My 4 year old won’t stop eating! I can’t handle it anymore. I understand boys are needier with food but WOW. I’m swing his doctor on Wednesday to try and get to the bottom of it but wondering if anyone else has had the same. He stopped taking milk through out the day 9 months ago (don’t judge it was his Comfort and drank loads even at bedtime) but since we took that away he just constantly hungry so I’m thinking it’s been an issue all along just masked with the amount of milk he drank along side food. I don’t believe it’s emotional eating. However his eating that much that he should be obese but his actually the opposite very skinny. He will cry uncontrollable or kick and scream till I give in and give him food. Yes I try and stay as healthy as possible with his food and he gets the right vitamins and minerals etc as well. He drinks plenty and is very active. But this morning has tipped me over the edge. 4 bowls of cerial in 2 hours!! And no it’s not unhealthy cereal. I’m just lost. Google doesn’t help with much. I know he hasn’t got worms I’m just losing the will. He eats more than me and my husband put together in a single day. And still says his hungry!
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Should I be concerned that my 4 year old eats so much? - Mamas Uncut
Might be a growth spurt also try giving water before he eats
My 5 year old is the same way. My ped just says hes growing so i don’t have an answer either unfortunately.
At this age, boys don’t need more than girls. Maybe he has a high metabolism? Find something to distract him? Maybe an oral fixation and try a chew necklace?
As long as the doc has no concerns let the kid eat. Sounds like you are feeding him a pretty balanced diet so keep it up. He is growing and maybe try to feed him things that you notice keeps him feel more full for longer.
My 3 year old will out eat me. Shes constantly running around and burning energy and wants snacks and food constantly. I wouldn’t see it as a problem unless he was gaining a substantial amount of wait. If hes active enough he won’t gain anything unless you do give him unhealthy foods.
Take him to the Dr for labs. Could be type 1 Diabetes
You hungry? Here’s your celery and carrots- eat all ya want
Some kids are like that
If he isn’t having weight problems or any other health issues like diabetes etc then let him eat.
Kids that age can average 2100 cals a day Jus sayin my daughter is 4 and is constantly hungry!
It doesn’t get better either!!! I have a 7/12/15 year old and nope they neverrrrrr stoppppppp
May be a sign of juvenile diabetes. Follow up with pediatrician asap
Get blood work done if, he’s eating that much and still super skinny, especially if he’s drinking a ton. I’d be afraid of type 1 diabetes. If everything checks out as normal on blood work for that and thyroid function, just let him eat when he’s hungry.
Cereal raises insulin pretty fast which triggers the hunger hormone… try something different for breakfast and see how fast he gets hungry. When my kids eat Cereal for breakfast… particularly my 5 year old he will want lunch within an hour if not less. When I make breakfast he stays pretty full for a few hours. But even then my son eats a lot.
As long as he is eating healthy food and not junk food I wouldn’t worry. If he is eating junk, swap it out for healthy snacks. Fruits, raw veggies, protein packed yogurt, oatmeal, etc. Make sure he is drinking plenty of water also. Sometimes our bodies mistake thirst for hunger.
Is he very hyper and active? My daughter eats constantly but never gains weight because she’s running around ALL DAY no exaggeration lol. I wish I had toddler energy.
Cereal isnt substantial. Thats why hes still hungry.
He has a fast metabolism. My boys are the same…
He’s not over weight so what’s the problem? Give him the food when he’s asking for it, just provide him with healthy snack patters through out the day. I think you are creating a problem that isn’t there to be honest. Try something like this.
Make sure what he’s eating is healthy and not junk. And that he’s active everyday. He will be fine. He’s in for a lot of growth spurts so be prepared for those as well.
How much a child eats has nothing to do with gender. High energy, fast metabolism, and growth spurts can all lead to needing more calories. At meal times give hearty meals, and keep anytime snacks available. I keep fruit, crackers, and apple sauce available at all times. Making a big deal about how much a child eats can lead to having an unhealthy relationship with food, so be careful how it’s addressed with your child.
Sounds like pretty normal eating for a preschooler to me. They are more active at this age and so they burn more calories and need fuel to keep going.
Is he eating full blown meals and also constantly snaking or does he just eat a little here a little there.
My granddaughters pick eat so it seems like they are eating so much more than they actually are. We just make sure they have healthy foods that they can pick at all day. It is easier than trying to battle them every meal to just sit down and eat.
Both my boys are like that at age 7 and 5. I’ve noticed at different times it’s worse and it’s normally during growth spurts. They’ve always been really big eaters tho. They seem to constantly be hungry. I feed them and 30mins later they want more. Both are skinny fit kids. I think they have their fathers high metabolism. Their father eats the same way. With a family of 6 my food bill is no joke.
I have 2 girls, 6 and 3. Both will eat the legs off a table. My 6 year old is extremely active and my 3 year old has always loved food.
That’s normal. Don’t withhold food from a child.
My boys are 4 and 5 they can eat and eat I let them eat until they are full their dad has a very high metabolism and my 5yr old will wake up throughout the night crying his belly hurts if he doesn’t get enough food right before bed if he’s not obese or has health issues I’d let him eat my 4yr old could eat that much cereal in that time frame too lol my 5yr old is in 10in boys for clothes my 4yr old is short he’s in 4/5’s both are healthy and very very active
My son was hungry and thirsty all the time and was soaking through pull ups at night. He ended up having type 1 diabetes. These were all first symptoms.
How’s his protein intake?
He’s listening to his body and telling you what he needs and you’re annoyed why?
My 4 year old daughter is the same. Literally non stop all day. My 7 year old boy doesn’t nearly eat as much. So it’s not just boys.
If he isn’t gaining weight, he probably has a fast metabolism.
One thing to look into- I don’t remember the name of it, but my cousin has a disorder where his brain doesn’t tell his belly that it’s full and to stop eating. All through his childhood he had to be taught how much is the right amount, bc he was always hungry and literally never full bc his brain misfires. It’s not an emotional response or anything like that it’s just something that happened since he was a around 2. He’s in his 20’s now and still if left unsupervised, will eat everything in the house in one sitting and still not know he’s full. But he’s been a bigger guy his whole life. Which is one of the symptoms of his syndrome. I’ll try and look it up for you.
But
If its not that, give him 3% milk. Milk is good to give him. It gives him the fats he needs and helps keep him feel full longer. Give him more " stick to your ribs " type food. Where his metabolism doesn’t eat it up super quickly.
Growth spurt probably. I could definitely tell when my boys were having one based on their food intake.
He’s 4, he doesn’t need constant milk. He’s also 4, and growing, so he’s going to eat a lot. 4 bowls of cereal in 2 hours honestly isn’t even that much. Be thankful he eats a lot. He’s just hungry, so feed the kid. If you need to take him to a doctor to see what’s up, unless he has one of those rare disorders where kids never feel full and constantly eat (which I doubt is the case) then they’re going to tell you he’s an active kid, who needs a lot of food. He’s growing. Welcome to having kids.
Take him to the Dr and see what they think for your peace of mind.
My boys are 7 and 6, they eat a lot!!
We have started saying no snacks after dinner, if your hungry you can have more dinner you find out quick they are not actually hungry, they just want something else…
if they have a second portion of dinner, they can have whatever they want.
Try a 24 year old that cant stop eating…its quite expensive.
could be type 1 diabetes
Most likely he is having a big growth spurt. Everytime my son would have a growth spurt he would eat a lot and have growing pains.
Try more protein and veggies to fill him up. Carbs like bread and cereal aren’t that filling in the long run
Have you tried feeding him a balanced meal ? Lol ? How about a bowl of cereal a banana and yogurt it kindof ridiculous how you expect him to feel full off of just cereal and kids eat a lot ! You could offer larger snack and he wouldn’t be asking all the time , cheese cracker & meat. Why is his only option in 2 hours a bowl of cereal?
I had a fast metabolism at that age. My Mom always said I had a hollow leg because of how much I ate. Actually thought something was wrong with me. But it wasn’t. I was burning it faster then I could get in.
I would get him checked for diabetes and also have a blood panel done just to rule out anything else
Kids are hungry. They’re growing .
Protein!! Add more in, helps full them up. My boys are the same, one has to be on supplement drinks but that’s also due to ADHD medication
How big was the bowl? Is he eating enough in one sitting? Those are the questions that come to my mind when my daughter overly snacks because of her pickiness toward food due to her autism.
Its ok, feed him the right stuff. Lots of vegi and healthy carbs, lean meats. Try best to stay away from junk food and fast food. Take it as a chance to get him to love his vegis and fruits
As long as he is healthy, let him eat. As long as it’s not junk food, feed them. I start preparing food from the time my grandkids get to my house at 8 in the morning till mom picks them up at 4:30. It’s a constant buffet going on all day. They are active and are not sedentary. They went through a period of time when they wouldn’t eat much, so they make up for it. I had a house full of boys in my early days. 6 gallons of milk and 8 boxes of cereal, 6 loaves of bread with 20 pounds of lunch meat back in the day was a weekly thing. I had two boys and a girl with friends. I often wish I had fruit trees and a bigger garden than a quarter acre one I have. It would have saved much more money.
Try porridge for breakfast with mashed banana.
Also he could be thirsty too or needs water to fill him more. But if in doubt go to drs
I would have him checked for type 1 diabetes & some blood work done to be on safe side
Could be a growth spurt. I have the opposite problem my son won’t eat I have to make him eat or give him a pediadsure a day his doctor doesn’t know why but best of luck.
Boys eat all the time, I have raised 1 son, 2grandsons and a great grandson as they all ate and the 2 2 year olds eat constantly. None have weight problems. Boys metabolism is higher. Feed him make sure he drink his milk, juice and water.
Diabetes? Have his A1c checked.
Oh duck big hugs, my lad has always been a big eater (salad, veg, carbs the lot). I used to worry that he’d go pop but then he’d have a growth spurt again. He’s now 14, 6ft.1, size 11 shoes, goes the gym a couple of times a week, is perfectly healthy & still growing! When he used to go a mates house for tea I used to warn them don’t be offended if he asks for a couple rounds of bread mop up with. It will all sort its self out hun just go with your feeling xx
My oldest was like this. Very high metabolism. He’s grown now and is still skinny and eats like this.
It’s not just a boy thing. I have 3 boys and 1 girl and it’s my daughter who eats the most she’s constantly eating/snacking she’s 3 her brothers are 10,7 and 4. It could be something or it could be nothing if you are worried then it wouldn’t hurt to bring up to doctor about lab work and seeing if it could be gi related
Is he overweight for his age? All cereal is pretty much unhealthy unless you’re talking about steel cut oats or something. 4 bowls of cereal for a 4 yr old sounds like too much to me. Maybe try giving him something with protein at breakfast…some eggs, a little bit of avocado and a slice of Ezekiel toast with some nut butter. Just in case though I’d take him to the pediatrician to make sure everything is ok.
As long as doc has no concerns, let him eat. Could be type 1 diabetes, I would get him checked, be sure he’s ok & just a hungry growing boy. He just sounds like a kid. But I’d still run some tests, be sure he’s ok.
It’s called a growth spurt
Growing? Give him a glass of milk before bed. He’ll be less likely to snack
Eating and drinking nonstop we’re the first signs my son had type 1 diabetes.
I would have him checked for juvenile diabetes
My son is almost 5 and eats all day. I wouldn’t be telling him he can’t eat. Yes, it gets expensive but they’re growing and 4 year old little boys are very active. They work off the food fast.
Start keeping a food log for dr. My almost 3 year old grandson is also wanting to over snack in my view and like yours is not overweight. He did grow an inch last month and I chalked it up to that.
Talk to the doctor. There was a story once where a girl became obese from it all and she NEEDED to eat or else it caused her pain. She ended up having a disorder that made her constantly need to eat. When they fixed the issue she was able to get her eating under control.
Eating or snacking is normal, but at 4 that’s really excessive eating.
Maybe check for diabetes?
I would def look into T1D but also, if he just stopped milk, I would upp the protein and fats. Your child might just be trying to compensate and needs more varietal and filling foods
He’s got a high metabolism…. Kids eat the whole house. My step daughter who is 10 eats more than me. Heck even my 8 year old does at times.
He’s fine. He’s 4. If he’s still eating like that(and is obese at that point) at the end of like 2nd grade then I’d start to concern myself.
You should definitely still make an appt to roll things out, but if it makes you feel any better my oldest used to eat everything he was offered…and available to him LOL At one point, he was about 3 1/2 actually, and I will never forget this “meal” as it was his biggest ever 
in one sitting he ate a bowl of Mac and cheese, 2 bananas, 3 or 4 cups of drink, 2 waffles, a hot dog, a bowl of blueberries and pop tarts. Cleared it all out in about an hour. Within reason obviously, as I’m still the parent, I don’t control what my kids eat. They both eat balanced meals and snacks so 
posted a pic of my still big eater, now 7, lol
Some kids just like food and snacking… Growth spurts happen… As long as everything health wise checks out and you keep it mostly healthy let that boy eat 
Check to see if he has sugar issues. He could have diabetes.
Definitely could be health related.
His doctor will need to do tests to rule stuff out however.
Boys eat ! As long as he is healthy…
Sounds like an eating disorder … Have the Dr refer you to a nutritionist …
Get his hemoglobin checked I learned the hard way that you can give a child too much milk causes low hemoglobin
My youngest daughter can eat more than anyone else in this house AND I even have a 13 1/2 year old son 
She’s 6 btw. She’s healthy, nothing wrong with her, just hungry lol. But I would get him checked out just to make sure he doesn’t have diabetes like the others here suggested, just to be on the safe side.
My son was like that due to metabolism.
A vitamin deficiency maybe
Wait until they are teenagers I’ve 3 boys and I’m broke 
My 2 year old eats more then me most days 
kids eat a lot. Obviously have the little one looked at for diabetes. But it’s pretty normal.
You sound more annoyed that you have to get him the food then you are about him actually eating it.
My girls are the same (5&6), both very high metabolism aswell as going through a growth spurt! It’s expensive but I let them have 3 snacks a day & 3 meals… snacks are usually fruits, veggies, sandwich and a sweet treat with a glass of water, juice or milk & meals are even bigger to hopefully keep them filled up, some days it does the trick and other days they are still asking constantly for more,
My 1 year old son eats just as much, if not more than my girls… so definitely going to say boys eat more as far as I can see!
High metabolism. We are actually supposed to eat 1/2 cup of something every 2 hours to keep our bodies regulated. As long as it’s healthy food he is doing good. My daughter eats like this to. It seems like she’s always eating and asking for snacks. Dr says she’s healthy and eating appropriately just make sure not to give them “junk” food as snacks
My youngest ate like this. It isn’t an eating disorder. It is metabolic.
I would rather what your son does. My son barely eats anything he’s so picky and he’s still drinking milk like it’s his comforter. He’s 4 going to be 5 in July and would love to see him chow down. I think if you’re really concerned talk to your doctor and see what could be going on if anything
This triggers so many things in my nurse head that make me want to tell you take him to a doc if you are that highly concerned. Otherwise if this has always been an issue why worry now?
My son (4 next month) eats at least 4 or 5 times before noon everyday. He gets up at 7 and starts eating almost right away
Mine does breakfast (cereal or waffle), 2nd breakfast when the family eats (bacon, eggs, grits), snack ,lunch, second lunch, snack and then half of dinner. we just let him eat. He’s not overweight.
Have his thyroid checked
High metabolism
Feed him
Just a growth spell just wait till he’s in sports and high school
I would have his thyroid checked perhaps. Maybe going through a long-lasting growth spurt. You could try putting a scoop of protein powder in his cereal to help him fill longer.
He’s a growing boy. If he’s not overweight, what is the problem?
He’s a growing boy…maybe he’s hungry. I’ve raised 3 boys. They eat like they’re never going to eat again. Just wait until he’s a teenager. It’s amazing how much boys eat. These boys have eaten me out of house and home…LOL!
my 3 boys eat me out of house and home lol. I buy a lot of apples and cheese sticks and crackers hahaha.
My kids have really fast metabolisms as well. I started giving them the high protein kids drinks and it helped a bit. Anything with high protein tends to hold them over.
You could definitely have his thyroid checked for safe measure. He may just be going through a wicked growth spurt though! My oldest boy was eating like this and went from a size 8slim to a 14slim in one school year! He grew so fast it was hard to keep up. We also noticed that his eating slowed down a bit once we got his ADHD diagnosis and was on meds.
My youngest boy is still like this though. Some days he barely eats and other days he is eating everything in sight. Still a little bean pole lol
I have 4 boys. It doesn’t stop
He’s going through a growth spurt.
Kids grow they need food to grow. My kid used to eat 6+ tacos every dinner when we’d have taco nights for example. She’s taller than everyone in the house now and has been for years. Not obese. And now that she’s older eats 1 taco at dinner. Def talk to ur doctor about it but could just be a case of them getting older, growing, and having a fast metabolism.
Some people just have a high metabolism. My brother ate a large pizza at 3 and as a grown man he can now eat the same pizza with wings, dessert, bread and a drink.