Two year old meal times SO stressful

[Littleraysofsunshine]

I try to make it fun - unsuccessful.

I try to make a variety - unsuccessful

Always resulting in me losing my temper, shouting at dd. she eats everything else outside of home??? At playgroups etc

How can you do a stress free dinner time,?

So fed up

And more annoyed that I lost my rag.

I try distraction, fun but it doesn't work

Then I leave her without then she's wakin up hungry in the night

Do you eat with her?

My advice is eat with her [if you don't already]

Dish her up a plate and just get on and eat yours, if she leaves something don't make an issue of it.

Don't be watching every mouthful she eats, just eat yours and let her copy you.

IMO the more fuss you make about food with children, the more fuss they make.

We all eat together. She sees her younger sister eating too now.

It happens in like waves. Some days are good others are horrid.

I tried giving a variety and letting her do it but she just won't and it goes on the floor

Stop stressing about it, the more worked up you get the more likely she is to actually play up.

Dish dinner up in usual way, sit down all together and eat. If she eats nicely, compliment her on how lovely it is, if the younger sister is eating nicely compliment her too. If she fusses say that's fine but sit still please until everyone has finished and move her plate away from her, let her know that it's fine if she would like to try again. Try not to get cross, or shout. Food can become a major control issue for kids, don't let it become one.

Lots of praise when she is eating well. Ignore her when she is messing around.

If anything goes on the floor give her a warning that anything else that goes on the floor will stay there. Make her sit with everyone else until they have finished.

if she says she doesn't like anything tell her she has to try it and then if she still doesn't like it thats fine.

I agree- don't stress about it. DS will eat in waves. Loads one day/ week and virtually nothing the next. The more stressed I an about it / pushy about Jim eating, the more he digs his heels in and won't. But once I started relaxing and letting him decide when / what he eats, things got a lot better. He won't get an alternative if he refuses breakfast or lunch, but will get bread, cheese and yogurt if he refuses dinner so he doesn't go hungry. I tend to let him feed himself till he gets bored of it and then feed him till he refuses food. He's not the sort to eat if he's not hungry anyway.