In recent months, my 5-year-old daughter began exhibiting strange behavior that filled me with concern. She had always been a calm, intelligent child with no food issues. However, she suddenly began developing a habit that left me speechless.

The strange custom

Every time I called her to the table to eat, she would take her plate and go straight to the bathroom. She’d put a small stool there, lock the door, and only then begin to eat.
When she finished, she’d walk out with her empty plate as if nothing had happened.

The bathroom had never been a place to play for her, but now it became her only eating space. At first, I thought it was just a passing game, but when the situation repeated itself every day for a month, I began to fear the worst.

The decision to put a camera

Talking to her was ineffective. When I asked her questions, she remained silent. Finally, I decided to install a camera in the bathroom to discover the reason behind her behavior.

When lunchtime arrived, I watched her repeat her routine: plate in hand, lock herself in the bathroom, and eat. But suddenly, something unexpected happened.

In a loud voice, my daughter said,
“Everything! Alex isn’t getting anything!”

I froze. Alex is his older brother.

The brother confesses

I called my son and asked him point-blank if he knew why his sister was eating in the bathroom. He calmly replied,
“Yes, I know why.”

My heart raced, afraid to hear something serious. Then he said,
“She’s afraid I’ll steal her food.”

When I asked him if it was true that he did that, he shrugged and replied:
“Yes, a couple of times I took something away from him because there were always better things on his plate.”

The truth behind the mystery

At that moment, everything made sense. It wasn’t a health issue or a dark secret. My daughter had simply found a way to protect her food from her brother’s petty thefts.

Proud and stubborn, she chose a safe place and made it her refuge, although to me, as a mother, it had seemed like a sign of something much more serious.

What do we learn from this story?

Sometimes, behaviors that seem strange in children have much simpler explanations than we imagine. Before assuming the worst, it’s important to listen, observe, and understand their reasons. Communication within the family, along with patience, can avoid unnecessary worries and teach us that even small disputes between siblings contain important lessons in coexistence and respect.