To not give my 2 year old dinner

[RalphLaurenLover]

So my 2 year old DS has recently decided he doesn't want dinner unless it's mac and cheese or chicken nuggets he refuses to eat chips,cucumber, corn, carrots etc.

For the last couple of days he'll love his breakfast love his lunch and his snacks in between but suddenly hates dinner. He sits there pushing the plate away not even trying a bit and screaming at it. I've left him there for half an hour and he just screamed, kicked and pushed it as far away as he could to the point where he was falling asleep (15 minutes late for bed) so I put him in bed.

His eating routine is

has breakfast when he gets up at 10 usually toast with butter and jam

Piece of fruit around 11

Lunch around 12:30-1:30 usually a sanwhich, crisp, cucumber and a piece or two of fruit


Piece of fruit again or a biscuit around 3

Then dinner it's this he has his bath at 4:45-5 then dinner around 5:30 and bed at 6

I'm not prepared to play this game with him cause he's two however I'm not prepared to make him chicken nuggets and chips so he can just eat the chicken nuggets and leave the rest

Please tell me this is a phase my brother is a 20 year old who will only eat plain pizza, sausages/chicken nuggets/burgers and chips everything processed and frozen and nothing heathy or fruit & veg. I'll be dead before I let him live like that

Helppppp

[Suicidal5833]

I prepare food put it down for the kids if there is any complaints about what is served I just take it away. I don't argue or fight I simply remove the food.

[WilsonFrickett]

Sorry, completely off topic but you have a 2 yo who goes to bed and sleeps till 10?? Is that right?

[HyvaPaiva]

He goes to bed at 6pm and gets up at 10am?

[honeycrest]

Well he should really eat something for dinner or else he will probably wake up starving in the night. Could you make some home made 'nuggets' from chicken breasts so at least they are not totally processed? If he eats his fruit and veg during the day then I wouldn't worry too much. It probably is just a phase.

[gamerchick]

16 hours sleep every night.. surely not?

[ShatnersBassoon]

Is he even hungry when you give him dinner? He's in bed for 16 hours, and you're trying to cram quite a lot of food in in the 8 hours he's up and about. Does he get lots of opportunity to burn energy

[ziggyf]

I'd it food in front of him, if he doesn't want it I'd leave him to it for 10 mins then take it away without any fuss. You can't force him to eat it - he'll eat if he's hungry enough!

[RalphLaurenLover]

Yeah he goes to bed at 6 goes straight to sleep at and wakes at 10 sometimes I have to wake him but he slept hideously as a baby like woke every 2 hours. I'm extremely lucky I admit!

He's not going to starve will he, I mean he has two meals & snacks it's just like world war three because I won't let him eat just nuggets lol

[honeycrest]

And yes I just noticed he goes to be at 6 and sleeps until 10?! I'm lucky if my 2 year old is asleep at 8pm and 7.30 am is classed as a lie in!

[ProfessionalKiller]

I have no helpful suggestions, just very that your 2yo sleeps so long. Mine does 9pm-5.30am if we are very very lucky!

He has started refusing breakfast. I had to spoonfeed him on Monday. Took 40 mins to eat a third of what he hd last week. I thought this was a reaction to seeing us spoonfeed his 6 month old sister.....

[ilovepowerhoop]

maybe he is too tired to eat if he is having his dinner only half an hour before bed. Mine had dinner at 5pm but didnt go to bed until 7.30ish at that age.

And maybe he is not that hungry as he is having a lot of meals/snacks in a short space of time. Is he really only awake between 10am and 6pm.

[Lottiedoubtie]

16 hours? Is that healthy for a two year old?

[Yonineedaminute]

Wowzers, I thought my ds was a bit unusual in waking between 8 and 9!

[ShatnersBassoon]

What I was trying to say is the average toddler will have an additional 4 or so waking hours to eat three meals a day in. Drop the snacks and see if he's hungrier at dinner time.

[jollygoose]

I would get him up a bit earlier, surdely 10am is ridiculous, then try giving him his main meal lunch time as it sounds like he is too tired to enjoy food later, then perhaps something very simple around 4.30 such as boiled egg/weetabix or similar.

[RalphLaurenLover]

Shatners I can only assume so he says 'ta' and sits in his high hair for about 2 minutes before he starts unless it's chicken nuggets, sausages, plain pasta or mac & cheese. Which I don't want to give him daily obviously.

He falls asleep at 6:15 at the latest if I try and keep him up

[Goldmandra]

He's had plenty of healthy food during the rest of the day. Perhaps he's just too tired to eat that close to bed time.

YANBU to make the food available and put him to bed if he chooses not to eat it.

In future I would put the food in serving dishes and only put on his plate what he asks you to. If that's nothing, let him get down or sit and chat if you'd rather he stayed at the table.

AS he grows he will become hungrier at this time and can start asking for the food.

[Jess03]

My god! I'd be partying around my handbag if dd didn't get up til 10 every day! Seriously, make what you always make, don't pander and just take it away uneaten. Unless he's underweight and one of those children that will starve themselves at every meal I wouldn't react at all.

[ilovepowerhoop]

if you want him to eat dinner then I would probably miss out the snacks as there is a lot of food being offered over a short period of time

[Yonineedaminute]

And he doesn't go to bed until about 8ish so usually goes 12 hours. 16 hours of sleep every night?!

[HolyDrinker]

If he eats well at lunchtime, why not give him his main meal then? Then offer him toast or sandwich for dinner? I do that sometimes with my non-napping toddler as I think sometimes he just gets too tired and past it at dinner time. He's not sleeping 16 hours though. Far from it!

[ChasingDogs]

Given he's only up and about for 8 hours and he's packing in breakfast, a snack, lunch and another snack, I wouldn't panic too much about him not being hungry for dinner if I were you!

[EatDessertFirst]

I agree with Shatner. It does seem like you are effectively cramming too much food into 8 hourssimply because thats the only window you have. I've never heard of a 2yo sleeping for 16 hours?! Not sure if that is maybe part of the issue. Maybe try getting him up earlier so you have more time to play with?

Someone far more knowledgeable about sleep will be along soon with something way more helpful.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

If he sleeps so much and doesnt eat well hr could be anaemic...which could affect his appetite.

Is he pale and tired?

I would strongly strongly advise against turning nealtimes into a screaming battle of wills.

[seaweedhead]

maybe its too late for him if he's eating that close to bedtime. Have you tried feeding him before bath and bed?
I know with my DC they prefer their main meal at lunchtime then just a light meal for dinner between 4 and 5.