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Need Help, About to go out of my mind!

Amber - posted on 05/13/2010 ( 15 moms have responded )

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My youngest daughter, that will be 3 next month, won't stay out of the refrigerator. I don't know how to stop her without putting a lock on it, but don't really want to do that. She gets into it mainly at night after everyone has gone to bed. She will wake up, go into the kitchen and get out whatever she wants, and unless for some reason one of us wakes up, we don't know about it until the next morning. After she gets out the food she then stashes it. I've found food under her bed and inside of toys before, most times days later..She also gets into the silverwre drawer and gets out butter knives and then the butter out of the refrigerator. Have had to put a padlock on the pantry so that she stays out of it, along with moving all the food out of the cabinets in the kitchen and locking it in the pantry since she will push a chair up next to the counter and climb up to get into the cabinets that way...I am going out of my mind trying to figure out ways to keep her out of things...ANY suggestions would be appriciated!

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15 Comments

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Michelle - posted on 05/19/2010

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I would consult with her primary physician about your concerns. It may be independence, but then again it may not be. It could be that she is hungry. If she is eating healthy well balanced meals then I would want to know why she is so hungry. It could also be behavioral. Adopted children sometimes have food hoarding or consumption problems. Theres is linked to a feeling of security. Then there are developmental disorders where obsessive eating and hoarding are symptoms. One that comes to mind is prader-willi. So I would simply ask her physician if he feels there should be any concern there.

Jennifer - posted on 05/18/2010

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There was a magnetic lock I saw at target, it just keeps the door shut like a backpack strap without having to lock it with a key

Gwen - posted on 05/18/2010

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I'm w/ Clara. There may be an underlying medical condition causing this relentless drive to get food. I'd be seeking out some medical advice to find out the "why" of her behavior.

Clara - posted on 05/17/2010

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Dear Clara,

I am being filmed for a week, for a documentary and don't have a moment.
Briefly, they must find why the girl must do this. She has a reason. All the mothers
who are responding are trying to "stop" the girl. The point is not to stop her from
doing what she must do, but to understand the cause of her drive to do it
and address that. If the mother booked a session with me, I would be able
to find out a lot more details about her daughter and their parenting, and would
be able to help find the reason she must do this and how to meet her need
in a different way.

I will be extremely busy with this filming and then my sons concerts till the 24th.

Warmly,
Naomi Aldort
Author, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves
http://naomialdort.com/book.html
Parenting phone-sessions internationally
Facilitator of self-realization through parenting
(360)376-3777
POB 1719 Eastsound, WA 98245, USA
naomi@aldort.com

Misty - posted on 05/15/2010

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these ideas are great. The only other thing I would suggest is talking to your doctor about it just so he/she knows in case there is more going on then just being a little kid and getting into trouble!

Tracie - posted on 05/14/2010

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how about one of those door chimes that shops have when someone walks through the door? you could velcroe/blue tak it on outside her bedroom/kitchen so it's only there at night and she wont know where you've put it for the night- that ought to wake you up! hide all the good stuff in the bottom of the vege draw- works a treat against my kids- the oldest one (16) still doesn't know about this... ;-)

Britta - posted on 05/14/2010

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darlin I have had the same problems with both of my girls and it's hard and frustrating but if you leave it alone and talk to her and tell her what is going on and why you want her to leave it alone she will understand try just leaving the bottom shelfs just for her and show her gow to take one thing out and put it back she wants independence and if you show her how to do it right it will work out but as for the silverware drawer lock it up or move it and maybe put some kid plastic ware there remember your a mom and it's hard sometimes cause we want them to need us but, all she wants is to be big like mom just set the way God bless my dear and have patients and enjoy it it's a kodack moment

Christine - posted on 05/14/2010

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That is too funny because I thought only we did that(the bungy cord) lol. My daughter actually still goes in the fridge but she has been taught that she only goes in there when an adult is there to supervise. She will get out what she wants made. It makes her feel independant. I dunno if there's away you can teach your daughter that or if it's just something that with time we developed.

Amber - posted on 05/14/2010

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Thanks to all of you. When she gets the food out, sometimes she eats it, sometimes she just stashes it. She is just too smart sometimes. We had tried rigging the refrigerator with a bungy cord (hooked from the back to around the door handle) it worked for about 3 days before she figured it out. So we asked her to show us how she got into the fridge. She pushed one of the chairs from the table over to the fridge, got up in it, the pulled the cord down until she could unhook it. It took her all of 2 minutes, if that, including moving the chair. I will look into getting the safety lock for the fridge, though it probably wont take her long to figure it out. About the rewards thing and the "special box", I'm just not sure how I would make that work without my other 2 kids feeling left out...

Barbara - posted on 05/13/2010

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Is she sleep eating...I have a friend who is a grown man who does that. He has no recollection of it either.

Cindy - posted on 05/13/2010

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I have a child safety lock on my refrigerator (and also my dish washer). I bought it at babies r us. I can open the refridge easily but my kids did not figure it out until about 4 years old.

Marcy - posted on 05/13/2010

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Is she hungry and eating when she does this? Well, maybe you can get her a "special" nighttime lunch box that she can keep in her room and put a few healthy treats and a water bottle next to her bed. I can't tell if she is doing this just to do it or if she is geting up and eating....

Explain to her that she is not allowed in the kitchen and that if she wakes up and wants something to eat she needs to get it from her special box. Also, create a reward system for her and put up a sticker chart for every night she listens....

good luck.

Amber - posted on 05/13/2010

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yes, and she climbs over them, and when i put them up higher, she'll either still find a way to get over them, or go under them. even tried putting things underneath the gates so that it could go up higher and she figured out that she could move them and go under.

CRYSTAL - posted on 05/13/2010

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have you tried blocking off the kitchen with a gate?

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