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Behaviour/development

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3 yr old playing silly buggers at mealtimes

1 reply

hipgirl · 09/06/2010 16:03

My boy is nearly 3 and has generally been good with food. In the last couple of weeks; when I sit him down he?ll say ?I don?t like it? before he?s even tried it. Then he?ll sit and fidget and procrastinate for ages ? by which time my 18 month old has finished her dinner. I?m not one to make mealtimes a battle; so he often leaves the table having eaten nothing (and no, I don?t give him anything else later). AS I say, I?m not one for a mealtime battle ? I figure, if he?s hungry he?ll eat. But sometimes I wonder how he can manage on so little food! But it?s getting annoying, and made us late out of the house this morning. Has anybody got any tips on the best way to handle this? I figure it?s just a phase and wondering whether to just ignore it and hope it?ll pass?

(If it?s of interest ? I don?t eat at the same time as them as DH gets in from work late so we eat later. I do sometimes eat breakfast with them, but it makes no difference to the behaviour)

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BialystockandBloom · 09/06/2010 16:31

IME it is just a phase and I think you're doing the right thing as you are - it will pass. I've had 3 years of similar behaviour, and the more I made an issue of it the more stubborn my ds got. Reached a peak around 2-2.5 and now he's 3 is calming down. He still also does the "I don't like it" before he's even tried something (new) but I just don't worry about it anymore.

Though I do admit I tend to give him what I know he'll eat now, rather than force new food on him - but they're still so little, they've got plenty of time to explore new food.

I agree, if you've got a difficult eater I don't think it makes any difference if you sit down with them or not - and is sometimes even counterproductive as it makes them feel that mealtimes are more of an issue.

Rambling answer, but just wanted to say I wouldn't worry about it too much!

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