Children that are allowed to eat/graze constantly?

lostinrates

notanewuser wrote: »

I hate the obsession for routines and chopping the days up into chunks of time where certain things must be done. It's not how we humans work best!!

But it is sometimes how we have to adapt to work in certain situations to be successful. It's not everyone's aim, but if it is then it needs to be considered.

I certainly think most cave people would have been used to doing with out when they were hungry a fair bit too....also having to override a natural instinct to eat, to make their provisions last. They also didn't live as long as we do, for various reasons.

For me one of the best uses of science is respecting the natural patterns we evolved for (behavioural, and physiological) and using science to see how they can be improved for optimum performance/health/longevity etc . It's something I am really interested in , albeit not in humans!

Edit: I am very interested in the article linked and the the book and might well buy a copy for my new parent sibling in laws.

andygb

pigpen wrote: »

And denying a hungry child food isn't going to make them binge eat as whenever they get a chance and as adults and develop eating disorders? Forbidding foods also makes them want it more.. if a food is not allowed I do explain why.. but banning it means the second they get the opportunity they will go get it. This breeds just as many if not more unhealthy people.

Some people prefer smaller more regular meals and some have 3 big meals a day.. each to their own.. so long as they brush their teeth regularly to prevent tooth decay.

I eat when I am hungry regardless of the time, no one dictates to me when I should or should not eat so why would anyone force it on a child who has a smaller stomach and probably burns off a greater percentage of the calories tearing about than a sloth-like adult.

I suffer from hypoglycaemia on a regular basis so I actually have to eat several times a day otherwise I become unwell and have been known to collapse in a heap on several occasions.

Even my cats have access to food 24/7 !!!

My 20 month old has had 3 dinners this evening.. she had 2 helpings of chicken casserole and mash followed by a plate of pasta with honey and mustard dressing.. should I have sent her to bed hungry when she was asking for more?.. even though she clearly was hungry because she ate it.

I don't see the issue..

What would you do if you were hungry at 3pm, for example.. You ate your lunch at 12noon but dinner was not going to be until 5 or 6pm.. but at 3pm you are hungry, you've had a drink but you are still hungry.. but you know that if you wait until 6 for dinner you will heap enough for 10 men on your plate... is it not simpler to have fruit or toast or a light sandwich at 3pm and eat a normal sized/slightly smaller meal at 6?

Is that really so different to a child getting in from school and having a small snack to see them through to dinner? Especially if they are needing to concentrate on homework or have activities they do after school.

I couldn't spend 3 hours needing to eat, I'd end up eating half the food I was cooking for dinner ... and I have done it.. then I couldn't eat my dinner because I'd had yoghurts and fruit and toast to stop me from fainting in the food... then I'd be starving by bedtime again!

Everything in moderation.. apart from love!

Such a pity that you do not follow your last bit of advice, because I cannot think why a 20 month old child would need three dinners in one evening, unless of course you are simply shoving food down their throat to keep them quiet.
There is no way I would be hungry at 3PM even after a light lunch at midday. I very often have brunch, because I eat dinner at 5.30PM, do not snack, and very often go out for a 8 to 10 mile walk the next morning before eating.
We have relations who cannot go anywhere without wanting to snack or go for a meal, despite only eating a couple of hours before. The mother is fat and the two young lads are starting to look decidely "porky".

notanewuser

andygb wrote: »

Such a pity that you do not follow your last bit of advice, because I cannot think why a 20 month old child would need three dinners in one evening, unless of course you are simply shoving food down their throat to keep them quiet.
There is no way I would be hungry at 3PM even after a light lunch at midday. I very often have brunch, because I eat dinner at 5.30PM, do not snack, and very often go out for a 8 to 10 mile walk the next morning before eating.
We have relations who cannot go anywhere without wanting to snack or go for a meal, despite only eating a couple of hours before. The mother is fat and the two young lads are starting to look decidely "porky".

So what? What works for you won't work for everybody else. My father, for example, eats one meal a day. No snacks, nothing. Just 1 massive meal a day. He's incredibly fit. Despite having half of his genes I would feel seriously ill if I did that. I generally eat 3 to 5 small, protein based meals.

notanewuser

andygb wrote: »

Such a pity that you do not follow your last bit of advice, because I cannot think why a 20 month old child would need three dinners in one evening, unless of course you are simply shoving food down their throat to keep them quiet.
There is no way I would be hungry at 3PM even after a light lunch at midday. I very often have brunch, because I eat dinner at 5.30PM, do not snack, and very often go out for a 8 to 10 mile walk the next morning before eating.
We have relations who cannot go anywhere without wanting to snack or go for a meal, despite only eating a couple of hours before. The mother is fat and the two young lads are starting to look decidely "porky".

Do you have children? Do you know anybody with children? Interesting that Torry has thanked your post because I don't think she does either.

Torry_Quine

notanewuser wrote: »

Do you have children? Do you know anybody with children? Interesting that Torry has thanked your post because I don't think she does either.

I don't have children personally no but I don't live in a bubble and I am allowed to have an opinion on this as on any matter.

I stand by what I have said. How on earth did I survive, my parents didn't have the luxury of snacks and multiple meals. If we didn't eat our meal then we went hungry until the next meal time. Until this thread I was unaware that this had changed that drastically for some people.

notanewuser

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I don't have children personally no but I don't live in a bubble and I am allowed to have an opinion on this as on any matter.

I stand by what I have said. How on earth did I survive, my parents didn't have the luxury of snacks and multiple meals. If we didn't eat our meal then we went hungry until the next meal time. Until this thread I was unaware that this had changed that drastically for some people.

As a toddler your parents let you go hungry, did they? I don't believe you.

Torry_Quine

notanewuser wrote: »

As a toddler your parents let you go hungry, did they? I don't believe you.

There was nothing else to eat so I soon learned that I had to eat what was given. What else could they do?

notanewuser

Torry_Quine wrote: »

There was nothing else to eat so I soon learned that I had to eat what was given. What else could they do?

As a small child my parents went hungry to feed me, because money was tight.

My grandmother, now in her mid 80s, would go without rather than see any one of her 4 children, 6 grandchildren or great granddaughter go hungry.

There are days when DD eats loads, and others she barely eats anything. As I said, small children listen to their bodies and only eat as much as they need (generally). If DD doesn't want to eat at 9am but wants something at 10.30am, you think I should deny her, do you?

MarilynMonroe_2

notanewuser wrote: »

As a toddler your parents let you go hungry, did they? I don't believe you.

I dont know how old you are but yeh we would have gone hungry till the next meal, not that I ever starved myself. Food wasnt as cheap as it is now, and clothes were very very dear. Snacks were unheard of unless you wanted an apple cos that and oranges were pretty much it, not like now where snack food is available for babies now!

MarilynMonroe_2

notanewuser wrote: »

As a small child my parents went hungry to feed me, because money was tight.

My grandmother, now in her mid 80s, would go without rather than see any one of her 4 children, 6 grandchildren or great granddaughter go hungry.

There are days when DD eats loads, and others she barely eats anything. As I said, small children listen to their bodies and only eat as much as they need (generally). If DD doesn't want to eat at 9am but wants something at 10.30am, you think I should deny her, do you?

I dont think he/she was meaning they were starved, rather if you didnt eat what was served to you then tough. Plus you had to eat when you could before the power cuts!