"MOM, I am hungry!"

[mamaofthree]

I swear if I hear that one more time I will explode! Can they be that hungry all the time? I think I hear "Mom I am hungry" about 50 time a day... seriously!
I read that if they get good well rounded meals they won't want to eat all the darn time... NOT TRUE! My kids are constantly hungry! I am going nuts.
Can they all actually be having a growth spurt at the same time?

H

[MamaBug]

I aks myself that almost every night when they ask for a snack right after a great dinner???And yes maybe they are going through that growth spurt at the same time, kind of like when women get their cycles in sync!:

[muse]

My son needs healthy snacks at least every hour. I think that works much better for him than 3 full meals a day. He is a cranky monkey if he doesn't eat constantly. I try to have on hand;

nuts & raisins
popcorn
crackers
hummus
chopped veggies
cheese
rice cakes
fruit

[NaomiLorelie]

My oldest is only three so maybe that's why she eats all the time, but she gets a snack almost every hour. And yes, sometimes my head wants to explode when I here yet another request for cereal, stawberries, granola bar, etc..... I guess I am getting tired of being a servent on call 24/7. Oh well, only another 18+ yearsof that

[oyemicanto]

Thank goodness I am not the only one! My two year old is CONSTANTLY hungry!! I have to feed him every two hours and am running out of ideas. I try to have snacks like fruit, sliced veggies, bread, hummus, but I would love more variety.

Some days I feel like nothing more than a servant...I think that's why MDC helps me so much

[mamaofthree]

My middle son is the worst. He will eat something and say he is full and then not 15 minutes later be telling me he is hungry again. I honestly don't think I can keep enough food in this house.Plus as soon as everyone is in their jammies and stories have been read and it is lights out time, EVERYONE IS HUNGRY! Everyday this happens. I have a hard time saying no because sometimes I get hungry right before I go to bed, but still. It makes me nuts! AGH!

H

[3boysmom]

Ha! Wait til they're teenagers! We have always had what dh and I call the "2 hour rule" meaning that if we haven't fed them something in the last two hours we can expect a meltdown any minute! All three of them seem to really need food almost constantly, but that seems normal to me since they are in pretty much constant motion. My oldest is now nearly 15 and he can clear out the pantry daily - I can hardly shop fast enough to keep up with him - even buying snacks in those huge bulk bins from Sam's Club. The amount of fruit and milk we go through is unbelievable!

[Yooper]

Mine is constantly hungry. She is 2.5 and eats like an adult. She will sit down and eat two cups of lentil soup then half an hour later she is asking for food! I was going crazy! I taught her how to get stuff she wants out of the fridge so that I do not have to rummage for her every thirty minutes.

[Chicky2]

Wooohoooo, I'm not alone!!!!

My oldest is 17, and eats alot, but not as much as she use to, so I'm hoping it's slowing down, lol. She's a toothpick. My son (almost 5) is the one ALWAYS hungry now. And since he's a boy, I'm sure it'll only get worse before it gets better. Thank goodness for the bulk bins at Whole Foods, and I'm thinking I need to get a Costco membership w/our tax return.... My son will do just as everyone else's seems to do...eat and 15 minutes later (or immediately!) will say he's hungry again.

We do (now that they are older) close down the kitchen after supper (we eat later now than we did 'cause dh is getting home later) and a quick snack. Then they have to go to bed, but it all starts over in the morning, lol!

I seriously need to stock up, too! Gonna have to actually cook everything they eat today except apples and bananas and string cheese, lol!

[~member~]

When a child says they are hungry like that, it usually means they need water.
I always have my children drink their beverage 30 minutes before or after their meal. It helps their bodies digest the food better.

[dharmamama]

My kids will be four and three in February and they want to eat constantly. I have the "I will make one snack before lunch and one snack before dinner" rule because I found myself in the kitchen making snacks way too frequently for my taste.

If they want more than the one pre-lunch and one pre-dinner Momma-made snack, they are on their own. Every morning, I peel and cut up carrots, I wash grapes, I fill small containers with yogurt, I cube cheese, etc. These things go on their shelf in the fridge, and the kids are responsible for getting their own snacks. They still say, "I'm hungry!" but I just respond with, "Help yourself to a snack!"

Namaste!

[Chicky2]

Lol, my kids drink ONLY water, with the exception of one glass of milk per day, each. We go thru 3 CASES of bottled water a week.

My kids are old enough now to help themselves to a zillion snacks a day. We keep only good yummy healthy foods available so whatever they wish to eat is approved, unless they want, say, 3 yogurts per day. I was soooo glad when they got to this stage! Now i only have to do any cooking, and any cutting w/very sharp knives. They can do all the rest. But I *still* hear the "I'm hungry" many, many times a day. I just say, "go get a snack, then!".

[ToniaStarr]

My eldest is like that. He snacks more than eats real meals, kwim? I am like that also. His younger brother tends to want food just cuz he sees Zane eat so it could be a case of monkey see monkey do. Just make sure its healthy stuff, not empty calories.