4 yo and his 6 yo brother that eat everything

[hwichlaz]

I have a 4-year-old who will still eat playdough and art supplies. When I catch him eating playdough I remove him from the activity. Then I'll catch him trying to crawl under the table where another child is still using playdough to try and get more crumbs to eat. He does the same with water beads, kinetic sand, grass etc.

Last week I took a toddler out of a highchair to clean him up, then turned back to the highchair to clean it and fold it up, and he and his brother were digging crumbs out of the seat.

They are both well fed, but also kind of like hobbits. The 4-year-old is here full time, the 6-year-old after school. They are both fed a full breakfast at home, they also eat breakfast at daycare/school. So, like hobbits....1st and 2nd breakfast, . I have seconds available for meals as well. However, this is happening all day long. It's not seemingly tied to meal times or happening when it's been a while since food has been served. They are of healthy size, active boys. I don't think it's a food issue, but a development issue.

Has anyone had this in a 4 and 6-year-old before?

[daycarediva]

Two. Unrelated. One was a dc child another was a cousin's child.

One in dc ended up being abused/neglected at home and would eat EVERYTHING here to fill up. After learning what I did about her home life, I feel like a monster for denying her seconds of snacks, denying her food to take home, etc.

Cousin's kid ended up with SID AND PICA. He ate DOG POOP at my mom's house once.

[hwichlaz]

I can't ever be positive that a child isn't being abused, but I do know these boys are not being denied nutritious food anywhere. They walk in shoving the last of a breakfast sandwich in their mouths, then the little one eats another breakfast with me, and the older one has breakfast at school. I've seen the lunch that dad packs for the older boy, it's relatively healthy and more than adequate.

They have seconds of my meals available here. They were both in EI when they were younger and graduated...still have speech therapy. Dad got custody when they were both infants, a newb and an almost 2-year-old because mom neglected them....enough to lose even supervised visits. He's fought for interventions and therapies, and while a bit of an odd duck, seems like a good dad to me. I've had the boys off and on since he got them. They both left for a bit to go to early head start.

[daycarediva]

https://share.upmc.com/2015/05/how-to-tell-if-your-child-has-pica/

sounds like PICA to me.

My cousin's kid was anemic and they treated it with iron and play therapy/mild aversion therapy. He's 7 now and in reg ed classes, but they put him in spec ed in K because he ate the materials in class. Glue, glue sticks, paper, paper mache, you name it.

[Jiminycrickets]

If they were neglected when they were younger, that can lead to food/eating issues later, even if they are in a decent environment/their needs are met now. Going hungry early in development can lead your brain to wire itself so it is always "hungry" and your body will subconsciously always be trying to get more to save up for the lean times it is wired to expect.

[hwichlaz]

If they were neglected when they were younger, that can lead to food/eating issues later, even if they are in a decent environment/their needs are met now. Going hungry early in development can lead your brain to wire itself so it is always "hungry" and your body will subconsciously always be trying to get more to save up for the lean times it is wired to expect.

That makes a lot of sense. They were both in the 75th percentile for both height and weight. She was throwing bottles of formula and milk into a playpen for them all day, but never letting them out and not really interacting with them. She was too busy doing drugs. They both have attachment disorders as a result, the youngest is more mild. But it's also possible they were hungry but being fed just enough.....not being fed to satisfaction. So I think you've hit on something. I'm going to have a talk with dad about it today.