My six-year-old daughter won’t stop stealing from her classmates lunches – and I think it’s my fault
CHILDREN are often cheeky rascals but sometimes things can get out of hand.
This what one mum in Australia discovered when she found out her six-year-old was stealing a classmates’ food.
Taking to the Facebook group Lunch box Ideas Australia she explained her daughter felt “left out” because she saw what other children were eating during their lunch break.
She explained how her daughter said she didn’t have enough to eat in her lunches.
The concerned mother wrote: “My six-year-old has been stealing other children’s lunch at school- mostly packet/treat-like snacks.
“She said that I wasn’t packing enough food, so I will up the amount, but I think it’s more about what we’re packing… we generally make most of the kid’s snack.”
She continued: “We will have a ham salad roll or wrap, an apple, other fruit such as orange or watermelon, tinned tuna, crackers and a homemade treat like a muffin, biscuit, or cake.”
The mother went onto say how her daughter revealed that some of her classmates are given sweet treats such as lollies, Oreos, and fruit rollups in their lunchboxes.
The post concluded with “To me, they are sometimes food, but obviously, she feels left out. Any advice?”
Parents were quick to take to the comments with opinions divided on what the woman should do.
One mum said she has seen similar happenings with her child: “I’ve definitely been surprised by the amount of junk food packed in my daughter’s classmates’ lunches.
“We try not to pack much processed food as well, but she has started questioning why xyz gets XYZ food and she doesn’t.”
Another commented: “I’d stand my ground and have a talk about food and nutrition.
“My kids are the same – ‘everyone’ gets the crap daily you speak of, apparently.
“We compromised on putting small packs of Oreos/cake bars, etc. in occasionally mixed with homemade treats. Never roll-ups.
“We make the last week of every term ‘treat week’ where they choose chips/biscuits etc. and can take them daily.
“They look forward to it because it’s a novelty.”
A third agreed: “I’m like you and won’t buy the processed stuff.
“I have found a few muffin recipes on Pinterest that are very low/no sugar and bake them in the tiny muffin tin.
“Very occasionally, I’ll let them take a packaged something, usually a yoghurt pouch that I don’t feel is too bad.
“Lollies/chocolate rarely, just as a special surprise, maybe once a term or on a birthday or something. To me, sometimes food is not every day.”
A fourth added: “Don’t feel like you need to give into what she is stealing.
You need to stop her from stealing from other children
“You are absolutely allowed to have different rules to other parents. No is no.
“(Or compromise; it’s totally up to you). But this isn’t because you have done anything wrong. She just wanted a lolly, so she stole it.
“Try packing extra. But if she is going through a phase of stealing, then it might not help. And giving in won’t help.
“It might just be a [bad] phase you guys need to ride why you teach her.”
On the other hand, other mums pointed out the restrictive way the mum was feeding her daughter may have inadvertently caused her to steal.
One said: “Are you sending her with the same food every day? She could possibly be bored and wants what everyone else is eating.
How can I help my fussy eater?
Whether your child is going through the “no” phase, or is adamant they only want to eat beige fruits, a mum has shared her tips to help fussy eaters.
Fabulous Senior Digital Writer and mum-of-two Sarah Bull reveals her experience with fussy eaters, and the tips and tricks she’s tried…
It can be infuriating, as well as worrying, when you’ve got a fussy child. Trust me, I know, I’ve got two of them! But there are some tips the NHS suggest that I’ve found helpful.
The first is not to worry about what your child does or doesn’t eat in a day. Think about a week instead, and see if their intake is balanced and healthy.
“If your child is active and gaining weight, and they seem well, then they’re getting enough to eat,” the NHS says on their website.
You should aim to include food from the four main food groups for your child – fruits and vegetables, starchy carbs, dairy and protein.
If they don’t seem to like a food the first time you offer it, don’t give up. According to research, it takes between eight and 15 times of offering the food before they will actually like it.
Try to eat with your child, and eat the same food. If they see you tucking in, they’re more likely to do so themselves.
Don’t overload their plate – you can always add more if they clear it, but having one loaded with food can often seem overwhelming.
Another thing to remember is not to overload kids with snacks. Two healthy snacks per day is “plenty”, according to NHS guidelines.
Something else I’ve found useful is to get your kids involved in the cooking process. My daughter has been much more willing to try new food if she’s made it herself.”
“Perhaps items like yoghurt, popcorn or grain waves as a small treat.
“I also don’t see anything wrong with a small treat like a little chocolate bar or sugary biscuit, as long as her lunchbox is mostly made up of healthy food.”
Another said: “I found with my kids when I restricted their access to those items, they craved them more and would be quite disruptive about them (would be like flies at a table of food at parties if they served lollies).
“When I allowed better access to those items and did not label them as treats, my kids would often get home from school and request healthy snacks or would choose the healthier items over the junkier food type option that I would let them choose from as a snack.”
A third agreed: “Yep, if it’s restricted, they will do anything to get it! If there are several options, it’s teaching them to make their own decisions on what’s healthier.
They are kids, so they’ll always want what others have.
On the subject of wanting what other’s have, people also pointed out the bigger issue in that her daughter was stealing dood.
“I think you’re worried about the wrong thing. You shouldn’t be trying to make sure her lunch is the same as other children’s. You need to stop her from stealing from other children,” commented one observer.
“You need to explain how it feels to be stolen from and how that child that she’s stealing from is now going hungry because of her choice.
“You need to explain that we can’t always have the same thing, she just needs to stop stealing. To be honest you need to pack more food, and she needs to come to terms with the fact that she cannot have the same as everyone else all the time.
“You are right. They are sometimes foods and her not having them does not excuse her from stealing them.”
A second said: “Address the stealing, meet her halfway and pop one treat in there every day.”
A third wrote: “This is not about food – this behaviour needs to be addressed quickly. Talk with the school and enlist the help of a counsellor.”