Stealing food
peacelove&mama
member
Does anyone have any advice on how to put an end to this? My son was doing it previously, stopped, and has now started again. When no one is around he is taking snack food, sugar packets, cereal, frozen cans of juice, ice cream containers, etc from the fridge and cupboards, eating them, and trying to hide the evidence. I already have to lock (as in with a padlock) all the cereal, treats, and the majority of our snack foods in the pantry because I would be packing school lunches and find out half the boxes were empty.
He gets enough to eat and drink, I don't understand why he feels the need to sneak around. I've tried talking to him to find out why but all he says is "I don't know". I don't know what else to try, I'm at my wits end.
Re: Stealing food
I don't understand where it would stem from though. DH and I have very healthy attitudes toward food and health and always have. There has been no point in time where we have stressed about weight, diet, body image etc at all, let alone in front of the kids. How could a 6 year old just suddenly develop those issues?
DS has ADHD as well, which I didn't think could be relevant in my OP, but now that I'm thinking about it from a psychological point of view, I am wondering if his impulsivity could be a contributing factor.
Impulsivity is probably a factor. Is he on any meds for his ADHD? That could be part of it too.
He was, but he's off them for the summer. In about a month he'll be back on, so I'll have to talk to the doctor then since it would take that long just to get an appointment anyway. I did a little googling and found a lot of info on the subject of ADHD and food which is comforting in a way, to know that I'm not the only one, which is how I feel a lot of the time.
It feels so good to find out in not the only one going through this, and to hear that as time goes on it will get better. I don't know anyone in my town who has children with ADHD so I feel very alone, and embarrassed sometimes by his behaviors, so it's extremely comforting to post on here and get responses from people in the same situation.
Kaeldrasmommy, that's exactly how I feel when I'm in his room helping him organize. Everywhere I turn it seems there's something hidden. I once found moldy orange peel behind his dresser and I wanted to scream, throw up, and cry all at once.
Yes it is! He actually has an inch or so on her, but the ground in the picture isn't level so you can't tell. He towers above all the other kids in his class. To me they all look so small and fragile, because I'm used to DS being so big.
I swear, he's gonna be taller than me by the time he's a teenager. Scary.
Haha! KNOW that feeling; DD is already closing in on 5'2"? just under a foot away from looking mama in the eyes. They need to stop growing up so fast!!