Quote Originally Posted by Busy ECE mommy View Post
No definite hunger signs that I've seen. Like I said, if the 2-4 year olds can remain full on my servings, I don't know why a 12 month old can't do the same.
Well, it totally depends on a child's metabolism and how efficiently they burn energy. Also 2 years olds require LESS than a 1 year old. One year olds are still growing at a fast pace and 2 yr olds hit that pause in the physical growth so they require less food.

Some kids need little some need lots. So age isn't really a definite factor. My 3 yr old has always eaten wayyyy more than the average child. We've taken her the pediatric dietitian (more than once) and we are consistently told to trust her judgement on how much she needs to be full. BUT I can assure you the dietitian would not condone feeding a child every 70minutes AND that the foods provided NEED to be foods the adult chooses to serve and not what a child wants/requests. Our daughter eats hummus by the cupful and beans by the bowlful. But she has very little breads and crackers offered as that isn't what she NEEDS.

I would stick to reassuring the family that the child does not show signs of hunger and that the child is eating enough at meals. If you use statements comparing the child's intake to older kids then they have something to challenge you on.