks" for them - plus craploads of snack foods for them - and they eat everything within 6 hours it seems.

Aesop101

When a family eats the same meals they share an experience.

tpot74

My husband eats the last of my skinny cows...sigh makes me mad when he ate the last one, leaves the package on the counter and doesn't breath a word about. Grrrr. Drives me insane..grr

kobiemom

I have four kids in their teens and twenties. I was trying to have *my* food supply and *their* food supply at first. We ended up keeping only healthy food in the house and taking them out (younger one) for treats, or the older ones would get their own. Everyone likes the fresh fruit and cut up veggies, etc. They end up eating healthier and getting less junk because it's too much effort. I wouldn't punish anyone over food. That's a set up for other problems down the line.

joconnor09

I get what you mean- teens see food that looks good and eat it all. Diet food can be expensive and it's no fun to find out that your more expensive snacks were eaten in a single day rather than spread out over a week. Remind your kids that just because something is low-cal doesn't mean they can eat the whole box. Maybe try asking what snacks they want- do they really like the healthier stuff, or do they just eat it because it's there/they're not supposed to? My mom always told us that we could put whatever we wanted on the grocery list, but if it's not on there, we don't get it. So if we wanted what she had, we had to make sure it was on the list so she knew we wanted it too. When we first started buying 100 calorie packs, I'd eat 3 or 4 in a day. Same with the skinny cow ice cream sandwiches. It would frustrate my mom to no end. Not just that it was "her" food, but that it was more expensive and didn't even last a whole week.

Why not try a family meeting? Talk about what kinds of foods everyone wants, lay down some ground rules (especially about sneaking the young kids' food), and get organized. Most families don't really talk about food- it's just there and people eat what they want. But if certain people want certain things, they should be allowed to have it without worrying that everyone else will take it. If everyone wants the same thing, get extra.

LadyRush

I don't think it's too much to ask for teens to respect that not everything is for THEM. I was the oldest at home and the teens ate everything not nailed down. When I lived at home I had my food stached in my closet and locked my door. It was my food that I bought with my money.

My kids understand that certain things are mine don't touch. I keep them up higher, out of immediate site and threaten doom if they dare to touch. I did expain that they can eat a lot more things than I can and that they need to be respectful and ask. No it doesn't work all the time but they are generally good. Mind you they aren't hungry teenage boys.

My sister has teens and does hide the food as the older boys are ravenous and eat everything not nailed down. Now they have jobs and supplement their own cravings and bottomless appetites. It's hard but it's part of having teens. If they are willing to eat the health snacks, koodos to you! Let me know your secrets! Mine are picky and really ony have to guard the yogurt.

Stacivogue

Just buy the healthy stuff you will eat and tell them its because you want o make sure there is enough in the house. Give them the choice. Either make sure they don't eat the last of your healthy food or you won't buy them their treats.