Hi everyone.
Need some advise/tips for my 5 year old boy.
He is winding me and the school teachers up too much.
He will look for every chance to do bad things the minute our back are turned.
School he eats all the fruit,chocolate, etc when nobody looking, breaks things and then lies.
At home eats away even though he is fed already,will wat everything but he is not even hungry.
Have warned him,punished him but to no avail.
Have lost all hope please help.

Hi Tania,

Can you tell me, is this mostly eating things? He is 5 years old, and it seems a little strange that he would eat if he isn't hungry. Are you sure he's not hungry? He is growing rapidly, and might be feeling ravenous all the time.

Also, an infestation of threadworms can cause insatiable appetite in children. Its something they can pick up at school, doesn't mean they are dirty or neglected. Incidentally, worms can also cause bad behaviour, since it makes it hard for the child to sleep.

If it is neither of the above, I still think anything medical needs to be ruled out, because I dont know of any child who eats just to be naughty.

I dont know what else to suggest, other than a good chat with the teacher to try and devise an effective strategy to help him settle down.

All the best

Liz x

Sorry to sound cynical but if its such a big deal at school that he helps himself to food then why is the teacher leaving it where he can get to it? Surely rather than punish him it would be a lot easier to put it in a cupboard and lock it, know for sure my kids would snap up the opportunity of some forbidden chocolate (as would I!). Same at home, only leave out what you want him to eat, leave a bowl of fruit out and keep treats hidden away or just don't buy them in the first place.
Once you've eliminated any medical cause, don't worry about him eating constantly, some kids do just snack all day, just concentrate on it being the right kind of food