If you give someone access to lots of good food and he trusts that that source isn't about to be taken away, he will only eat what he really wants or needs.

 

Susan (wifetovegman2002)

And sometimes what they really want is a lot of food! My own goal was to get past the point where we just tolerate our children's choices and started to actually respect and anticipate them, getting to the point where we even looked for ways to fulfill them because we know it makes them happy. Sometimes what my child wants is to watch a lot of tv. Sometimes he wants to play a video game for 3 days barely stopping to sleep and eat. Sometimes one of my children wants two big bacon classic burgers with everything on them, instead of just one. I had to turn off that little voice in my head that said, "But on the unschooling lists they said they wouldn't watch tv for hours a day after a while if we removed the limits." If we're confident we have engaged them and they are happy and free and are making these choices because it brings them joy, then we should trust that it really is what they want or need right now. We need to trust that when it is Enough for them, then they will stop. Their Enough may be different from where ours is.