Don't like it!

[callmeovercautious]

DD is just 22m and has started saying "don't like it" all the time. Food especially, but also kisses and cuddles, her toys, her Daddy

Should I give in all the time for an easy life and give her something else or should I be saying "no you will eat that or nothing else"????? Is she old enough now to be that strict?

I do not want to spoil her but at the same time I do not want to be up at 2am with a hungry Child. My insticts say don't give in but I have PFB syndrome

When my DS refuses to eat dinner, I offer Weetabix as an alternative, but nothing else. Something filling but boring.
I tolerate "I don't like it" of things like toys etc but tell him it's rude to say things like that to people.

With food I would never offer another meal as even at 22 months they soon learn that by playing up they can get something different. Often though you can get away with the 'if you eat 5 spoonfuls you can have a yoghurt' approach (I know - bribery), I use this on DD2 occaionally and she's only 17 months. She sort of gets it but can't count of course so I can sometimes pop in a couple more..... If they don't really like it, and I'm worried they haven't eaten enough that day, my fall back has always been a banana. If they don't eat anything I try not to get het up (not always easy when you have spent ages preparing something delicious and its pushed away untouched) and simply offer a banana - it's boring, but filling. It depends though. If mine have eaten well at lunch and then at tea don't eat I might not even offer the banana but just give them a bit more milk at bedtime. Babies won't starve themselves and I don't think they'd be likely to wake up hungry in the night after missing just one meal - especially if they have had a cup of milk before bed.

Could be that she has just learnt a new phrase and is trying it out?? Children often seem to be able to express what they don't like rather than what they do like. I agree with JacobsPrincess, don't go offering alternatives if food is refused. If mine don't eat their tea they know that they won't get something else, they can have fruit anytime they like but that's it.

With dd1, I used to offer one alternative with foods - then take it away, and give an evening snack of bread/butter and fruit with her milk. But she didn't say 'I do'nt like it' all the time, only occasionally.

With dd2, who says 'nooo' to many things (19 months) during each day, I suspect she's just practising saying 'no', so I humour her. I say 'oh, you do'nt want that, ok' then re-offer whatever it was two minutes later - if she meant 'no', she'll say it again, but if it was just practise/for effect, she forgets and takes whatever it is

Yes I agree sometimes it is because she has just found the phrase. Sometimes I think it is a power thing! I do offer cereal rather than anything else cooked. She is discovering new foods and like all of them has a craze for something and wants it all the time - today it was jelly. Last week it was a new brand of yoghurt. For weeks all she wanted was cheese etc. etc.

It just drives me mad

Why not ask her what she wants before you make her meal? If she's had a hand in choosing she might be more willing to eat it.
I also did the weetabix before bed if I thought they might not have eaten enough.

Agree with juule re letting her choose, at 22 months you can start to encourage her independence, but give her specific choices (weetabix or rice cripsies...red t-shirt or white t-shirt) if she comes up with an alternative then great but don't make things too complicated for her as they get overwhelmed. Its v v unlikley she'll wake in the night for hunger, if you're worried give her and extra milk before bedtime.

Also agree with other posters she's probably saying it cos she can and doesn't really realise the full impact of what whe's saying.

We had similar with DS1. If he refused something then fine, he didn't get it but no alternatives were offered. Cuddles and kisses were continually offered but if he said no then off we went to do something else with a smile. He soon learnt and stopped saying it all the time with no real tears or heartache.