Not to give DS (4) anything else to eat?

[luckylucky24]

I just made tea. Chicken in an italian tomato sauce with hassleback potatoes and veg. He never eats veg but I put it on his plate anyway in case by some miracle he changes his mind. The potatoes weren't quite cooked so I made his some instant mash and gravy. He has eaten 2 pieces of chicken and half the mash and is now asking for something else.
He does this all the time! Sometimes he asks for 3 different breakfasts complaining each time that he has changed his mind (almost stamped this one out). Tonight I am fed up of it and have said no. Not even a piece of fruit, (probably will allow fruit in a hour or so if he still claims to be hungry).
AIBU? The food is nice. The baby ate the lot and DH has not complained either.

Yanbu, if I didn't eat what I was given then I didn't eat at all. Maybe give him a piece of fruit as supper

DD always gets fruit if she asks, but no different dinners.

I wouldn't, but then I can't be doing with food carry on.

I'd give some fruit but nothing else.

My dd is the same but she's gradually getting better when she realizes it's that or nothing. I have a real hate food being wasted, especially when I've been faffing about cooking for ages!

Of course you're not. I always give two options, either of which I'm happy with, before I start cooking. Then they can't say anything as they chose it.

The rule in our family is that you eat your main course, and if you are still hungry you can have pudding. Or seconds or main course and then pudding. If you aren't that hungry you don't have to finish your main course (so then you don't get pudding either, since you aren't hungry). This has been the case since the DC were 4 or probably even 3. The DC haven't starved even when they have barely eaten any main course. I think they are genuinely not that hungry sometimes.

Mine always have fruit and rice cakes as 'supper' before bed regardless of how much they have eaten for tea. I personally think it's not worth stressing about, but others will disagree.

In defence of your son Italian tomato sauce and gravy would turn my stomach. As would powdered mash. So I am with him I am afraid!

He can't be that hungry if he's not eaten his tea

Purple sky he insisted on the gravy. It was the only way he would eat the mash and he normally wolfs the mash down. It is the frozen stuff not powdered as I agree that is rank.

I'm afraid I agree with purplesky

Perhaps, with respect, it just wasn't very palatable.

Normally I would say YANBU but gravy and Italian tomato sauce together would put me off eating too I'm afraid!

Wtf are hassleback potatoes ( misses point of the thread)

We have a rule they have to try everything ,at least two bits. If they genuinely don't like it, they can leave it. I am haunted by being forced to eat mash as a kid as I refuse to have it now as an adult at all. They can have a fruit ice lolly, or apple for afters if they want.

Seeing as you've said you'll give him fruit later if he complains, no YANBU. If it's him just being fussy and it sounds like it is, then pandering won't do any good. Maybe give him some porridge instead of fruit if he asks? More filling, and warm, but it's not the same as getting choc or crisps so he won't see it as a reward (unlike nutella on toast or a chocolately mousse for eg)

the chicken had some sauce on it but there was no other sauce on the plate. As I said, I offered mash and he insisted on gravy afterwards.

Made - He never eats porridge despite asking for it 3/4 times a week! He is now banned!

In my house if you're not hungry enough to eat your main course then you're not hungry enough for anything else.

And 3 different breakfasts? WTF?

Did you not tell him gravy would not go? Maybe he is finding his taste - he now knows it doesn't go!

Yeah I wouldn't eat instant mash either, then with gravy and a sauce on the chicken it's a bit bizarre

Just would have given extra chicken and veg if potatoes not done. Then some potatoe to snack on after once done if the wanted

I would give plain Greek yogurt and fruit, and start again tomorrow.

Your making a rod for your own back. If mine don't eat tea, they get nothing else offered. And no pudding.
Safe to say they 99% eat all their tea

I do the main meal and if that isnt eaten then its a bowl of porrige half an hour later (to make sure not waking hungry during the night).

I can understand food fads and not liking something (I hate baked beans touching other food on my bowl so always have it seperate, DH wont eat tomatoes or mushroom so we pick those out) but its wrong to waste food like that and expect another lovely meal instead, particulalry when you have made an effort.

FWIW - DD is currently eating porrige having turned her nose up at fish pie (which she had two portions of last week )

I had a very fussy eater but have never offered her anything else if she doesn't eat her meal. If she tells me she's finished (and uses her sign for finished) I take it away regardless if she's only had a bite or actually finished, with no fuss made. It's taken a while and was fucking frustrating as hell but now she eats her dinner without any problems most of the time.

Ah I see lucky in that case YADNBU, and just give him some fruit or something equally boring so he's not hungry but doesn't feel like he's 'won'. He's just being very trying OP, and I wouldn't worry that your meal wasn't up to his standards - he asked for it, and besides kids have random tastes that adults think bizzare (case in point I used to dunk choc biscuits in orange squash, and liked ketchup on my roast dinners). YANBU, give the fruit or bit of toast, he'll be fine

Made - he did dip a digestive in ketchup today! Bleurgh!!