How do you know your kid is eating enough?

[Tweakster]

I just worry some days.  Our daycare lady says he eats good there but he's going without dinner most nights.  He seems fine and isn't asking for food much.  When he does we give it to him.  We also offer at appropriate times.

Is that it?  We don't have a check up until he's 4 here - unless we want to pay for one.  So I don't know where he is on his curve anymore.  He seems to stay much the same weight although he's getting taller.  Is that just the norm?  Do they get taller but slow down the girth growth?

He's a good eater, and a big eater when he wants to be, but lately he's just not eating much. 

[clazzat]

They are actually extremely good at regulating their own intake, as long as they are offered plenty of healthy foods at appropriate times. If he has energy to run around (and I'm guessing that Finn does! ) and is healthy and normal to you then I wouldn't worry about his weight or his food intake at all.

With my girls, some days they will eat loads and others not so much - much like me and dh - so I can see that they know what choices to make. Also, at this age it is more relevant to look at what they eat over the course of a whole week rather than day by day.

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

DS eats well at daycare too and when he comes home, on his daycare days he wont eat much for dinner either (maybe a slice of toast or a small sandwich).

Some days he eats loads (today) and is constantly asking for snacks in between and then some days i will offer him a snack or some dinner and he wont eat at all. He has been like this for ages now and I just leave it to him. He seems fine and always asks if he is hungry.

[<Catherine>]

Ollie is the same too Wendy, and I bet he is an awful lot smaller than F too He's always been spot on average on the chart, but havent had him weighed in so long so I also have no idea now. He fluctuates between days too, will sometimes eat well (like today) and then barely eat a thing for a few days.

[Lolly]

If he's healthy and active I'd say he is having enough. My two are like others have said, some days they eat a lot, some days next to nothing. They are both growing taller and gaining some weight, they are active and sleep well so I guess they get enough! I agree that they are good at self regulating (a skill I lost along the way somewhere ) and do seem to know what they need.

DD has really slowed her weight gain down in recent months but she is still on her centile, or close to so it seems to be what she is "supposed" to do now. I keep an eye on the kids weight at home, DD has lost a couple of lbs but she has had a chest infection so literally ate nothing for the best part of a week so that's not too surprising.

Laura

[Canwi]

You should be able to get him weighed at the public health clinic for nothing, Wendy.