Help with Grazing DCB...

[Hunni Bee]

My newest dcb is a grazer...wants to snack all day long. He eats one part of the meal, usually the fruit, and then dumps the plate. Then an hour later he's crying for food again. He asks for things like crackers, cookies, etc. all day.

Today he had a total meltdown because he was too hungry to wait for lunch. I fed him first. He eats the applesauce and tosses the rest. He's going to wake up hungry out of his mind in a couple hours.

He probably was allowed to snack on junk food all day at home. They said he attended another daycare prior to this one, but I dont know how long ago that was, because he seems largely confused by everything.

Advice would be greatly appreciated. My other kids keep trying to calm.him down and are asking "why does he.keep crying??"

By the way, this is the one who just appeared in my classroom a week ago.

[Soupyszoo]

This sounds lovely

Is he allowed to waste his food? I hate waste! I usually give the first item that I know is not exactly the favorite food of the meal. That way they are the most hungry and most likely to eat it. Then the next item and so on. They don't get the tastiest stuff until the end... And if they don't finish they don't get the rest. It cuts down on a lot of waste

I would say no snacks in between snacks and if he doesn't eat the food that's presented at meal time then he doesn't eat until the next meal. Who cares how hungry he gets?! He will learn quickly that he eats when fed and to not be so picky hopefully

[DaisyMamma]

It sounds mean, but I do agree. You have a classroom and a routine to follow. If you cater to him now he will keep expecting it.

[MrsB]

My 18 mos old DD is like that, she has a few "preferred" foods and alot of foods she doesnt like or wont eat. She also has sensory issues and has an Occupational Therapist. Her therapist suggested that we dont give her the preferred foods when she gets her plate. She can sit there and dump the food or whatever and not eat. She doesnt get the preferred foods until the last 5-10 minutes of the meal and only if she tries to eat the other things on her plate. She has tripled her repetoire of preferred foods in just a couple weeks.

I know that you are in a center so its harder to do. But we changed to if she doesnt eat her food, she gets excused from the table. After 30 minutes we put her back in her high chair to eat the same food and continue until she eats something. It took a couple weeks but she is making progress!

How old is he again?

[wdmmom]

How old is the child?

[Hunni Bee]

He will be 4 next month. The only thing I've seen him eat is bread, fruit and chicken.

[MrsB]

He will be 4 next month. The only thing I've seen him eat is bread, fruit and chicken.

Oh my goodness! Sounds like his parents have catered to his wants as far as food goes instead of his needs.

I dont have experience in a center so I am not sure what you can or can't do, but he is definately old enough to understand. I would try waiting until the end of meals to give him his preferred foods. ie "you need to take 2 bites of each one of these items, then you can have the applesauce"

You poor thing! I dont tollerate dumping a plate by a four year old. Dumping means you get excused from the table period! I dont think I would last very long in a center though!

[wdmmom]

He will be 4 next month. The only thing I've seen him eat is bread, fruit and chicken.

4 is plenty old enough to deal and adjust to your schedule. Tell his parents to feed him befre he comes. He can have 2nd breakfast at your house and that should be plenty of food to get him through til lunch or morning snack if you serve one.

I would not feed him outside your designated meal/snack times. I also wouldn't excuse him and let him just throw food away. I ask all kids to try everything each day and usually they do. Right now he's filling up on empty calories and the good calories hes consuming, hes burning off in no time.

[Country Kids]

I have started serving in courses-main part first, then veggies/bread items, and last is fruit. I was surprised how well mine did with this. They were hungry so since there was nothing else to eat they just started eating with whatever was on their plate.

[Hunni Bee]

What kills me is he screams for food, then when you give him his plate he says "I don't want to eat this" with his nose scrunched up .

[AnneCordelia]

Do you discipline that lack of respect? That is so rude to say about the lunch somebody worked hard to make.

[Hunni Bee]

Do you discipline that lack of respect? That is so rude to say about the lunch somebody worked hard to make.

I told him today that he doesn't get to say that, if he doesn't like something dont eat it, but no comments. He just made this little face he makes when he doesn't like what you said.

Tomorrow if he says it, he leaves the table.

[quietpoet2004]

In my home the children eat at meal/snack time and that is it. I don't have time to feed every child at every whim... that's all that I would be doing!!

I do have a very picky dc child. There are days she will refuse to eat lunch, and ask to go take a nap, just to leave the table.

[mac60]

No real response as to what to do. I just want to say that, probably 99% of the kids that we care for do not truly know what "hunger" is. They have never experienced being truly hungry.