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Original poster

To not give my 2 year old dinner

133 replies

RalphLaurenLover · 27/02/2014 18:22

So my 2 year old DS has recently decided he doesn't want dinner unless it's mac and cheese or chicken nuggets Hmm 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 Hmm 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

OP posts:
munchkinmaster · 27/02/2014 18:34

I think you need to offer something or things will never change. One of the reasons fussiness (which is normal) can last longer term (like your brother) is that parents give in before their kids do and stop offering a variety of food.

Stick in front of him, no fuss, no attention to tantrum, praise even eating a morsel. If not eating take away without fuss 10 mins later. Maybe put just a tiny portion to start and don't cook extra, just what you are having.

ForgettableTampon · 27/02/2014 18:35

Maybe drop afternoon snack and give supper earlier? Switch round bathtime and supper time?

ziggiestardust · 27/02/2014 18:35

My DS who is 3 can manage 16 hours if left to it, so there's nothing unusual in that. I'd say your DS needs a breakfast, snacky lunch and then he'll be more likely to eat a full dinner. I'd cut out the snacks as well tbh, even the fruit. He doesn't need a snack an hour before a meal.

TurnOffTheTv · 27/02/2014 18:35

You're trying to fit three full meals and two snacks into an 8 hour period when most two year olds eat this over an 12/13 hour period. Drop the snacks, or have a very small lunch.

MyNameIsKenAdams · 27/02/2014 18:36

Id just jig the meals round.

Scrambled eggs or omelette for breakfast. Make lunch a bit later and a "main meal", then just do toast and or porridge before bath (move the bath to just before bed)

MyNameIsKenAdams · 27/02/2014 18:37

Oh and cut out the snacks.

BigArea · 27/02/2014 18:37

I'd try doing his tea before bath i think, and maybe just dropping the afternoon snack. Or try swapping the meals over - so a cooked meal at lunch time and a picnic style tea.

IneedAwittierNickname · 27/02/2014 18:39

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

That's the only thing I can think too!

Original poster
RalphLaurenLover · 27/02/2014 18:41

He really does sleep for that long. However if we go out in the car/buggy he will fall asleep which I try to wake him up from. I might look in to the anaemic thing he is a tad pale sometimes

I'll try the swapping the meal times round tomorrow and see if that's helps.

I only give him 3 full meals and snacks because my HV/friends/family said I had to because they're meant to eat a lot

OP posts:
FunLovinBunster · 27/02/2014 18:42
  1. Drop the snacks in between meals.
  2. Get him up earlier. Breakfast at 7:30 lunch at noon dinner at 5pm. Sounds like he is too tiered at 5:30 to eat.
My DD 7 breakfast at 6:30 lunch 12:30 dinner 4:30 supper 6:00. Lousy slow eater. Especially when tired. You will need to get him used to getting up earlier when he starts school/nursery.
SolomanDaisy · 27/02/2014 18:44

I think it's very very unusual for a two year old to only have eight hours to fit in all their food. I'd look at the sleep before anything else and once he's awake more he may eat more.

campion · 27/02/2014 18:44

I agree with jollygoose.You need to re sort his meal times and his sleeping patterns-16 hours sleep would seriously worry me.He isn't up long enough to develop normal eating patterns at present, let alone burn off enough energy. His present fare looks a bit dull and quite low in fat.

By the way-anyone who says a child will never starve when food is available may be surprised to know that some certainly will!

BitOutOfPractice · 27/02/2014 18:44

How about swapping it around. Gibe him his "mai" meal at lunchtime and more picky at bed time?

BitOutOfPractice · 27/02/2014 18:44

*"main"

HadABadDay2014 · 27/02/2014 18:46

I would just leave it.

He is eating lots of smaller meals, he isn't underweight I take it generally an active toddler.

I wouldn't be waking him up either. He will be tired and grumpy and may not eat his breakfast.

Original poster
RalphLaurenLover · 27/02/2014 18:51

He isn't underweight in fact went from being on the 25th percentile (he was 6lbs13oz two weeks late, and rather tall) to the 75th within about 6 months and he's stayed there.

If I wake him up earlier, as I do if I'm going out or taking him to a friends he just falls asleep again!

OP posts:
campion · 27/02/2014 18:51

Ideally small children should have 6 small meals/larger snacks per day as they metabolise this better than fewer larger meals.They only have small stomachs! So I wouldn't be dropping the snacks.

If he really is very tired perhaps a trip to the doc would be better than a hv telling you what to do Hmm

NomNomNom · 27/02/2014 18:53

Sorry, but I really don't think those meals and snacks are so healthy that you can complain about your brother's diet.

Jam on toast for breakfast at 2 years old? How about something more healthy with more protein and fat, like the scrambled egg suggestion above? Or porridge? Making it with milk & cinnamon makes it yummy (no sugar though).

Also seems like he gets quite a lot more fruit than veggies. And if he has a biscuit a short while before dinner, of course he won't eat properly then. And the comedown after the sugar will make him tired and grumpy.

I'd overhaul his diet tbh.

firesidechat · 27/02/2014 18:54

As the parent of a very fussy eater (they are grown up now and eat almost anything) I have a few suggestions, but feel free to ignore them.

  1. Cut out the snacks as he obviously doesn't need them.

  2. Have the main meal at lunchtime when he is more awake.

  3. I would look into the amount of sleep he has. My daughter has a brand new 5 week old who sleeps really well and I don't think he has anything like 16 hours in a day.

  4. Whatever you do don't make meal times a battlefield or make too big a deal of it. Like I say our dc is a very good eater now, but the only thing they won't eat is mince because we seriously mishandled one particular meal. If we had just stepped back they would now be eating spaghetti bolognese like everyone else.

Original poster
RalphLaurenLover · 27/02/2014 18:56

He doesn't have it everyday that was today's breakfast

He has weetabix, porridge, fruit salad some plain toast, scrambled egg, a pancake, boiled egg

OP posts:
firesidechat · 27/02/2014 18:57

Ideally small children should have 6 small meals/larger snacks per day as they metabolise this better than fewer larger meals.They only have small stomachs! So I wouldn't be dropping the snacks.

Good point campion. Maybe ignore point 2 then.

Doctorbrownbear · 27/02/2014 19:03

I would take him to the doctor to rule out any underlying reason as to why he is sleeping for such an unusual length of time. It seens very extreme to me. I would also offer a meal every night and take it away if he refuses it, without causing a fuss or giving a reaction, which is probably what he is looking for. I would drop the snacks in the afternoon too to make him more ready for an evening meal.

Doctorbrownbear · 27/02/2014 19:05

If he was having 6 small meals a day they would be give or take an hour between each if he is only awake for 8 hours... I would be aiming for 3 meals.

OneWaySystemBlues · 27/02/2014 19:06

Could he get up earlier then have a nap in the afternoon so he's not so tired for the evening meal? Neither of my children ever slept that long and they both still had a day time sleep until they were about 2.5-3, I'm sure (though they're teenagers now and my memory is hazy!). But I definitely have memories of pushing them both around in a double buggy, asleep, in the afternoon. They'd go to bed around 7-8, probably get up around 7, and then sleep in the afternoon. Lunch around 12.30, tea time at around 5. I think it's fairly normal for 2 year olds to have a day time sleep?

JugglingFromHereToThere · 27/02/2014 19:06

Just wondering do you go out with him most days?
You don't mention much about activities you're doing together?
I always felt food should fit around what's going on and not be the main event IYSWIM

Sounds like he has a good breakfast. Also sounds like you have a good no fuss approach which is important I think.

Also don't worry too much about him being like your DBro - sounds like he already has more variety in his diet and is less fussy than that.