meal time fury

[bamboozled]

anyone got any top tips for avoiding wanting to murder my daughter after yet another delicious meal ends up in the bin, after 45 minutes and 3 bites..

yeah, don't make any extra effort for her meals.
give it to her. if she refuses then let her get down.

she'll eat when she is hungry... don't give her the attention

sounds very sensible, perhaps combined with a glass of wine.... woops there goes my ny resolutions about being driven to drink by my children

also bribery - you can have a chocolate mousse if you eat x number more mouthfuls, or a clean plate. a 'special treat' in this house = small piece of chocolate - also does trick for bribery.

how old is she bam?

yes, how old?
I would absolutely avoid bribery btw
3 bites is a full meal for my dd1

don't let it becoem a war zone and don't let yourself get stressed.

is she still wee? (have no experience of over 2s)

She is 3 and a half and full of the devil!!
On Thursday morning she said if I expected her to eat her brekkie before nursery school she would be sick. I said 'whatever' in a very vicky pollard way that at least made me laugh, and when I turned round she had thrown up very neatly on her plate...
hmmmn, where's that glass of wine,
at least my lovely man has got home and is reading the bedtime story!!

FWIW, I personally wouldn't go down the bribery route as i think it gives the wrong messages. If DS isn't interested in first course, I assume he won't be interested in seconds and just take him down from the chair and on to play with some toys (or whatever it was he really wanted to do).

Try not to get cross - as Starlover says, she will eat when hungry!

New Years Schmoo Years (I'll get flamed for encouraging you to drink, but have a glass of wine if it helps you see the situation for what it is!)

My neighbours DD could vomit to order too. Just say something like, "Oh, never mind" with a smile (no, really!) and "why don't you have a read/play with x toy" and turn your back to clear away.

Its amazing how much perkier I can be at bedtime if I've poured a glass, even if I havn't drunk it. Don't get me wrong, I rarely have more than one (well maybe two)but there has to be a point at which kids time is over and it is grown up time!!

Eh?

You pour glasses of wine out and then don't drink them?????

Quick.. give me your address, I'm on mi way.....

do not serve any crappy snacks/ pudding and forget about it - presumably you and dp enjoyed it!

whoa there, I didn't say I didn't drink them at all, I just try not to down it while I'm running their bath!!