Just had to go into DD's drawer...........

[lcmtam86]

I just had to go into DD's drawer to make change and found a whole bunch of snack wrappers ..(chewy bars, p'nut butter crax...etc)

What would you do if your child was sneaking snacks???

DD is going to be 12yrs old in 6 weeks and is already feeling a little self conscious about her body.....She knows what she can and cannot wear (size wise). Loves the Limited TOO store but can only wear their largest size in tops and get very discouraged that she can't buy the clothes she wants cuz they are too small.............

I am at my wits end and I will not fight with her about food.

Tammie

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

That's a toughie Tammie. I agree that you shouldn't make too much of an issue out of it. I'd simply ask her why she is sneaking snacks and tell her that you'll be happy to help her prepare healthy foods when she's hungry. Then let it go.

Good luck. My skinny 8 year old DS, who weighs all of 68 pounds at about 56" tall, thinks he has a gut.

 

[Helopoh]

Is there something bothering her that is making her prone to eat. Food can be a great comfort when people are upset. My DS 6 constantly is asking for something to eat (snack) when he gets bored. Is she in need of something to keep her busy, like a hobby or activity. I honestly can't tell you what to do because I have no idea why she is sneaking. It could be any number of reasons. But whatever you do don't make her feel too much like a criminal if and when you confront her. Fighting with her about food can make her eat more and It can make things worse. Try and find out when she is sneaking and maybe why if she is uncomfortable about her body let her know that there is nothing to be ashamed of. People come in 1,000's of shapes sizes and colors. HTH's

 

[missymouse3367]

My DD has done that. I stopped buying the snacks and only bought healthy foods.This helped some what. I still find stuff around once in a while. This age is so hard. Try not to put any extra pressure on her.I have been working out and have really emphasized how good I feel. It has helped. Good Luck.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I would change my shopping habits. If your daughter is facing weight issues at this age, it can only get worse. If the items in question are not in the house, then she cannot sneak them.

Have healthy prepared snacks, lite popcorn, pretzels (no chips) etc. in the house and not stock the items that are high in fat and calories.

12 is not too young to learn about food. A nutritional counselor can help. Weight watchers can also help her learn how to take control of her weight. ANd exercise is sooo important. A sedantary lifestyle at this age will really haunt her later. (can you tell I speak from experience )

Good luck with this, and I wish you and your daughter the best!

 

[yasuern]

I have a friend that has a dgt that is a little over wgt - she w/o realizing it often comments in front of her dgt about her size - Like "stripes aren't your most flattering choice" or "she is to big to fit into that size" - I think the best approach is to encourage your dgt to exercise - ie: walk the dog daily - jump on the trampoline - ride her bike - also try to encourage healthier snacks - even weight watcher desserts are better than higher fat snacks - if she likes chocolate - keep hersey minatures handy - sometimes just a taste of chocolate followed by a healthier snack is all it takes to crave the impulse.
I was at my dgts 2nd grade class the other day and there were a lot of girls that were too thin and I worry that even at 7 and 8 y/o we are teaching them the wrong messages - that thin is best - we should be teaching them to be healthy and that comes in many shapes and sizes. Good luck
Sue M

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally posted by lcmtam86

What would you do if your child was sneaking snacks???

DD is going to be 12yrs old in 6 weeks and is already feeling a little self conscious about her body.....She knows what she can and cannot wear (size wise). Loves the Limited TOO store but can only wear their largest size in tops and get very discouraged that she can't buy the clothes she wants cuz they are too small.............

I am at my wits end and I will not fight with her about food.

Tammie

Hey! My dd will be 12 in April. Boy there are alot of us with the same aged girls!

Maybe I can put you at ease abit. After much clothes shopping with DD, last 2months, we do not shop at L2 as their clothes are not made for 11-12yo girl shapes. I freaked when she was wearing size LG in Jrs in sweaters!
We have now moved on to Jrs & Aeropostle and other venues which are more realistic in the shape of their clothes for preteen girls.

Now as far as the sneaking food, I would just clean up the wrappers and not buy any if it is a real issue with her. Or does she buy the junk food w/o your knowledge? Or tell her not to eat in her room, which would be my complaint.

 

[lcmtam86]

Wow!

Isn't it sad that they have to make the girls clothes so skimpy?

It is also sad that we have to shop in the jrs dept for 10-12 year olds and when we get there they are wearing a lg-xlg in the juniors dept. We have gone to NY &CO for clothes and I do look for tops that are a bit longer as DD does have a long torso and is shorter from the waist down ( she has dads body and DS has mine) anyways it is very hard to shop and sometimes takes us hours........last year we tried on 32 different bathing suits to only buy 1, now how discouraging is that..

And DD is very active, she takes 3 dance classes and is involved in the after school sports program 1 day a week and she does cheerleading from August 1st thru end of November but I guess she just doesnt seem to burn it off or I dont know now I am rambling..................sorry

But like I was saying I guess there are a lot of us out there with the same problem..........I just worry that this is going to turn into more.

DD is also going through the wonderful stage of turning into a little lady before my very eyes and that is a scary but exciting time to go through...

And now it is off to clean out the fridge and make a fruit and veggie snack list ....oh we go through this every so often and then life gets busy and we get off track.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

My daughter will be 12 in March and we go through the same issues with clothes. WE no longer shop in the girls dept; we've headed over to junior miss. She has to try on everything now but it has done wonders for her self esteem to be wearing a 3 or 5 in something as opposed to a 14/16 in girls. She's not a plus size kid either but she thinks she's fat She's gonna have a body like Brittany Spears one day but that is another issue. It drives me crazy that she thinks she's fat. She's perfect IMO. It's really just sad.

 

[shortbun]

"Sneaking Food"? I think I would work on my presentation
of this issue before I went to my 12 year old and called her
a sneak about food. Girls this age are impressionable. It's
probably pretty normal for kids to take food to their rooms and
most kids that age love junk food-candy, etc. Like another
poster said - ask her to abstain from eating in her room if this
is your issue. Don't make her feel guilty about it; she doesn't
need the guilt issue attached to food. If your aren't careful,
you will be calling her fat in her mind and that will be more
harmful than her actually eating in her room. Don't make her
body image the issue-Limited too! sizes are intentionally small.
I take my 12 yo neice to Aeropostle and the clothes fit just fine.
Kohls and Target clothes fit well too. Stop giving Les Wexner
your hard earned $$$$, he doesn't need it. You should see his
house - the gate house is 8,000 sq ft.!!!!! I believe the house
itself is 40,000!! He owns the Limited, Abercrombie, Victoria's
Secret, Bath and Body, Henri Bendels and a myriad of others.
Now that's "FAT!"

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I have a DD that will be 11 in March. She has a little gut even though she does dance 2x a week and volleyball every Wednesday after school. Now she is walking on the treadmill. But from experience, when girls in my family hit puberty, the waist disappears until about age 15!
We only by L2 resale and try to stick with Target and Kohls. She is a definate 14. She is 5" 100 lb. at this moment.
I would not even approach the snacking from a food point--my kids are not allowed to take food upstairs! It's a sanitation/mess standpoint! Try that--it should stop her from snacking without putting the emphasis on food. Make sure she eats in the kitchen.
Robin M.