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Okay so you're making food off limits and making it into a big deal. Food should always be out and available for kids. If they want a snack, they can have a healthy one. Hiding food creates terrible habits and eating issues are bred. Food should not be treated any differently than air. It's an essential part of every day.
Too many children for just 1 person to deal with.The oldest being 7yrs old??Only option IS to just put a lock on the fridge and put the rest of the pantry foods ..hide them somewhere else in the house locked behind a door.Kids that age will AlWAYS be getting into stuff and since there are 4 of them and 1 of you...well yeah it sucks.I'm sure getting a nanny is out of the question??Just get 2 locks..one for the fridge and the other for pantry goods and keep those locked somewhere else in the house..
My daughter steals food regularly. She has been doing it since She was four years old and she is now 11. There are cereals to eat for breakfast, or waffles, or boiled eggs, and sometimes even a little sausage biscuits if they're on sale at the store. They eat lunch at school and I pack a Bento box once or twice a week to give them something better than they have at school. Of my three kids my daughter is the only one that steals food. She steals junk. Any little snacks that any of us have put away she will find I and take and not just have a little, but all of it or most of it. I make special meals every night of the week. They know exactly what's going to happen for dinner six days of the week. No one in my house is hurting for food. I have bags of grapes and cut up strawberries as well as cheese sticks and yogurt set out on a special shelf in the fridge just for the kids. Little baggies of goldfish crackers in the pantry. I also have a basket on the kitchen table with apples oranges and bananas. Sometimes I lose it because I don't know how to keep her from taking things that isn't hers. I have an eating disorder that I've dealt with for the last 17 years (managed now) and I don't want that to happen to my daughter but for crying out loud how do you make a child stop doing this?
My daughter steals food regularly. She has been doing it since She was four years old and she is now 11. There are cereals to eat for breakfast, or waffles, or boiled eggs, and sometimes even a little sausage biscuits if they're on sale at the store. They eat lunch at school and I pack a Bento box once or twice a week to give them something better than they have at school. Of my three kids my daughter is the only one that steals food. She steals junk. Any little snacks that any of us have put away she will find I and take and not just have a little, but all of it or most of it. I make special meals every night of the week. They know exactly what's going to happen for dinner six days of the week. No one in my house is hurting for food. I have bags of grapes and cut up strawberries as well as cheese sticks and yogurt set out on a special shelf in the fridge just for the kids. Little baggies of goldfish crackers in the pantry. I also have a basket on the kitchen table with apples oranges and bananas. Sometimes I lose it because I don't know how to keep her from taking things that isn't hers. I have an eating disorder that I've dealt with for the last 17 years (managed now) and I don't want that to happen to my daughter but for crying out loud how do you make a child stop doing this?
If your daughter has been sneaking food for seven years you should have discussed this with her pediatrician and therapists years ago. Years ago. Call her doctor today to schedule a check-up and to discuss this issue.
I suspect that your daughter probably has already has some type of eating disorder or at the very minimum a behavioral disorder. She has to have seen you battling your eating disorder and I am sure that it has greatly effected her.
Does she take extra food at school, too? Or when she is visiting friends and relatives? Does she steal food from stores? If yes, maybe she is actually hungry more than being defiant.
BTW, why is it OK for you to hide away special little "treats" and "snacks" for just yourself but force your daughter to only have fresh fruits & goldfish crackers and similar things?
My daughter steals food regularly. She has been doing it since She was four years old and she is now 11. There are cereals to eat for breakfast, or waffles, or boiled eggs, and sometimes even a little sausage biscuits if they're on sale at the store. They eat lunch at school and I pack a Bento box once or twice a week to give them something better than they have at school. Of my three kids my daughter is the only one that steals food. She steals junk. Any little snacks that any of us have put away she will find I and take and not just have a little, but all of it or most of it. I make special meals every night of the week. They know exactly what's going to happen for dinner six days of the week. No one in my house is hurting for food. I have bags of grapes and cut up strawberries as well as cheese sticks and yogurt set out on a special shelf in the fridge just for the kids. Little baggies of goldfish crackers in the pantry. I also have a basket on the kitchen table with apples oranges and bananas. Sometimes I lose it because I don't know how to keep her from taking things that isn't hers. I have an eating disorder that I've dealt with for the last 17 years (managed now) and I don't want that to happen to my daughter but for crying out loud how do you make a child stop doing this?
With this tid bit of information, why would you make this a battle ground and not look for help through therapy (for you)? Have you?
My mild MR son steals anything he can get his hands on. He took frozen meat once. He does not care that it is. We have done all the suggestions. Only eating at the table, snack shelf, free to take foods, punishment, doctors, all of it he is 11 now and still does it. Yesterday he took 4 juice boxes and drank them in like 3 min. Not because he was thirsty but just because. We had just finished dinner. Which he had 2 pieces of pizza, 2 bread sticks, a glass of milk and a glass of water. He is actually small for 11. Obviously not starving. But I have no idea how to stop him. So if any of you can figure it out please let me know!!
My daughter steals food regularly. She has been doing it since She was four years old and she is now 11. There are cereals to eat for breakfast, or waffles, or boiled eggs, and sometimes even a little sausage biscuits if they're on sale at the store. They eat lunch at school and I pack a Bento box once or twice a week to give them something better than they have at school. Of my three kids my daughter is the only one that steals food. She steals junk. Any little snacks that any of us have put away she will find I and take and not just have a little, but all of it or most of it. I make special meals every night of the week. They know exactly what's going to happen for dinner six days of the week. No one in my house is hurting for food. I have bags of grapes and cut up strawberries as well as cheese sticks and yogurt set out on a special shelf in the fridge just for the kids. Little baggies of goldfish crackers in the pantry. I also have a basket on the kitchen table with apples oranges and bananas. Sometimes I lose it because I don't know how to keep her from taking things that isn't hers. I have an eating disorder that I've dealt with for the last 17 years (managed now) and I don't want that to happen to my daughter but for crying out loud how do you make a child stop doing this?
She already sees food as something that needs to be overly-controlled. Learned behavior. I would certainly follow the previous poster's suggestions and seek therapy for you both together.
I suspect that children who steal food are hungry. Growing kids eat a lot, much more than normal size adult portions.
If the stealing is nothing but candy, chips, and cookies, don't have that stuff in the house. Get rid of the candy and put out a bowl of fruit and tell them they can have as much as they want.
My daughter steals food regularly. She has been doing it since She was four years old and she is now 11. There are cereals to eat for breakfast, or waffles, or boiled eggs, and sometimes even a little sausage biscuits if they're on sale at the store. They eat lunch at school and I pack a Bento box once or twice a week to give them something better than they have at school. Of my three kids my daughter is the only one that steals food. She steals junk. Any little snacks that any of us have put away she will find I and take and not just have a little, but all of it or most of it.
This one is easy. Don't buy junk. What message does that send anyway? Junk is for me and not for you? Do what I say, not what I do?
Quote:
I have an eating disorder that I've dealt with for the last 17 years (managed now) and I don't want that to happen to my daughter but for crying out loud how do you make a child stop doing this?
Buttresses the idea of just not buying the junk in the first place. For both of you.
I suspect that children who steal food are hungry. Growing kids eat a lot, much more than normal size adult portions.
If the stealing is nothing but candy, chips, and cookies, don't have that stuff in the house. Get rid of the candy and put out a bowl of fruit and tell them they can have as much as they want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by somebodynew
This one is easy. Don't buy junk. What message does that send anyway? Junk is for me and not for you? Do what I say, not what I do?
Buttresses the idea of just not buying the junk in the first place. For both of you.
Define "junk".
Not buying "junk" is getting into eating disorder language-good food, bad food, etc. Every food is OK in moderation (as long as there are no medical restrictions).
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