Continually hungry kid?

[maestramommy]

Dora has not been napping in the afternoons regularly for a few months now. Maybe 2-3 times a week she'll take a nap on the sofa, but not right away. I'm starting to notice that she's continually hungry during the days/times she's not napping. Sometimes I know it's because she ate a very small lunch, but sometimes she eats a fair sized lunch and she's still hungry. Like today, She ate a ham and cheese sandwich (2 slices of whole grain bread), 4 oz of whole chocolate milk, and cheese sticks with dip. Around 2pm she said she was hungry, so I have her some cole slaw Dh and I saved for her from dinner. Still hungry, so I make her a slice of toast with butter, and a cup of cranberry juice. Still hungry, so I give her some popcorn leftover from yesterday. Still hungry so now I'm toasting a second slice of whole grain bread.

Is this normal? Is she just bored? What I'm afraid of is that she'll keep snacking, then refuse dinner, which drives me NUTS.

On a related note, Arwyn was like this, this morning. After a breakfast of yo-kids yogurt, toast with butter and jam, steel cut oatmeal with half and half and brown sugar, handful of cranberries, 2 slices of veggie bacon, and 4oz of whole chocolate milk, she told me 2 hours later she was hungry and had 2 cheese sticks and a pack of goldfish, but wasn't satisfied, so at the Target I gave her a raisin nut bar from the Starbucks. She STILL wanted more, but I told her I was out of snacks and she had to wait until lunch. Now she is just over a tummy bug, and looking rather malnourished, so I am trying to fatten her up, so I'm giving her just about everything. Dora was sick too, but not that severe, and she doesn't look quite so skinny. Do kids make up for being sick by eating like vultures afterwards?

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

mine always do. I wouldn't worry too much about it, you're children seem active and to lead a fairly well balanced lifestyle and you don't seem to be feeding them junk-I'd say don't worry and just feed the hungry child.

[mom2kaivi]

I have 5 year old boy/girl twins and I find that they eat a ton right before or during a growth spurt.

[cmo]

I have 3 kids, too, and have noticed similar patterns! Both pre-growth spurts and post-sickness hunger are regular occurences in our house. My 6 year old was an average eater until about a month ago, and now he asks for seconds on just about *everything*. His older sister was the same way until about 7 weeks ago, and now I am noticing her pants are a little short! OTOH, their younger sister is eating like a bird, and if I give her an afternoon snack, her dinner consumption goes *way* down. So, it changes over time, and you will adjust to know when to feed 'em and when to hold out until the next meal. Sometimes I wish I could eat as much as my kids and still have my clothes fit in the morning. :-)

[LMPC]

I have 5 year old boy/girl twins and I find that they eat a ton right before or during a growth spurt.
Yep, this was my DD last month...insatiable! This week I had to go out and get her new shoes...and she has gotten taller.

[DrSally]

DS gets like this sometimes--growthspurt. It will pass. I remember posting at the time b/c I thought he might be eating b/c he was bored too.

[maestramommy]

Okay, I know Dora was going through a growth spurt, because I just had to get her new shoes, and she was eating like she never has before. But that was last month. How long does a growth spurt last anyway? :p

She ate a usual dinner, plus dessert.

[DrSally]

Ours have lasted a week or two. Maybe it's another one?

[maybeebaby08]

Okay, I know Dora was going through a growth spurt, because I just had to get her new shoes, and she was eating like she never has before. But that was last month. How long does a growth spurt last anyway? :p

She ate a usual dinner, plus dessert.

DD went through this for what seemed like forever it was at least a month, she was packing food away. I was getting really worried about how much she was eating but she really seemed hungry. Then it just stopped and now for the past few weeks she's been eating like a bird. I think it can go for longer spurts then just a week or so.

[jenstring95]

I can definitely see it being a growth spurt but wanted to add that my DC often keep asking for food when they are very tired. We were at Disney World a year ago and DS kept asking for more and more food. We knew he wasn't bored and figured he couldn't really be continually hungry and then finally realized he was just exhausted. Maybe your DD is tired on the days she is not napping?

However, I will say that my DS (5) can put away an amazing amount of food, especially at breakfast. Today he ate some peaches, more than an adult serving of oatmeal and a breakfast taco with sausage, egg and cheese. He and DD (3) also polished off half of a large cheese pizza the other night.

[cindys]

This is so funny to see because my 4yr old (who is usually too busy to want to stop and eat) has been eating ALL day non-stop...

For breakfast he had 3 yogurt drinks, a bowl of cereal and 2 bowls of strawberries...He snacked until lunch and then for lunch had 2 cans of soup, crackers with peanut butter, chocolate milk and a banana.

We then went to a birthday party and he had 2 pieces of cake, 2 ice cream cups and a juice box and wanted more...

Then for dinner he had 2 helpings of some Mexican spaghetti, 2 cups of milk, bread and butter and 4 clemintines!

Then he ate some cheezits...I finally cut him off...Jeez....

Pants I bought him a month ago are already too short :eek:

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...19, 4 & 2 :heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat: