I am so tired of My Kids snacking and making Messes

It is driving me insane - They always seem to be Hungry - yet they Will eat half a Yogurt and Leave the Other Half on the table - not throwing it away -

also JUICE pouches!! These worked well for my two Oldest - but my Younger Two - Forget it - they open them - take a Few Sips. Spill them etc.

I can't take this anymore - its out of control -
I am so tired of wasted food and stained carpets from them Sneaking snacks a half hour after lunch or dinner .

I am ending it this week -

I am actually Going to put a Lock on the Fridge - and Store any snack type Foods- even Cereals and Extra drinks in a Big rubbermaid container in MY Bedroom closet -
And freezer stuff - will all have to go into the Basement Freezer LOCKED up too.
I have tried many other solutions !!
Does anyone Else's kids snack away ??

Next house will Simply have an enclosed Kitchen with A LOCKED door

Well...my kids just drink water, skim milk and crystal light. I actually am on the fence about the crystal light, because I don't like them to drink diet items. They don't drink that much of it, so for now, I let them. That's it. We're not a juice drinking family (none of us really like it), I don't buy individual pouches or boxes of anything else because I think they're mostly junk and I'd rather they drink water. I've got them trained pretty well, I have plastic cups and they like to fill them with ice and water. They should just use one cup a day and when they're done with it, they put it on the counter in a specific place and then grab it again when they want more...that way, I'm not washing a million cups each day. So that works well for us...

I don't put a limit on snacking usually because I haven't had to, they are pretty good about eating whatever they decide to have and throwing away the trash or putting their dish in the dishwasher or sink. I don't have a lot of junk foods on hand because again, we're not really into it and I found I was throwing away half full bags of stale chips, pretzels etc I buy small quantanties and it lasts a while for us.

Maybe gather the kids around and make your expectations crystal clear? If they can't follow the rules, take the snacks away?

Darn it...double post...and you can't edit in any of the "Ages & Stages" BB's...sorry!

We were going through this for quite a while this summer. I actually think DS was going through a growth spurt, because he was also complaining about pains in his legs, and he began sleeping a little more. He just wanted to eat and drink anything all the time. I mean, he was really hungry, because I would figure, well, if I give him an apple and he doesn't eat it, he isn't hungry but he would actually eat it. I read somewhere that children often grow more in the spring and summer, and when I checked, he had grown about and inch and a half in six months. He is 4.5 right now. Good luck. I have heard a lot of moms with the same issues this summer.

yes I am going crazy with this too!! every 5 min I want a snack!! Im like I want them to last more than a day!!

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Kelly mom to 3 great girls A Peanut, a monkey and a little burrito.

Here I thought it was just my kids I don't buy individual of anything because most of the time we are home. They don't drink much juice but love kool-aid and even are pretty good about ice water, now that it comes out of the door on the fridge! I really think its more because they are bored. I offer pretzels, baby carrotts, grapes yogurt and gold fish but not every 5 minutes! I would suggest like Oregano stated have a meeting and make clear rules!

I think if they are only eating 1/2 of what they get for a snack, then they aren't really hungry. Maybe just bored or used to having lots of snacks. I think you are right to limit the number of snacks and drinks that aren't water. Then, if they say they are hungry, tell them they can have fruit or a vegetable and water. That's it. Half the time I think kids want snacks because they taste good (just like adults do), not because they are necessarily hungry. And, if they really are hungry, then they'll eat the fruit and veggies that you offer. It's also a good way for them to eat more of them and try different types.

I would say that you should watch out for making the "forbidden" stuff too tempting, so they end up fixated on it and obsess about it.

All three of mine are eating like crazy too. Not junk, healthy foods, fruits, cheese, yogurt, etc. They are driving me crazy too. It seems as if someone is always eating when I walk into the kitchen.

Oh mine aren't eating Junk either -
I buy 100 % Juice pouchs and I bottle Up little Bottles of Water - They Don't like milk too Much other than at Breakfast -
In our fridge we always have baby Carrots , Grapes , apples Yogurt , String Cheese and Other Easy Healthy Choices -

I always Hide things like Chips - and Put the Goldfish , Saltines , cereal and Pretzals in the Cabinet


I Agree they are eating due to Boredom
I Don't Know how to keep them Non Bored all day every day though - So thankfully they are Going back to school in 11 Days!! :happy dance:

I also need to go over the snack rules again -
and once things are more routine around here again - i am Going to start Marking Individual Bags and Containers with their names - This way they can see That they only have 4 bags of pretzals left for the week - Maybe they will re think if they are really Hungry or not -
also this will solve the " its not my Mess " Problem - cause if I Find crumbs and an Empty bag that says Taylor - Taylor will be Busted!!

It sounds like they are eating more out of boredom than because they are hungry? If they are not finishing things and just grabbing more?

I have to say ds is pretty good about this. He'll be involved with playing and will 'forget' that he is hungry. He's been getting up pretty late so usually he doesn't have a morning snack. He does however have a healthy afternoon snack but usually I am the one that brings it up not him. I know other houses that snack all day and that's fine if that works for them. I know if ds eats something even hour before a meal he won't eat the meal well so I limit snacks to one in the middle of the afternoon.

I have found that around Halloween they have the mini-bags of snacks that stay fresh for a long long time. For instance, I bought a whole bunch of animal crackers (not cookies) and tiny bags of mini-pretzels that are still fresh after almost a year since they are in individual little bags. I find the tiny bags make an ideal size snack.

The snacks I do are: Mini babybel cheeses, tiny bags pretzels, crackers, animal crackers, fruit, organic fruit leather with all fruit - no extra sugar and no other ingredients than just fruit, Kashi bars, cereal bars from Trader Joes made with organic fruit, cheese sticks, etc. I buy nothing with high fructose corn syrup and nothing with partially hydrogenated oils in it. If it has one of these items, I don't buy it. Period.

We used to buy little bottles of water, but now with the filter on our fridge our water tastes good. So I give ds a Kleen Kanteen - stainless steel canteen with a loop top to drink from. This is when we are out. These things are expensive so I only allow water in them, I don't want any milk moldering away in there because someone left it in the car. Plus it is cool to drink from so I make sure only water goes in there, it makes it more appealing. I figure why add to the landfill or make myself more work recycling the plastic? We just switched to filtered and save money and time. I don't buy juice boxes now either. When I do buy juice I buy organic and fill it half with water, half with juice. Ds doesn't ask for it much though, he's more into water now or milk. I don't allow soda or anything diet.

I think snacks are a great thing. I love my snacks too. But I make sure they are healthy, and I make sure the timing is right.