stealing food

[fineAG]

I have a 7 year old daughter and a 5 year old son. They are generally well behaved, good in school etc. The problem we are having is they constantly steal food- goodies, I mean, not like making a sandwich in the middle of the night. They eat well and often and we have regularly scheduled meals and snacks throughout the day. I am passionate about nutrition and we eat very healthily (is that a word, sorry), but they do get cookies, gum, and other marginal food- I'm not a food Nazi, as long as they eat their meals I'm fine with the occasional not so great snacks... we have removed as much as possible to minimize temptation, but there are still snacks in the pantry meant to go in their lunches, or for example candy we bought to give out for Halloween this week- at their ages, there is just no place they cannot access short of locking cupboards which I am against on principal- we are family!! Am I kidding myself that they should be able to break out of this habit? It's very upsetting to me and I definitely overreact when I find the evidence, I am just so continually shocked that they keep stealing even knowing that it sends mommy over the edge, let alone that I really believe they do understand that it's wrong. They don't steal anything else from anyone else. I feel sure that this is pretty common behaviour in this age range but don't know how to react properly or guide them toward abandoning it. Any help would be ever so appreciated!!!!

[Sandman2]

   What a wonderful reply.  Its so seldom that we get previous posters to come back on and let us know how things are going.  Thank you so much!

[fineAG]

I was the original poster of this thread and somehow was never able to find it again- cant believe how many people posted and it's all good, negative judgy posts as well as supportive, practical ones- my kids are now 12 and 10, have mainly grown out of this behavior I guess I'd say. It was a long haul of growth for all of us! i try not to overdo my passion for good nutrition and knowledgable choices, providing a small "goody" in their school snacks & lunches so they wouldn't feel left out or weird next to all the other kids' Cheetos and Hi-C- I was doing the best I could to not be hypocritical because I drink sodas and eat brownies, but I'm an adult- I eat beautiful, nutritious meals and don't always reach for those things when I snack, which my kids WOULD, given their choice, 24/7... It's funny because I grew up in a large, lower income family and we ate crap a lot- I grew up on sugary cereals, KoolAid, pop tarts and a steady supply of wonderful (tasting!) baked goods because Oreos cost too much... And yet as an adult I eat a much more varied and nutritious diet, coach middle school athletes and work out regularly; in other words, I came out of it alright lol It appears that my kids will, too. Still... This was a very hard time for our family and I wish Id seen all of these replies back then, and hope they've been helpful and/or comforting to the many parents who were looking for help! We tried many if the suggestions people did come up with (NO junk in the house, ample acceptable snacks at their disposal, bigger meals, attention to growth cycles, LESS attention on the subject, LOTS of conversation about the many aspects of it, etc etc etc)... In all honesty, I think it just took all of us time to find our way and in the end contributed to better communication and grounding of our family... So anyway. Someone messages me tonight, all these years later, asking for help, and I just wanted to thank everyone for offering your opinions and support. It is a wide subject, with many possible answers, but this thread will definitely help people not feel so bad about themselves as they navigate their kid's (and their own, speaking from experience!) issues. I felt SO ALONE with it... Best regards!

[chriscored]

I have the same problem with my 13 yr,we have 5 kids and I think its wrong if I let all 5 get up during the night there would be nothing,u need to put your foot down somewhere its not right,he has plenty during the day extras when hes out, weve got a lock on our pantry to now hes taking from the fridge.

[mummyi]

so many people with a similar problem - including my 5 year old girl - eats plenty with the family, has treats in moderation and probably lots outside the house but still stealing food.  So what is the solution????????????  I'm really concerned because I do not want my daughter to have food or body issues later.

[maglady12]

I have a 14 year old and a 10 year old.  The 14 year old will steal food and then hide the evidence in her room behind her bed, in/behind her dresser, etc.  We buy healthy food and we also buy some snack foods like Cheez-its, cashews, and pita chips.  We even buy the cereal that they want (they chose a box of there own).  Occasionally, we will buy a bag of chips and dip/salsa.  It's not that we don't let or want them to eat what is in the cabinet, but we don't want them to eat the whole box/bag in one day.  It frustrates me to no end.....as many of you, our money is very tight.  As someone else stated above, not only are they eating their share, but everyone else's.  I want to lock my cabinet/fridge, but I'm not sure if that is the right thing to do????  

[specialmom]

I've read there can be a bit of an addictive quality with sugar.  I know that I myself have a hard time with a beloved sweet item in the house.  One just doesn't seem like enough and next thing you know, I've eaten the whole thing!  My strategy for that is to not buy it or make it.  Then I buy more healthy alternatives to have around to eat whenever I want.  Maybe try more of that kind of thing.  Tell him he can have as much of X and X (healthy things) as he wants.  We keep a fruit bowl on the counter that I put fruit in each day.  My kids can munch from that.  I cut up fruit too and keep it in the frig.  We have carrots cut and ready with ranch dressing and one of my kids is into sliced peppers as well.  You might buy one box of things like fruit treats and separate it into two bags.  One bag is his and the other is his siblings.  Put his siblings up in a cabinet.  Tell him this is his treat for his school lunch or after school.  Another sweet treat to have is ice cream.  You can't really steal that very well or it melts.  Then they can have a bowl of ice cream as a family.  

But in general, I'd keep cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, and candies out of the house.  good luck