When your 2yo refuses tea, do you offer a (boring) snack before bedtime?

[MegBusset]

DS is 25mo and his fussy eating has been well chronicled in many threads. He eats breakfast and lunch fine but tea is always hit and miss. Anyway today he didn't want any of his cauli cheese (normally loves it), had a fruit pot and that's it.

I'm considering giving a small snack of breadsticks and cheese before he goes to bed, just to ensure he's not going to sleep on an empty tummy. Am I storing up further trouble by doing so? Just seems that he's a bit young yet for going down the route of eat what you're given or go hungry...

Weetabix. That was all that was on offer ever if DS didn't eat his dinner at the age of 2/3 yrs old-ish. That way I knew he wasn't going hungry, but 6he knew there weren't multiple tasty options if he chose not to eat the dinner I'd made. My DS is 4 now and still fairly fussy, but does generally eat his dinner unless he's unwell, so I think^ it worked.

I just used to give ds his usual bedtime milk.

I would give him a healthy snack.

I have left some fussy eating top tips on another thread today (it's called HELP !!!) Sorry, don't know how to do links

it's sensible to give your child healthy food that you know they'll eat
nothing wrong with breadsticks and cheese imo
here the choice is banana or nuts

Yes because otherwise he'll be up several times in the night demanding milk. I wish I didn't have to though - I'm sure he'd eat more dinner if he didn't have any option.

See, DS would be more than happy to just live on breakfast cereal!

I'm hoping that bread and cheese is not too exciting (though again he would live on it happily) and that by offering a while after dinner he doesn't associate it with refusing food. But my strategies have completely failed so far (he gets fussier by the week) so what do I know?

Just bedtime milk here.

Weetabix is the pre-bed snack now they are older, and constantly hungry, but only if adequate tea was eaten.

Should add he won't drink milk, only water at bedtime.

Fruit is the only option if food has been refused OR (and I was amazed this worked) if the tea was something I know they do actually like and they were being difficult, put the tea in the fridge and when they say they are hungry, warm it through and offer it again.

Weetabix is a good idea too

I would suggest weetabix as well, he's to young to miss out on a evening meal.

He does love fruit but too much gives him a runny bum.

Well I have given him some breadsticks and cream cheese which he is munching happily. Two-year-olds, eh?

Thanks for all your tips...

Mine get toast or cereal as "supper". After a while I started a rule of "if you don't eat enough tea you can't be hungry enough for toast later" which usually makes them eat some tea if they are just been fussy. Of course I hate sending my little one (2.10) to bed hungry as he'll just wake up even earlier so I don't really win. Sigh.

I do breadsticks or rice cakes with cheese when my dd refuses her meal. or yogurt and fruit. I try not to look like i am replacing the main hot meal which she has refused but letting her have dessert anyway. I agree that at this age they cant quite understand the if you dont eat know you will go to bed hungry rule. Megbusset does he always not have milk before bed? I give my dd follow on milk before bed. This way I know that she has a full tummy and has got some extra vitamins and irons, irregardless of what she has eaten all day. Can guarantee a alter wake up call as well!

I have a two and a half year old and I offer a snack before bedtime whether or not she's eaten her dinner. I give breadsticks, buttered toast, cheese, dried fruit, carrot sticks, v plain cereal such as shreddies or something like that. If she's eaten a lot, I sometimes give her a little treat as well - a couple of M&Ms or a fairy cake. I haven't specifically said 'this is because you ate all your dinner'. Am sort of hoping she might make the link herself. I think she wakes up earlier if she goes to bed without a snack at that time.

He hasn't drunk a drop of milk since I stopped breastfeeding him at 20 months. I have tried it warm, cold, with strawberry or chocolate milkshake, but no dice! He's not even interested in juice -- water is the only thing he'll have.

Mine hates milk too. She will sometimes have a cup of tea or coffee (made with a tiny amount of water and loads of milk). You could try that, with decaf if worried about caffeine. But water is a great thing to drink and if he's having yoghurt/cheese, you probably don't need to fret.

if my ds doesnt eat dinner and is hungry at bedtime, he gets offered fruit. he is fussy aswell and even with fruit so to him its not a reward or tasty snack, and to me it makes sure he's getting his 5 a day.

I used to give my son Weetabix mashed with milk and banana if he didn't eat his dinner. I think it stopped him waking for milk in the night. Once he started eating better I stopped it and he didn't notice!