How often do you feed your toddler?

[MrsFabuloso]

My DD is driving me insane!! She tells me all day that she's hungry. 'I hungy mummy' 'I hungy mummy!!' that's all I hear all day. I feed her most of the time when she asks. She will often eat it, but lately she's just been nibbling whatever it is then either leaving it or putting it in the bin. Thne she asks for more. I'm now thinking it's just an attention getter, cause she know's I will stop what I'm doing and find something for her to eat. But it's getting beyond a joke.
This morning for instance, we woke at 5.45am, I gave her her water bottle as soon as we woke and then I fed her at 6.10 when she said she was hungry. Made her two slices of toast. She ate about 1 1/4 slices. At about 6.45 she tell me she's hungry. Her toast is still on the table so I told her to eat it. She had a nibble, then put it in the bin. About 10mins later she told me she was hungry. I asked her what she wanted, made suggestions- sausage (cold cooked ones in the fridge to reheat), egg (I would have cooked one for her), spaghetti (tinned), baked beans (tinned), breakfast bar, porridge.....no, no, no, no.....she wanted chips, which of course I refused! So she chose baked beans, I heated them and gave them to her. I told her to eat them or she gets nothing else. She had about 4 spoons full (of a small tin) while I fed DS some beans too. Then she left them and went to play. So I gave the rest to DS. She came back about 20mins later saying she was hungry. I said no. No more food. She returned 5mins later 'I hungy mummy', I said no again then 5mins later she came back and nagged and nagged that she is hungry. So I gave her 1/4 of an apple. She ate 1/2 then put it in the bin. 30mins later she's hungry again. Wants a banana. I don't have any and didn't want to give her any anyway! She wants orange, I have none. She wants apple. 'Where's the apple I just gave you?'...'I put in the bin'. Gave her some milk instead. Now she's hungry again.....Grrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is she really hungry, just attention seeking, eating out of bad habbits, am I encouraging bad habbits, emotional eating????? Arrrggghhh!!!!!!!! I don't know what I'm doing wrong! Give me your thoughts, please!

[Visitor8]

She doesn't sound hungry to me.

I would be removing the bin, and what she doesn't eat can go up on the bench for the next "im hungry" speil. They learn pretty quickly to eat what they are given.

I did it for 2 days with Chase and his dinner. He would say he wasn't hungry but then ask for food later and not eat him dinner, so I started reheating it for breakfast

[StrawberryMumma]

Hi Kellie

You know I could have almost written your post myself!..and I was actually thinking before about posting a similar thing!
My DD asks to eat ALLLLL day long too, and is forever saying "eat" "fridge" and asks me every 2 seconds for some food. It's got rediculous, and DH and I are thinking the same thing...is she hungry? bored?...I'm scared by feeding her all the time I'm setting bad habits/ emotional eating too!

Be interesting to hear what other toddlers are like..thanks for posting.

[Novella]

Snap. My dd is exactly the same and I am sick of wasting so much food, lately I have been leaving the food on her table until she eats it, today she had porridge (which she asked for) for breakfast ate about a third, she gor nothing else to lunch when the porridge was beyond eating. Lunch time she asked for baked beans and cheese, again about 3 spoons then refused to eat anymore. She has been asking for more food but I refuse to give in until she eats lunch. I think sometimes she asks for food out of boredom or if she is sleepy and trying to keep herself awake

[Bathsheba]

My toddler grazes all day too but I don't let him put things in the bin without asking. He has just turned 3 though so maybe he's not technically a toddler now but he has always been this way... and I have never allowed him to put food in the bin without asking.

I think grazing is ok as long as it's healthy food (which is what you seem to be offering). Sometimes though I think you need to get them to do something before eating so they don't get used to constant instant gratification. Often i will say "ok, you can have something to eat after PlaySchool is over" or "after you get dressed".

Also children often can't distinguish between thirst and hunger (even some adults have trouble) so make sure to offer water if you suspect she's not actually hungry.

If I was you I would put the bin somewhere inaccessible until she breaks the habit of binning everything. Something only goes in the bin here if it's inedible... I graze alot too and often base my consumption based on what left-overs of the children's I have already eaten. Food is too expensive to waste... and maybe it's a good time to start teaching a respect for food. We also compost food leftovers (not meat/dairy though) so this also teaches the value of inedible food as a garden resource.

I can totally understand how frustrating life is ATM though! Stick to healthy food options and the grazing as such won't be bad for her. Remember to offer water first... or say "you can have something after you have drunk this cup of water". Mainly just get her to stop throwing things out.... and use her requests for food to get her to do some disliked tasks (like getting dressed) or at least until she has finished an activity like reading a book/ watching a tv program. Try to turn this negative into a positive. And remember to try not to praise her for eating. I think this can often be the basis of a lot of comfort eating in adults. You can say things like "This is very yummy isn't it? it looks like you like it too" with a smile but try to avoid "Oh GOOD GIRL you have eaten ALL your dinner!!!"