Many children who were deprived of food in the past, can develope a habit of hoarding foods while in foster care. Under no circumstances should you scold a child for hoarding food. Keeping food hidden away is their way of ensuring they never go hungry again. And rather than discouraging such behavior- you should let them know that they will never be hungry in your home. Making them believe such a thing by merely telling them, won't necessarily work. You need to show them. And here are a few ways to do just that.
Create a 'safe box' and go through it once a week: If your child is keeping food hidden in their room, create a safebox for them. Let them store food in the box for an entire week. At the end of the week, go through the box with them and decide what things are too old and should be thrown away- and what other things can be kept if they so choose.
Let them know where food is always available: Show them where they can always find food. Explain how you keep certain produce in the fridge, meats in the freezer, and cereals and dry goods in the cupboards. Have them help prepare meals. Show them how they can cook and prepare food themselves. Take them grocery shopping. Make them aware that there is ALWAYS food available in your home.
Have a snack drawer: Have a snack drawer where your child can always find food when they get hungry. We have our snack drawer in our fridge. We keep lunch meats, cheeses, fresh fruit and vegetables, apple sauce, fruit cups, and crackers inside. All of our foster kids are shown this drawer the second they walk in the house. And they are allowed to munch from it at their leisure. This gives them the peice of mind that they will never be without food. I always make sure the drawer is kept full, and that they have access to healthy snacks throughout the day.
Have designated meal times: Let your child know that at an exact time each day they will be fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Choose a time that works for you, and then stick to the schedule. This will ease your child's mind by giving them a specific time to look forward to food. It will let them know they can expect to be fed throughout the day.
Create a 'safe box' and go through it once a week: If your child is keeping food hidden in their room, create a safebox for them. Let them store food in the box for an entire week. At the end of the week, go through the box with them and decide what things are too old and should be thrown away- and what other things can be kept if they so choose.
Let them know where food is always available: Show them where they can always find food. Explain how you keep certain produce in the fridge, meats in the freezer, and cereals and dry goods in the cupboards. Have them help prepare meals. Show them how they can cook and prepare food themselves. Take them grocery shopping. Make them aware that there is ALWAYS food available in your home.
Have a snack drawer: Have a snack drawer where your child can always find food when they get hungry. We have our snack drawer in our fridge. We keep lunch meats, cheeses, fresh fruit and vegetables, apple sauce, fruit cups, and crackers inside. All of our foster kids are shown this drawer the second they walk in the house. And they are allowed to munch from it at their leisure. This gives them the peice of mind that they will never be without food. I always make sure the drawer is kept full, and that they have access to healthy snacks throughout the day.
Have designated meal times: Let your child know that at an exact time each day they will be fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Choose a time that works for you, and then stick to the schedule. This will ease your child's mind by giving them a specific time to look forward to food. It will let them know they can expect to be fed throughout the day.
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