Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

Do your kids ever go without dinner?

41 replies

rickman · 02/10/2006 18:32

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
LaylaandSethsmum · 02/10/2006 18:33

I would say my DD goes at least 3 nights of most weeks having eaten nothing. I offer her milk before bed but nothing else as shes very awkward with eating.

schneeblysteinsmonster · 02/10/2006 18:34

I have done it when DS was going through a fussy phase but he is 'sturdy' anyway so dont suppose it did him any harm!

Original poster
rickman · 02/10/2006 18:36

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
schneeblysteinsmonster · 02/10/2006 18:38

will she drink milk for calories?

CreepyCrawlyCarmenere · 02/10/2006 18:38

I personally don't worry about my dd missing a meal, I'm in the 'she will eat when she is hungry' school of thought.

Original poster
rickman · 02/10/2006 18:41

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
janeite · 02/10/2006 19:06

I read a parenting book by Michael Rosen once in which he suggested that children who won't eat what is offered might be allowed to get themselves a sarnie or some fruit. That way, they don't starve but you don't have to offer them anything else, they must sort it themselves, and they are only offered healthy things. On the whole, that's worked with my family.

nulnulcat · 02/10/2006 19:43

thank god its not just me! dd nearly 3 always had a really good appetite and now im convinced she is on hunger strike! all she ate today was farleys rusk for breakfast - no milk plain cracker mid morning refused the cheese, lunch she ate the bread and refused the soup and dinner tonight she ate about half a dozen mouthfuls of pasta and bolagnaise!

hasnt drunk milk since she was 14 months and wont drink it

she keeps telling me she has tummy ache and im sure its because she is not eating but she wants crisps and chocolate and i wont give her them

admylin · 02/10/2006 19:49

I've got to the stage where I am sick of placing a meal on the table just for it to be pulled faces at so some evenings I just wait till they say they are hungry and then I tell them to go and get something - joghurt, fruit or toast are allowed and they have to do it themselves, I find it less stress for me that way and they don't get nagged at for not eating what I've made.

Vindaloo · 02/10/2006 19:56

My DD whose 2.6 yrs is quite awkward about food and I really have to do my hardest to remain calm with her (not always easy). If she wont eat whats infront of her then I generally dont give her an alternative and she would just have her bedtime milk. I now sometimes offer her fruit but more often than not shes not interested anyway!

Its really hard, and I find it hard not to compare with other friends toddlers who are good eaters. Ofcourse she always pesters me for chocolates, crisps, biscuits, cakes..... I am amazed that DD is also a really sturdy child.

Vindaloo · 02/10/2006 19:58

Admylin - how old are your kids, I like your suggestion as I am always fed up with DD sitting there looking at the plate of food as if its poison!!

Mercy · 02/10/2006 20:05

ds (2.6) frequently goes without breakfast, lunch or dinner (not all in the same day though).

How old is your dd?

I am tempted to set up a fussy/non-eating child thread - get fed up with some people saying keep offering the same food, they will soon get used to it after 20 attempts etc)

Sorry Rickman, it's really hard to know what to do. I will come back to this later.

FioFio · 02/10/2006 20:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Pollyanna · 02/10/2006 20:09

HOw old is she? My ds who is nearly 8 went to bed twice last week without dinner when he had major strops and refused to eat. But I might sometimes cave in with my 3 year old and give her some toast (mostly because she would wake up really early the next day due to hunger).

admylin · 02/10/2006 20:09

Vindaloo they are 8 and dd is 7 next week! I have been doing that for about a year because before they couldn't reach half the stuff without climbing on the kitchen worktop and in the end it was me who made it all anyway.

ills · 02/10/2006 20:12

If you give her supper normally give her supper. Wouldn't let her get in the cycle of refusing tea knowing you are going to give her something else she likes. Easier said than done I know.

Have you tried sticker charts etc.

pointydog · 02/10/2006 20:44

I offer bread and butter, toast, yoghurt, fruit if they hate what I've made (after I've scowled and huffed and sulked).

Reckon it's not their fault if they really can't stand the thought of eating something.

Original poster
rickman · 02/10/2006 22:03

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
Original poster
rickman · 02/10/2006 22:05

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
allhallows · 02/10/2006 22:08

no, because they wake up in the night, howling for food/milk!

allhallows · 02/10/2006 22:09

I agree, from 4pm to 8pm is the worst!!

Original poster
rickman · 02/10/2006 22:13

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
Mercy · 02/10/2006 22:44

rickman, as she is 5 I wouldn't stress too much about it - especially if she has just started full-time school. Just give her porridge if that's what she wants, it's good, filling food. It's half-term in a couple of weeks (whoopee, can't wait ), she can catch up with sleep then - and hopefully, food.

Am I right in thinking you have 4 dcs?

Original poster
rickman · 02/10/2006 23:30

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
cat64 · 02/10/2006 23:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Swipe left for the next trending thread