After throwing TWO dinners on the floor (yes I know) would you give your 2 year old weatabix so he doesn't go to bed hungry?

[Snowfun]

Because dh did! Ds adores weatabix so its usually a certainty he'll eat it which he did in about 2 second flat. In two minds on whether it was a good idea. Normally afterr the first time he throws plate on floor it gets binned but I've not been feeling too well and dh took over with the kids over tea which I'm grateful for. Because of dh's rota duties 9 times out of ten he is not around at teatime unfortunately but happened to finish early today.

I think 2.3 is too little to understand the concept of eat now or you'll be hungry later. My 3yo is just starting to get this idea. And even then, if he doesn't eat much tea I'll sneak him a bit of toast or fruit as supper before bed. I never offer a different tea at the time, though.

If he threw away a meal he normally likes, he probably isn't hungry. To be sure, I'd offer something boring and bland just before bed (eg buttered toast or a cracker) with a cup of milk. If he doesn't eat that, he definitely isn't hungry and if he wakes up, it is probably not out of hunger. Two year olds have such small and fluctuating appetites.

Don't give him his favourite food in an effort to get him to eat!

Tostaky, you send your 15mo old to the corner? Your child must be way more advanced than mine; mine is the same age and wouldn't have a clue why she was being sent away from the table.

And Rhian, do you think your son understands the cause and effect of that? My daughter knows when she's done something wrong (like biting) if I say NO immediately, but she absolutely wouldn't make the connection between something she did at tea and something that happened an hour later.

Snowfun, I agree with acebaby; no alternative dinner, but I feed my daughter some bread and butter at the end of the night if she seems to have eaten very little.

He's not that hungry in the evenings and it honestly doesn't seem to bother him. I'm not sure he would understand the cause and effect if if did - but I am sure he'd quickly understand the cause and effect of 'refuse tea, get nice stuff'.

If it bothered him more I'd probably offer him toast and yoghurt before bed, but once we're away from the table he's just interested in toys and bed.

Oh I was assuming it didn't bother him! I think I came across all passive-aggressive there, and didn't mean to - I'm just always surprised when I meet parents with kids the age of mine, who are so much more...hmmm...so much less lax, shall we say. Makes me wonder if I underestimate my child's understanding.

I tend to offer alternatives/cajole a bit, just because we have family meals and I don't want to halt the meal before I've had a chance to get a few forkfuls into myself. Not that it would do me any harm

Lol that's fine. We do cajole, a lot, but if he's just having a strop and refusing to eat something perfectly reasonable, we don't stop eating to go cook something else, or offer a pudding or cereal. We'll finish our meal then take him through for In The Night Garden

I wouldn't but then I have given up on my DS eating now. When he was very small he had porridge later before bed occasionally but not now he is 2.4. He understands perfectly, though never throws it, he just doesn't eat, always sleeps so that's it I'm afraid! i can't do much more really.

If he threw it def NOT!!!!

Tonight dh home early again and we agreed to not offer alternative if he threw his dinner. Sure enough after eating all his fishfingers which he loves he threw his dinner on the floor and laughed. I picked up the mess without comment (hard to do) and put it in the kitchen and offered nothing else. He then started to cry and asked for weetabix over and over. We stuck to our guns and refused felt very mean though despite what I put yesterday. Probably because he was crying bless him!

Tostaky, you send your 15mo old to the corner for a minute for throwing food on the floor?

snowfun...well done! It feels ruddy awful doesn't it to feel that you are causing this upset but you are not the cause...you are his teacher as well as parent and you are just teaching him a way of behaving that eventually will lead him to enjoying mealtimes more as you will enjoy them more...everyone is happier
Keep us informed as to how it's going...a week shoould be enough...sometimes a few days more but it won't be too long. xx

Would he understand go and pick it up? My DS hardly throws anything but on the VERY rare occasion he has, I have been so "cross" that he has picked it up sometimes he has refused, but he does do it, though it is very rare i have to say that he would throw.

I know they are all different though. Could you say to him if you throw it you will pick it up and there will be nothing else?

I think asking a child of this age to pick it up themselves gives the action a lot of attention and could lead to a huge stand off..then what is the naughty behaviour...throwing the dinner on the floor per se or refusing somehthing you are asked to do?
nofuss...parent picks up quietly and simply says..there is no more dinner now and ignore the onslaught of screams!

Hmm, maybe, just going off my DS I suppose. I don't have stand offs!

I remember DD wouldn't eat her evening meal when we were staying at my parents and I was going to be tough and not give her anything till breakfast. My Dad gave her a Nutella sandwich when I wasn't in the room

I don't offer anything else, mine is 2.5. She does seem to spend the whole day eating though, breakfast, lunch dinner, snack mid morning, snack afternoon, milk when she fancies it, so I never worry about her actually being hungry . I never give her pudding either, she has it at nursery at lunchtime 3 days a week, but I don't really see the point in getting her used to something sweet after savoury all of the time.
I think it is important to give them their food before they get hungry, as if we forget the time and DD is too hungry she gets rather irrational/throws tantrum.

Yes good point that sarfeasticated!

I get very irrational when I'm hungry too - DD has obviously inherited my blood sugar ishoos!

oh me too, I am evil!!! My Ds has no interest in food at all, be it throwing it on the floor or eating it

If DS doesn't eat his dinner, and I know it's something he likes, then it goes in the bin and doesn't get anything else.

He still has milk before bed, so isn't going to be hungry, and as long as he's eaten well the rest of the day he'll still sleep through.

Only exception to this is when he's overtired or hasn't eaten much so clearly has low blood sugar - obv starving him in that situation isn't going to help anybody, so he'll usually have a piece of flapjack or something, and then may well eat his dinner anwyay.

he went through a phase of asking for breakfast for dinner, which I stupidly caved into a couple of times. For days after he was asking for 'befast' in the evening, trying to convince me it was morning ('morning mummy?')

2-3 days of bugger all for dinner sorted that one, and he's back on track.

he's 2.3 btw, and does understand that if he messes with his dinner, then he won't get anything else. I'm very consistent with it though.

my DD does eat and loves some foods (mostly chicken, potatoes and broccoli) but is increasingly more interested in her dolly and pram/charlie and lola than eating.
I have to tell her that 'baby' wants her dinner and they sit there together. Sometimes I get really cross when she won't eat anything especially if I have spent ages making her something nice, but I try really hard not to get cross about food. I love eating and don't won't it to become a battleground.
I provide it, she eats it or not, i remain zen-like (through gritted teeth!).

DS is obsessed with helping to cook so I let him help as much as possible. He helps mash the potatoes and now always eats that, he will always eat chicken and gravy, fish and porridge oh and fruit (not with the chicken and gravy lol) but anything else i make no guarantees!

Judging from other stories I hear of 2 year olds eating habits MaxyB, sounds like you are doing fabulously! Have you seen mydaddycooks blog? Might give you some laughs/inspiration.

Pure - sounds like very sensible approach.

They can just be so volatile at 2 can't they, no knowing what they're going to do sometimes!

Oh gosh, giving in and giving other food (unless like BigJessie says it is a new food/dish) is just asking for longer term trouble. 2 is the age they try to take control with food.
I understand how hard it is putting kids to bed hungry but I think it is worth doing for a couple of days to break the cycle. You could try giving something later of your own choice, banana, milk, rice pudding, something filling if you really must but in needs to be way after the tantrum has subsided.

i am abit old fashioned and from time to time have the same problem. When my son does that it is straiight to bed and nothing. If you give in you are rewarding bad behaviour and will keep at it. If he is older would you let him do it?

He will eventally get the idea when he get no reaction and no other food. Also do give a bit breakfast give the same as you ar setting yourself up for the same fight had he won't be that hungry at teatime.