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

No he didn't have a nap. He doesn't nap hasn't for at least 6months!

You can put him in bed leave him and he does nothing but cry or play with his Teddy's and I don't want to leave him In his room for 3 hours when he isn't going to sleep. When he use to nap it was for 30 minutes max

Wow I'm really impressed! 6pm till 10am!!!! That is amaaaazing!!!!

He might nap if he has less hours at night though? Trying to establish a new routine will be hard but might be easier now than when he starts school.

You said he fell asleep @ 4 after an hour's swimming (really? An hour sounds like a lot for a 2yr old and most classes are 30mins at that age). Therefore he clearly did need a nap. Does he nap in the buggy? Id still get him up earlier and give him a lunchtime or afternoon nap.

2 of my 3 DCs still had naps at 2yo.
They probably slept for 14hrs some days, 13 others.
I'd suggest reintroducing an afternoon nap after lunch so he goes to get around 7 and gets up around 7/8am.
Also swap out toast and jam for breakfast for wheetabix or egg or toast? Add a banana?
DC1 slept lots - turned out she had totally blocked tubes and so wasn't breathing properly - might be worth checking adenoids & tonsils?
But no to original question - I put food on table and if not eaten in 15 mins - we sit and chat - then it goes and they get down. It's rare!
Good luck!

We weren't in a class me and my friend took our DS swimming and they didn't want to get out and they enjoyed it so an hour was good.

He needed a nap then because he got up an hour and a half earlier than normal done play group and swimming lol he went to bed at 7 and I've had to wake him up as he was still asleep at 10. He's now sitting on the sofa eating his porridge.

My 2 yo ds has a great appetite and fits in 3 meals plus 2 snacks, But that is over a 12 hour period. When I sometimes am a bit late eg with a snack he doesn't have his usual appetite for the next meal. Also, I swapped the main meal to lunch time a while ago as I found both dcs were too tired for a big meal in the evening.
As for eating what is put in front of them, yes I am strict about that but try to stay positive and matter of fact, eg remember this has to fill you up till breakfast.

If my som doesn't eat his dinner, we just take it away, no fights. He's a human, he will eat when he's hungry. Do not fall into the trap of giving him nuggets just so he eats something. My little boy also calorie loads morning and day and doesn't eat much in the evening.
Sounds like he's getting enough to me. Maybe do a lighter lunch and an earlier dinner x