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Toddler at meal times.

3 replies

yetanothernane · 28/09/2019 18:28

Probably the wrong place to put this but struggling with 3 year old at meal times.

Up until recently he's eaten his tea at the childminders, she's now not doing meals so Ds eats tea at home, however he barely eats anything. (He's previously eaten fine) During the day he eats really well, cereal, Weetabix or toast for dinner, then normally strawberry's or grapes for a snack. Lunch is normally sandwich and some cucumber sticks etc then late afternoon snack again fruit so maybe apple, orange etc. For his tea he barely eats anything. He's hungry. I've just done him a stew and all he's eaten is a slice of garlic bread . He ate one bit of beef then cried for 20 mins. Meal times seem to be turning into a battle ground. Sometimes he will eat, but serve him the same meal a few days later and he won't eat it. I've tried letting him watch his tablet (don't judge too hard), I've even tried him pointing and me holding cutlery, I've tried eating with him as well, the time we eat makes zero difference. We've tried being strict, we've tried limiting snacks before tea (he has snacks as 3.30 and tea about 5.30). We've tried letting him pick his plate (he's not bothered with things like that) He just won't eat. I gave him his fav the other day (beans on toast) he ate the toast and refused the beans. I can give him it another day and he will scarf the lot and ask for seconds.

We don't eat pudding and I don't want to start bribing him with more food for eating etc. He's not eaten his tea today so he's not allowed to watch TV, but he doesn't care. He's playing happily with his dad (I can't really make him sit in silence) I can guarantee he will be awake at 5 am tomorrow crying he's hungry (understandable since he didn't eat his tea)

Anyone got any bright ideas? I'm out of ideas and whenever I ask his dad for help he just shrugs and says no idea 🙄

OP posts:
yetanothernane · 28/09/2019 18:29

Obviously this wasn't meant on longhaul... Reported to ask to be moved 😂

OP posts:
GlitterSparkle85 · 29/09/2019 10:39

Try to avoid say eat eat eat as he wont try to make a game of it my mum used to with my daughter making dinsoaur eggs just a small portion of food on the plate make it in to close to egg shape as you can then just tell them a dinosaur has laid an egg on your plate I wonder if it will disappear-eat it yourself then tell them wheres the dinosaur gone eventually he will do it too if that fails try another game!hope that makes sense and helps!

Countrylifeornot · 29/09/2019 10:51

My 3 year old daughter lives on fresh air it would seem. She will eat absolutely anything at nursery on her 2 days there, but at home just eats tiny amounts. Somehow she is healthy, thriving and full of beans. She will wolf something down one day and refuse it the next time.

I don't "punish" or withhold anything, why bother when it makes absolutely no difference?

So no advice, just a bit of solidarity.

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