The 5 Minute Rule

I have never been a believer in sending a kid to bed hungry. It just seems mean to me. Having a border-line underweight child doesn't help, I need him to get every calorie he can.

Occasionally Oliver will say he is hungry when he is getting tucked in, or even in bed already. We have the whole "but you've already brushed your teeth" conversation. I offer him a drink of water. But sometimes he's persistent.

So I created a 5 minute rule. I tell him I will check on him in 5 minutes (and let's be honest, sometimes it turns into more like 10), and if he is still hungry then I will get him something to eat.

The reasons I think this works:

- Sometimes kids just want an excuse to stay awake later
- But sometimes the body confuses tire and hunger
- If he's really just tired, he'll be asleep in 5 (or 10) minutes

- If he's hungry enough that it's kept him awake, then I figure he deserves some food

Tonight Oliver ate a good amount of dinner. He also had a cheese stick during scripture reading. So when he said he was still hungry after being tucked in I wasn't in a rush to get him a snack. But lo and behold, when I went back 5 (OK 7) minutes later he was still awake and still hungry. So I got him a yogurt tube. He felt better. I felt good about it.

I like my 5 minute rule.