My child is literally ALWAYS hungry..is this normal?

Jen2124

They both turned 4 in September. Dillon is literally ALWAYS hungry though. I am not exaggerating when I say he asks for food nonstop. He will eat something and then say he wants something else and does it all day long. All in all, he doesn't eat huge qtys of food...he will take some bites of some things and then say he wants something else. It is starting to drive me nuts. He is SO skinny too, but not really a bad eater. I'm a little worried about diabetes, but I did have a blood and urine test done and they didn't seem concerned although I'm thinking of having it looked into a little further if this keeps up (he has had some other symptoms, too).

But my real question is, does anyone else have a child who wants to eat all day long? He will wake me up even at 6am saying he is hungry. At first I just blew it off thinking there is no way he could possibly be hungry all the time, but now I'm starting to think twice and I'm unsure what I think.

I also know it's easy to say to not indulge him, but seriously when a child talks about it all day everyday, it is hard to just blow it off after awhile.

Anyone else have a kid that does this?

mlm1128

Yes, Maddie asks for food about every 30 minutes all day long.  And at 5, she is just vbarely 34 lbs.  Like your ds, she doesn't eat huge quantities, and most of it is good healthy food.  I think her stomach is just tiny and can't hold a huge amount in one sitting, so she snacks all day instead.

DaiLyght

Jen2124:

All in all, he doesn't eat huge qtys of food...he will take some bites of some things and then say he wants something else. It is starting to drive me nuts

I know some people disagree on this, but the way I handle food in our house is that we only eat at meal and snack times. If I make them a lunch of a decent sized portion of food and they decide they don't want it, then they don't get anything else unless they finish what they've already been given (to a degree, I'm not a nazi about it). If they finish all their meal and then decide an hour later that they're hungry, then I tell them they need to wait until the next meal/snack time.

Also though, if you have lingering concerns about diabetes, I would definitely pursue it. That's something that you want to make sure is addressed first and foremost.

reynah

Yes, I think at age 4, they are growing so much that they are always hungry. My son can out eat me sometimes! I do not deny my children food if they're hungry unless it's bedtime.

GinandTonic

I sometimes wonder if my kids ask for food like that when they're bored and don't know what else to do.

 Not that I have suggestions.  Just throwing that out there.

KoriBrett

My niece is like that, she's a grazer.  Always has been.  She'll eat 3 bites of something and a sip of milk, be done.  30min later, do the same thing. 

My DS is doing the same thing most days.  They just eat enough to refuel, keep going, refuel, repeat. 

We leave his food on the table for a little bit so he can return to it, then pack it up & put it in the fridge.  When he decides he's hungry again we offer that back to him.  When that's gone we do an apple, string cheese, whatever.

Jen2124

I've wondered all the things you guys have suggested, too....is it bc he's bored, is he going to have "issues" with food, should I just offer him meals at mealtime or is that mean because he's obviously hungry (or is he not really hungry!?), is it a growth spurt, etc......

The ironic thing is Dillon is the taller, skinnier one. Ryan is the little dude...4 years old and not even 29lbs! I think they are both decent eaters overall though.

(also, i will not cook separate meals to please him, but i dont' mind offering healthy snacks when he says he's hungry all the time. I am getting a bit tired of it though)

reynah

KoriBrett:

  

We leave his food on the table for a little bit so he can return to it, then pack it up & put it in the fridge.  When he decides he's hungry again we offer that back to him.  When that's gone we do an apple, string cheese, whatever.

I do this too.

AnnapolisLari

DH says that he was like that as a kid-- his mom took him to the doctor when he was about 6 and again at 14. He had the metabolism of a shrew, and just ate constantly.

You might want to have his thyroid function checked if you're really concerned. Otherwise, just keep on feedin' him!!!

EastCoastBride

GinandTonic:

I sometimes wonder if my kids ask for food like that when they're bored and don't know what else to do.

I have a friend whose son is "always" hungry too. He's 6 now, but he's been like this for a couple years.  It's absolutely because he's bored!  She'll ask him what he wants, he'll say (for example) "goldfish".  She'll say "well, you can't have that, but if you want an apple, you can have one".

He'll say "I dont' want an apple" and she says "well, then, you must not be very hungry". 

It's kind of amusing to watch, actually!

I do think you want to find a balance.  My DS will graze all day if I let him. I'm really trying to get him more focused on snack times and meal times.  If I distract him and he "forgets" he's hungry, then I know he just wants to eat to eat - not really out of hunger.   But if he truly is hungry, I dont' want to deny him.

KoriBrett

We offer the healthier alternate foods, too.  If he doesn't want them, meh.  Must not be that hungry ;-)

Also, mine does have some low blood sugar issues.  If he crashes/gets too hungry, he gets all weird & screwy/agitated.  So it's actually good for him to graze, he's regulating it himself.

JenniC1135

Can you take yourself out of it?  Like, is he strong enough to open the fridge?  If so, maybe just put a little bowl in there on the bottom shelf with some snacks for the day - carrot sticks, cheese chunks, some fruit, etc. Let him decide when he's hungry and wants to go and get something on his own.  I do that on days when my kids are eating non-stop, and they like the feeling of being big enough to get their own snacks.