Do children feel hunger the same as adults?

snoopytwins

You've gotten some great answers. Unless your stepson is underweight and it's a medical concern do not worry. My boys (twins) have always been far low end of the chart so I have to fixate on their eating to a degree. I have learned though that as they get older they aren't going to starve.

We do a bite rule by age...and if it's a new food, you must try one bite.

I portion for their size (remember their tummies are still fairly small at that age) and if they eat a fair amount of each of their foods, they get fruit and dessert. If they do not and claim to be full, they don't get anything else. I never "make" them clean their plates.

They eat what I fix or they don't eat. I don't have time to cater to their whims.

shining_light

You are step-mom. What about mom?
Does he spend time with both parents going back and forth between the two homes?
What does mom feed him?
Does she make him finish all his food?
It can be incredibly difficult for a child when he is living with two different sets of expectations.

I would make healthy, kid-friendly meals (carrots or corn not brussel sprouts etc.)
Give him a tablespoon-full portion of each type of food.
If he finishes one of the foods but not the rest he may not get more of the "liked" food until he finishes the rest.
He needs to try everything at least once before he can say he doesn't like it.
If he doesn't finish, then no dessert and no snack before the next meal.
He'll figure out when he's hungry and eat more the next meal.

Don't make meal time a battle.
Keep it low keyed so it doesn't become a power struggle.

Hope this helps.
We've had our share of custody schedules and picky eating issues.
Our kids are 9, 16, 18 & 21.

He actually really, really likes vegetables. Loves brussels sprouts. I have yet to find a vegetable (well, ok, jicama) that he doesn't particularly like. Trying to make him eat protein is a challenge. Other than milk products and sometimes chicken(though he prefers veggies), getting any other forms of protein in him is a problem. I don't get it; I was the exact opposite as a child. The only non-starchy vegetable my parents could get into me was broccoli. He's not a picky eater with vegetables at all, but with meat he is. I tell my man not to force him to eat his chicken or other meat; if he's eating his vegetables, that's fine. From the limited reading I've done, he probably gets all the protein he needs from milk, peanut butter, and occasionally cheese. So, I guess I probably shouldn't worry if he doesn't like meat because he doesn't need all that much protein right now(from what I understand. Correct me if I'm wrong).

I don't really know what his mom feeds him. Custody is split evenly 50/50, but I've honestly never asked. o.O I should definitely ask. Also, we don't know what his new daycare feeds him.

And to whoever said they want my man's 3200-calorie-a-day metabolism... trust me, you don't. Eating is a chore for him. Doesn't get much enjoyment from it.

jessmart83

My daughters dr told me just let her eat when shes hungry and dont force it if she is not. She is five, and she snacks on veggies and fruit mostly. As long as the kid is healthy there is no reason to push him to eat if he isnt hungry.

dawnna76

if my kids dont finish dinner I make them sleep outside. Problem solved.

We hose them down first then make them sleep outside. What? Every kid needs a bath before bed right?

XLMuffnTop

I didn't read through everything so I may repeat.

My kids eat in cycles based upon what they need for growth spurts. This just happens naturally for them. However, I make them try everything, at least a few bites, and I keep making it.

My five year old now asks for salads for lunch and asked to take some veggie stir fry for lunch.

If he's in a pouty/picky mood, he knows he doesn't get dessert (fruit, apple sauce, etc) if he doesn't eat well enough at dinner (he does NOT have to clean his plate).

cwolfman13

As our pediatrician explained to us, kids are generally intuitive eaters. They know whether they are hungry or not, and what their bodies need. I think this changes somewhat once you start introducing candy and what not, and we have strict rules in that RE, but in terms of their general eating, they're pretty intuitive.

For example, and it used to be of great concern to us, but sometimes my toddler would go on these fruit binges...wouldn't touch his meat or veg or bread...just as much fruit as he could possibly get...then a couple days later, it was an all bread diet for a day or so...then he can't get enough ham and peas and macaroni and cheese.

He goes in spurts and cycles like this and we've just kind of had to take a back seat and let him eat what he wants to eat (not the junk). At the end of a weeks period of time, he's probably gotten roughly the same nutrition as he would have with three squares of a balanced variety...just in a different way.

_JamieB_

My daughter is 4 and a very picky eater, we do not force her to eat, ever. That being said, we also don't cater to her, if she doesn't eat when we do, she doesn't eat, period!

skinnyinnotime

What's with letting kids get up from the table if others are still eating?

We all eat meals together and stay at the table until we've all finished.

quiksylver296

Mine wasn't much of a meat eater at that age, either. Has changed as he's gotten older.

Mustang_Susie

You are step-mom. What about mom?
Does he spend time with both parents going back and forth between the two homes?
What does mom feed him?
Does she make him finish all his food?
It can be incredibly difficult for a child when he is living with two different sets of expectations.

I would make healthy, kid-friendly meals (carrots or corn not brussel sprouts etc.)
Give him a tablespoon-full portion of each type of food.
If he finishes one of the foods but not the rest he may not get more of the "liked" food until he finishes the rest.
He needs to try everything at least once before he can say he doesn't like it.
If he doesn't finish, then no dessert and no snack before the next meal.
He'll figure out when he's hungry and eat more the next meal.

Don't make meal time a battle.
Keep it low keyed so it doesn't become a power struggle.

Hope this helps.
We've had our share of custody schedules and picky eating issues.
Our kids are 9, 16, 18 & 21.

He actually really, really likes vegetables. Loves brussels sprouts. I have yet to find a vegetable (well, ok, jicama) that he doesn't particularly like. Trying to make him eat protein is a challenge. Other than milk products and sometimes chicken(though he prefers veggies), getting any other forms of protein in him is a problem. I don't get it; I was the exact opposite as a child. The only non-starchy vegetable my parents could get into me was broccoli. He's not a picky eater with vegetables at all, but with meat he is. I tell my man not to force him to eat his chicken or other meat; if he's eating his vegetables, that's fine. From the limited reading I've done, he probably gets all the protein he needs from milk, peanut butter, and occasionally cheese. So, I guess I probably shouldn't worry if he doesn't like meat because he doesn't need all that much protein right now(from what I understand. Correct me if I'm wrong).

I don't really know what his mom feeds him. Custody is split evenly 50/50, but I've honestly never asked. o.O I should definitely ask. Also, we don't know what his new daycare feeds him.

And to whoever said they want my man's 3200-calorie-a-day metabolism... trust me, you don't. Eating is a chore for him. Doesn't get much enjoyment from it.

We used to make our kids a mix of pasta, veggies and chicken in cheese sauce. It kind of looked like mac and cheese so they would eat it without fully realizing they were eating veggies and chicken too.
Maybe that would be a way to get the protein into him??
Yogurt is also a good source of protein and of course there are tons of fun yogurts for kids to eat.
Good luck!
They all thrive and grow despite us... ????

shining_light

I now understand that the problem is meat. He's ok with chicken and fish, but I think he has a problem with the texture of other meats. I totally get that. So, I figure since he eats enough protein from milk products and peanut butter, I should just offer him a piece of whatever it is and just make him try a piece of the meat we're eating at every meal, just so he has a taste. I know now that they say children need 10-15 exposures to a new food to get used to it, so this sounds like a good plan. I suppose I should be thankful that's so damn easy to get vegetables in him, hey? :P

Edit: and to the previous poster, he loves yogurt. Eats lots of it. My only concern is, of course, the added sugar. For that reason, I don't eat it myself(I eat plain greek yogurt with all-bran cereal or milled flaxseeds in it. I can't stand added sweetness in yogurt anymore), but his dad eats fruit-flavored, sweetened yogurt. Also, maybe I could try making cottage cheese and cauliflower pancakes again. He loved them the last time I made them, but that was a while ago. Very high-protein, high-vitamin pancakes.

Mustang_Susie

I now understand that the problem is meat. He's ok with chicken and fish, but I think he has a problem with the texture of other meats. I totally get that. So, I figure since he eats enough protein from milk products and peanut butter, I should just offer him a piece of whatever it is and just make him try a piece of the meat we're eating at every meal, just so he has a taste. I know now that they say children need 10-15 exposures to a new food to get used to it, so this sounds like a good plan. I suppose I should be thankful that's so damn easy to get vegetables in him, hey? :P

Edit: and to the previous poster, he loves yogurt. Eats lots of it. My only concern is, of course, the added sugar. For that reason, I don't eat it myself(I eat plain greek yogurt with all-bran cereal or milled flaxseeds in it. I can't stand added sweetness in yogurt anymore), but his dad eats fruit-flavored, sweetened yogurt. Also, maybe I could try making cottage cheese and cauliflower pancakes again. He loved them the last time I made them, but that was a while ago. Very high-protein, high-vitamin pancakes.

And as soon as you think you have it all figured out?
He'll change...