Why does my 4 year old tell me he is hungry EVERY hour. And then whines and whines when I tell him no?

Question

I give him breakfast....a small snack.......then lunch.......then a snack.......then dinner.

And he STILL tells me he is hungry between all that! It is sooo irritating to stop what I am doing to make him something to eat AGAIN after he literally JUST ate (and told me he was done eating!!!)

What do I do?!? Keep telling him NO and make him wait? I mean in school he won't be able just can't eat whenever he wants....but then I feel bad denying him food.

He is not overweight for anyone concerned. He is actually very lean.

Answer 1

Make sure he's getting enough liquid (preferably water) with & between his meals.  If he insist that he's still hungry give him a choice of fruit or raw vegetable.  Let him decide which one he wants instead of you showing him who's the boss by deciding for him.  With more water & healthy choices of snacks this should cut down of the hunger every hour.

Answer 2

Just a personal opinion, but it could be because he is just a growing boy or perhaps he is just bored and finds filling time by eating to be the best alternative. Myabe introduce a new activity around the times when he usually complains of being hungry?

Answer 3

im having the same problem with my lil girl who just turned 5 today...she constantly wants something to eat...

if you are feeding him regularly, then i wouldnt feel bad for telling him no. its the best thing for you to do... at 4, their lil stomachs are so small...it sounds like he gets plenty to eat...i think my lil girl just does it when shes bored... i bet thats why your lil one does it too....just plain boredom...just stick to his eating schedule thaat you have and stick to the "no" at other times of the day... youre right, he wont be able to just eat whenever he wants at school so he needs to be prepared for that.

Answer 4

I would first check with his DR. and make sure your son is o.k. Then I would go from there. He is probably going through another growth spurt maybe you need to up his protein to keep him from feeling hungry. Try tuna, bananas and peanut butter if he is not allergic. This should make him feel fuller plus I know yogurt really works wonders.

If you try this and he still complains of hunger I would bet he is more bored than anything and wants some time with you and he knows if your in the kitchen cooking you are giving him your attention. So he might be bored too.

Answer 5

you have to be firm,like when he was potty training lol

Answer 6

Kids will do that from time to time....he is having a growth spurt right now and his body needs the added nutrition to compensate for the rapid spurt.  Just feed him healthy snacks so you know he is not getting junk and is getting the vitamins and minerals his body needs.  This will pass in time and it is a little young to think about his eating schedule for school since pre-school and kindergarten usually have snack time.

Answer 7

OK this is what i do with my 4 year old...... i put cereal or something easy on the counter top so when he is hunger he can eat any time he wants in between meals too you can put anything on it not just cereal anything simple works hope this helps mary

Answer 8

He probably needs the food because he is about to have a grow spurt

Answer 9

Maybe he is going through a growth spurt. Try giving him bigger portions at meal and snack time.

Answer 10

My son hit his growth spurt around that age. He wanted food all the time. I fed every time he wanted to eat. I know it is frustrating but the kid is growing. He needs the energy and the nutrients.

Answer 11

I think you should give him a very small snack when he asks , like 3 potato chips ,but no more ;p

Answer 12

i  think  he  might  have  a  disease  that  makes  him  digest  to  fast  and  when  you  do  that  you  have  to  eat  alot  my  advise  give  him  3  big  big  meals  a  day  but  you  should  go  see  your  doctor  he'll  help  and  good  luck  with  your  child

Answer 13

If he is like my 4 yr. old, he is very active, which burns a lot of calories.  The only time my son sits still is when he eats.  The doctor said an active child needs more fuel and when he's hungry to let him eat.  Just don't give him junk food, make sure it's healthy.  I have the same concerns for when he starts school.  I think he'll be fine.

Answer 14

my 4 year old lil bro dus the samee thing [im very close with him and spend almost the same amount of time with him that my mom dus] also my lil bro is lean too. around this age most lil kids go through a growth spirt. just try to give him more healthy things like fruits,etc. they fill kids up a ton more than junk food. also most lil kids \ or atleast my lil bro\ are veryyyy active especially in the summer so thy might b more hungry than usual! also he moght just think he's hungry cuz he's bored! also dont be afraid tht he will get fat if u give him like 1 more snack during the day cuz lil kids burn calories a lot faster! hope this helps!

Answer 15

I think you are right in not giving him food when ever he wants . setting up snack time between meals is a good idea. I have a Daughter that all ways wanted food . I tried carrots, raisins, grapes and apples as a snack at 10am / 3pm  I made her sit at the table when she ate anything. A big glass of water is a good Idea. My biggest concern is she would start to eat until she was full /stuffed .... Health eating habits will help him all through life. I think you are doing the right thing.

Answer 16

My 6 year old does the exact same thing and i just tell her if your really really hungry you can have fruits or veggies that way you know he is eating healthy and if he doesn't want that than he's not really hungry...I works like like a charm for me....I just fill tupperware containers with fruits and veggies and when she's hungry she goes in the fridge grabs a container ....As far as being in school and being hungry, well i know my daughter starts a 8;30 and then they have a snack at 9:45 lunch at 11:15 and a snack again at 1:30 and they are so busy throughout the day that they usually don't have time to think about food, just make sure he eats a fulfilling breakfast and i usually send my daughter with a piece of fruit to school as well to snack on her way there...Hope this helps..

Answer 17

You should go see a doctor.

He can possibly have super high metabolism or something's with his stomach.

Seeing a doctor is highly reccommended

Answer 18

This is normal. No you're not mean for not giving him something to eat when he asks. I do the same thing w/my 2 year old. She picks through every meal then between she has 1 snack. Yes keep telling him no and making him wait. Then when meal time arrives remind him he's "hungry" and to eat like a "big boy". Studies have shown children..and ppl in general will eat most times because their bored.. not hungry. Maybe try diverting his attention to something else. Good luck it's a frustrating stage..but this too shall pass.

Answer 19

are you giving him large enough meals and is he finishing them?  is he eating as much or more than you?

if you are giving him LOTS of food (as much or more than you) and he is still hungry, alert your doctor.  there could be an absorption problem like cystic fibrosis.  definitely don't deny him more food if he finishes it all the time.

if he's eating very little but saying he's done (maybe because he doesn't like the food) that's a different story.  if he barely touches lunch, keep it in the fridge, and when he comes back an hour later give him the lunch plate back.  he'll need to learn to eat what you give him and not just the snacks he's hoping for.

Answer 20

just have healthy snacks available for when he's hungry (cut up celery, cherry tomatoes (salmonella free, of course, lol), baby carrots). You can give him the option of eating (which if he's really hungry, he will.

Answer 21

my daughter recently started eating more too. she's 3 will be 4 next may. Usually we can't get her to eat hardly at all and she's so slim. So we offer her different foods more often in hopes that she'll eat more. Now she is eating more and more and wants more too. they expend a lot of energy running around and playing and jumping and they are growing too. So feed him, he's probablby burning it off like my girl and a little pudgyness can be gotten off later. Don't worry mom feed him.

Answer 22

My daughter does this too from time to time. Usually when I'm really busy. she's three. I try to keep easy low mess snack on hand. Lke cheese sticks, washed grapes, Nutra Pal bars, wheat thins.

Like most things it is probably just  phase. If he is actually eating all the food, then he probably is hungry.

Answer 23

my daughter is almost four and just went through this. it seemed like all she was doing all day long was eating. my daughter isn't the type of kid who eats just because food tastes good, so i knew she really was hungry. i gave her snacks when she asked for them. i guess she was just going through a growing spurt because she grew out of her clothes, and her bigger clothes fit her better.