Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Recognizing Hunger

Teach him to use Dr. Webb's HALT: Hungry Angry Lonely Tired. He can just use "HALT" at first so he learns to stop what he is doing, while you go through the list with him.

My child uses hungry, angry/anxious, lonely and tired.

Thanks lightdance. That's a great idea!

We have very high motabolisms in our family. We typically eat every 2 hours here. My son loves, loves, loves fruit. But fruit converts to sugar and within 1 hour he is hungry again, trying to get back up to the high sugar level. So I always insist on cheese with fruit. Again we eat a lot during the day both complex carbs and protein.

I agree about the fats too. We eat a lot of almonds and EVOO. Their little brains need fat. We also eat tuna or walleye (courtesy of our retired neighbor who fishes year round and needs an excuse to keep the fish) at least twice a week. I really can tell a difference when we have not had fish for a while. I also started vitamins again since the days are so short (sunrise is at almost 8 am and sunset is before 5 pm here). So I upped the vitamin D even more. This week is going much better for all of us after I remembered to do that.

I noticed this about DD when she went through major learning or growth spurts, and our solution is now part of our daily life. I fill a cupcake tin with healthy snack choices (12 cups, 12 choices) and leave it on her snack table and throughout the day her goal is to eat it all.

A handful of raisins, cherry tomatoes, pretzels, banana chips, cut up cheese sticks, frozen berries, frozen grapes, trail mix, nuts, carrot sticks, you name it, I put it in. Just a little of each. If there are perishable items (cheese sticks and such) I fill a smaller mini muffin tin and leave it in the fridge on the shelf she can reach.

She knows that all items in these tins are fair game, and she does not even need to ask.

I find that if she grazes all day, we have far less meltdowns. We also supplement with Omega-3 daily.

Bear does the same thing, but the problem is he won't eat when anyone else suggests it, even though he may be hungry. Add that to him not being very good at telling when he is hungry life around here is interesting. My best suggestion is that when it comes down to it the type of food isn't as important as simply getting food into him regularly. I try to feed Bear healthy food, but if all I can get into him is chips and that will give him enough calories to stop a melt down, guess what he eats! I've found it is very much a pick your battles situation.

Great idea with the cupcake pan.

JenSMP - You could easily be describing my GD5. I've forgotten, how old is your son? I've read about reactive hypoglycemia and have long felt that was a big part of GD5's problems with meltdowns. At home we give her snacks and try to make sure she eats every 2-1/2 hours or so. We try to get her to eat as much protein as possible but she is a very picky eater - textures, smells, tastes. The meltdowns are now pretty much limited to at school and right after school (she is in full day Kindergarten - I wish our SD had not done away with 1/2 day K). Sometimes I forget to feed her as soon as she gets home (well two or three times) and we've had some big scenes until I realize she just needs to eat. A few minutes after eating, she's back in control and generally cooperative. AND I KNOW BETTER! (Guilt - I know it happens at school & they don't get it.)

Some days she just can't make herself eat a good breakfast and it's a long time until noon lunch. Then a long time until she gets home on the bus at almost 4:00. She can be redirected and control herself much better now UNLESS she needs to eat (she usually doesn't realize that's what is wrong either). We've tried to get the school to let her have am and pm snacks but she would have to go to the clinic and that is an issue due to previous VERY BAD experience there.

Is your son a pretty good eater normally? We've even considered adding protein powder to muffins or "sweets" just to get more in her. The other problem is she does not eat much of her lunch at school (except on Pizza Day). They get to go play outside as soon as they finish their lunch and she would rather play than eat. Definitely a problem! DD has lunch with her once a week to try to get her to eat at least that day.

Let me know if you find that change in diet or frequency of eating helps.

lightdance - Where can I Dr. Webb's HALT? I've read some of his books before but is this method in a particular book or online somewhere? Reading more about it might make it easier to implement than coming up with my own method.

Thanks for mentioning it.

Wyldkat, sounds just like GD5. Sometimes any food IS better than no food at all. Lately she will agree she needs food more often than before, but not if she has to stop something she wants to do to eat!

DS6 (in 3 weeks) and I BOTH have this issue. My mom did as well. DS is a BEAR if he's hungry.