Stealing Food

[Guest]

Daycare boy (3) has started to steal the other children's food. I will have everyone seated and bring their plate to them. He will then reach over to a friends plate and start to take it away for him. I have asked him why he is doing it and he says that it looks yummier than his. I feed all the kids the same food except the infant who is on a special diet. Mom says that he steals food from their plates at home too. They have started to feed him from their plate because they got tired of trying to correct the behavior. He is going through a growth spurt right now because he has been eating a lot! The past 3 weeks he has been having roughly 4 helping at every meal! Then 30 minutes later he is hungry again. Mom says that he has been waking up 2 times at night to eat. I had to put a baby lock on my fridge because he would get in there and start eating again. Even shortly after meals.

Is it normal for him to be so hungry and eating so much? How would you handle with him stealing food from his friends? I have moved him as far away from his friends as I can at the table. But it's a pretty small table and with 6 kids he can still reach them.

[Play Care]

Daycare boy (3) has started to steal the other children's food. I will have everyone seated and bring their plate to them. He will then reach over to a friends plate and start to take it away for him. I have asked him why he is doing it and he says that it looks yummier than his. I feed all the kids the same food except the infant who is on a special diet. Mom says that he steals food from their plates at home too. They have started to feed him from their plate because they got tired of trying to correct the behavior. He is going through a growth spurt right now because he has been eating a lot! The past 3 weeks he has been having roughly 4 helping at every meal! Then 30 minutes later he is hungry again. Mom says that he has been waking up 2 times at night to eat. I had to put a baby lock on my fridge because he would get in there and start eating again. Even shortly after meals.

Is it normal for him to be so hungry and eating so much? How would you handle with him stealing food from his friends? I have moved him as far away from his friends as I can at the table. But it's a pretty small table and with 6 kids he can still reach them.

At 3 he is old enough to learn to not take food from someone else. In my care that would earn the child a seat in the high chair or booster seat away from the table with the other children. "We don't take food from friends, friend who take food sit here for meals." I would be making sure the child got their serving size, plus seconds if they seemed hungry. They'd still be eating at the same time and with friends, just not close enough to grab food. (Though check with your regs - heaven forbid there be any consequences for poor table behavior lest we scar kids for life )

[Unregistered]

At 3 he is old enough to learn to not take food from someone else. In my care that would earn the child a seat in the high chair or booster seat away from the table with the other children. "We don't take food from friends, friend who take food sit here for meals." I would be making sure the child got their serving size, plus seconds if they seemed hungry. They'd still be eating at the same time and with friends, just not close enough to grab food. (Though check with your regs - heaven forbid there be any consequences for poor table behavior lest we scar kids for life )

Regs don't allow use to use a high chair or booster seat for his age unless the child has a disability that makes the require a high chair. I have been giving him his serving size then for extra helpings he gets a little less but he will have up to 3 more helpings after his first. I know he is eating enough. I have tried talking to him about it but there hasn't been any progress in the last 3 weeks

[NeedaVaca]

Can't you set up another table (like a card table) for him? I would get him away from the other kids until he learns to use his manners...At his age he should know better.

[Soccermom]

Hmmmm.....sounds odd. He may have some type of digestive issue or other disorder that is creating such a strong sense of hunger in him.

Celiac Disease can cause extreme hunger and normally begins to show its ugly head around the age of 3.

They should have him seen. A growth spurt is one thing but feeling so hungry that you have to steal from other's plates and waking in the night to eat at that age is absurd and very, very unusual.

[countrymom]

yup I would seperate him. The reason he's stealing food is because he's allowed to do it. Starts at home and then it will continue on at your house.

also, him being hungy, what is he eating. Maybe he needs more protien or carbs to fill him up.

[daycarediva]

Can you put a partition around his food for meal times? I would do that, then sit/stand near him and redirect him every.single.time.

Is he developmentally on track? The food consumption seems crazy (eating at night at that age?) and the fact that his parents are giving in and allowing this is not ok either and I would address that with Mom/Dad about it being an issue (sanitary, if not poor manners) and that you need to be on the same page about that.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I would also have him get checked up to be sure nothing is wrong. And to bring you a doctor's note stating what you should be doing as far as serving size etc should be. If you should use the amount required by the food program, seconds? When do you cut him off?
All my kidos use boosters (oldest 2 right now are 4) They are not tall enough to sit at my table without one! I wouldn't want to eat with my elbows above my ears. I would be sure there is no way that he could touch the other children's food. His "theirs looks better" is not I need more food.
Eating that much food, and waking in the middle of the night is not normal.

[itlw8]

How fast is he eating... my guess he is not hungry he just eats so fast his brain has not caught up with his stomach... 4 servings no way.

I would not let him sit down until all food is on the table and you can watch him I would also speak up and tell the parents It will be much harder to fix the problem as long as they allow it at home. Everyone gets their own food

If he takes another persons food have him leave the table. Talk to him about his friend being hungry also. Them let him go back . if it happens again quickly remove him
from the table but for a longer time. This will solve two problems the food stealing and it slows him down so he knows he is not hungry.

As long as you are serving the appropriate serving size give him a bit extra is he is in a growth spurt then cut him off after seconds.

[JoseyJo]

I would also have him get checked up to be sure nothing is wrong. And to bring you a doctor's note stating what you should be doing as far as serving size etc should be. If you should use the amount required by the food program, seconds? When do you cut him off?
All my kidos use boosters (oldest 2 right now are 4) They are not tall enough to sit at my table without one! I wouldn't want to eat with my elbows above my ears. I would be sure there is no way that he could touch the other children's food. His "theirs looks better" is not I need more food.
Eating that much food, and waking in the middle of the night is not normal.

Exactly what I was going to say- seems like the problem might not be hunger, or there are 2 problems!

[craftymissbeth]

I agree with PP that it's possible he's eating so fast that he's not registering being full. Also, with as much as he's eating it's likely that his stomach has stretched to the point of needing more food to feel full. Him eating during the night is just making it worse. How is he otherwise? Developmentally is he on track? Size wise how close is he to average?

[grandmom]

I'd put him in a pack n play till everyone else was at the table, and then sit him down. And then I'd stand and watch. If he took food, I'd wash his hands and excuse him from the table. Guaranteed, 2 times, he'd understand.

[Unregistered]

Sorry, it's been a busy day! He eats at a normal pace but is always the last one to finish. He is average size for his age so that's not a concern.

Developmentally I would say he is a tad behind. He doesn't recognized colors, numbers or letters. From reading here that can be normal. He does repeat himself a lot and when asked a question he is unable to answer the question. He will either ignored you, say "cause" or I don't know. We have been working with him on lying also. To me I think this is all pretty normal. I could be wrong.

I talked to the mom at pick up and she said if it doesn't get better then she will take him to the doctor next week. If it isn't due to a growth spurt what do you think it could be? I have never run into something this this before.

[SilverSabre25]

Sorry, it's been a busy day! He eats at a normal pace but is always the last one to finish. He is average size for his age so that's not a concern.

Developmentally I would say he is a tad behind. He doesn't recognized colors, numbers or letters. From reading here that can be normal. He does repeat himself a lot and when asked a question he is unable to answer the question. He will either ignored you, say "cause" or I don't know. We have been working with him on lying also. To me I think this is all pretty normal. I could be wrong.

I talked to the mom at pick up and she said if it doesn't get better then she will take him to the doctor next week. If it isn't due to a growth spurt what do you think it could be? I have never run into something this this before.

Most of the developmental stuff sounds within normal ranges. He does sound off on the eating. I dunno...is he gaining or losing weight? How about parasites? A tapeworm? (ew, I know, but you asked...)

[Angelsj]

Sorry, it's been a busy day! He eats at a normal pace but is always the last one to finish. He is average size for his age so that's not a concern.

Developmentally I would say he is a tad behind. He doesn't recognized colors, numbers or letters. From reading here that can be normal. He does repeat himself a lot and when asked a question he is unable to answer the question. He will either ignored you, say "cause" or I don't know. We have been working with him on lying also. To me I think this is all pretty normal. I could be wrong.

I talked to the mom at pick up and she said if it doesn't get better then she will take him to the doctor next week. If it isn't due to a growth spurt what do you think it could be? I have never run into something this this before.

There are several disorders that can cause a child to eat way too much. It probably wouldn't hurt to get it checked out, but I wouldn't want to hazard a guess toward most of them without a lot more info.
However, you do have two different issues. You have to separate him. Just like he has a right to eat in peace, so do the other kids. They should not have to guard their food. If you can't separate, you will have to be right there the whole time.