I know I've done this thread before but I have to say it again......I AM SICK TO F**KING DEATH OF MY KIDS NOT EATING THE DINNER I SERVE.

LadyTophamHatt · 2006-12-10T16:57:46+00:00

There. said it. Ds1 ate quite well but my bin now has at least 2 dinners worth of food in. If I serve up shite they'll eat it but I won't do it.....they can starve before I give in. Ungrateful little f*ckers!!!

wickedwinterwitch · 10/12/2006 16:58

Well you're doing the right thing not giving in and serving shite but you know that. well done.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 10/12/2006 17:01

I know....and my life would be sooooo much easier if I did.

They do have shite dinners sometimes but not that often (IMO).

Drives me mad mad mad mad mad mad when after 3 mouthfuls one of them says "Can I leave this"

OP posts:

moondog · 10/12/2006 17:03

Don't respond.
And reduce choice of what is available generally.
In our house there's one kind of bread,one kind of cheese,one kind of yoghurt and so on.

madrose · 10/12/2006 17:20

have the same prob.

Just had tea - well i did. Baked fish - which she loves - wouldn't even taste it. Sweetcorn - no way - would only touch the bloody carrots.

i just hate cooking a tea that she liked the day before and now hates

won't make anything else and she can have fruit and milk later.

crap isn't it?

Skyler · 10/12/2006 17:27

This is truly the most annoying thing about parenting. I can't help but take it personally. Makes me really angry as well and is has rather a large influence on me being content with just the two children to reject my food rather than having a third!!

Gemmasmummy · 11/12/2006 10:25

I know the feeling. My 2 3/4 year old rejects most of what I put in front of her, which is very disheartening! She hasn't starved yet though, and nor will your kids, I'm sure. You are also laying down good foundations for your children and they may actually start to prefer home made food once they get to a certain age (25?) and then eat well for most of their adult lives - that could be another 50 years! Children's tastes do change over time, so I hear. I wouldn't eat my mother's food when I was a child, but I now prefer home cooked food to anything else, and love vegetables - and it was due to her influence, even though I wouldn't touch the stuff at the time! You mustn't give in and change to a junk food diet, though the occasional "treat" wouldn't hurt, it stops them seeing the junk food as "forbidden fruit" and hence more desirable. HTH

Gemmasmummy · 11/12/2006 10:25

I know the feeling. My 2 3/4 year old rejects most of what I put in front of her, which is very disheartening! She hasn't starved yet though, and nor will your kids, I'm sure. You are also laying down good foundations for your children and they may actually start to prefer home made food once they get to a certain age (25?) and then eat well for most of their adult lives - that could be another 50 years! Children's tastes do change over time, so I hear. I wouldn't eat my mother's food when I was a child, but I now prefer home cooked food to anything else, and love vegetables - and it was due to her influence, even though I wouldn't touch the stuff at the time! You mustn't give in and change to a junk food diet, though the occasional "treat" wouldn't hurt, it stops them seeing the junk food as "forbidden fruit" and hence more desirable. HTH

Gemmasmummy · 11/12/2006 10:25

I know the feeling. My 2 3/4 year old rejects most of what I put in front of her, which is very disheartening! She hasn't starved yet though, and nor will your kids, I'm sure. You are also laying down good foundations for your children and they may actually start to prefer home made food once they get to a certain age (25?) and then eat well for most of their adult lives - that could be another 50 years! Children's tastes do change over time, so I hear. I wouldn't eat my mother's food when I was a child, but I now prefer home cooked food to anything else, and love vegetables - and it was due to her influence, even though I wouldn't touch the stuff at the time! You mustn't give in and change to a junk food diet, though the occasional "treat" wouldn't hurt, it stops them seeing the junk food as "forbidden fruit" and hence more desirable. HTH

WhenSantaWentQuietlyMad · 11/12/2006 10:27

It's soul destroying isn't it? The HV reckons that the likelihood they will eat it is inversely proportional to the amount of time and effort that went into making it.

admylin · 11/12/2006 10:29

It's the time I spend preparing it all that bugs me, for 30 minutes in the kitchen they've finished after 10 and if I do an hour in the kitchen they've finished after 10 minutes too.

Bugsy2 · 11/12/2006 10:31

Used to make me want to weep. No need to serve up shite LTH, but just put them on the ham sandwich, apple & yoghurt diet for a bit & then when they are bored to tears, you might find them a bit more receptive!!!!

expatinscotland · 11/12/2006 10:33

I'm sick of it, too. But I'm not giving in to her, I can tell you.

She's started up w/that, 'I'm hungry, my tummy's rumbling' business.

She's hungry for junk food.

Well, the buck stops here. It's my way or the highway on this. She either eats what she's given or not at all.

speedySleighmamahohoho · 11/12/2006 10:46

I made a Jamaican chicken curry on Saturday for my 2yo DTS. I made enough for 4 sitting (was going to freeze) however it was all gone by Sunday!

They both asked for seconds on Saturday and Sunday. DH was watching them tuck in and complained that they got better meals than him.

If you want to try it this is how I make it. I use chicken breast because it has no bones but for DH and I, I would use any chicken pieces available. Cut up chicken into cubes and season with Jamaican curry powder (can use normal curry powder if not available). Roll chicken pieces in flour and leave to mainate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Chop up onions and garlic clove and cook in vegetable oil for 5 minutes, then add chicken and seal, after 5 minutes add chopped carrots and potato (I chop them into small pieces). Add some dried thyme, a bit of chilli powder depending on taste, add water (enough to cover food), bring to boil, turn down and leave to simmer slowly for about 2 hours. The sauce should be nice a thick.

My boys love this and they always eat it.

I also make them a vegetable soup using carrots, red lentils, onions and tin tomatoes which I blend once cook. That is always eaten. Another one of their favourites is Irish stew, toad in the hole and they love roast chicken.

Don't give up and good luck.

brimfull · 11/12/2006 10:51

I agree it is soul destroying.
especiallywhen they were weaned on delicous nutritous homemade food and now they won't even try it.Ds is slowly getting better but it is very slow.

DonnerDasherDancerDior · 11/12/2006 11:01

Ds is the same. He used to eat all my cooking when it was pureed, but now hates most of it. I get so frustrated and spend all the time telling him to eat. Doesn't help that he is a real chatterbox too. I get really moody during supper time!

If ds says he is hungry between meals, he gets the choice of grapes, chopped apple or raisins. Then, if he accepts any of those, I know he was really hungry. Usually he rejects the choices, so I tell him to wait for the next meal. Funny thing is that he doesn't seem starving by the next meal either .

We went to Nando's on Saturday, and he had the chicken breast burger with no sauce or mayo and he tucked in!

ThrockenAroundTheChristmasTree · 11/12/2006 11:02

mine do eat it - but usually very slowly and only then when I frequently remind them. It usually ends up with me leaving the room becaue I get so wound up, then I come back in - they still have not eaten it so then I get angry (this is repeated ad infinitum). It is damn annoying because I knnow they like it, I know it is good food that took me ages to prepare, they just can't be bothered to eat it (I don't know how they think it is going to get inside them otherwise !). Dinner time often takes an hour in our house - or ends up in the dog and tears

Even more annoying - went to MIL for dinner yesterday - they all sat there like angels and ate everything at the same speed as the adults - and ask for seconds. And it is the same darn stuff I give them. WHY can't they do that at home ?

ThrockenAroundTheChristmasTree · 11/12/2006 11:04

one thing that does work though - put the food on mine and DH's plate and not on theirs - then suddenly they are clamouring for whatever it is .

speedySleighmamahohoho · 11/12/2006 11:08

When I give the DTs their dinner, I leave them to it, I don't fuss over them or give them any attention. If they have not eaten after 10 minutes, I give them one reminder. If they still refuse to eat it, then it is taken away with no fuss and they get nothing else. I make mealtimes as stress free for me as much as possible. If they want to starve, that's up to them.

DonnerDasherDancerDior · 11/12/2006 11:09

My ds is so skinny though, and he would only moan that he is hungry. I hate the whole meal thing.

ernest · 11/12/2006 11:20

oh no, snap. I have 3 kids and you can be sure that at least 1, if not 2 , or sometimes all 3 will moan and pick and refuse. I have only about 3 meals that I can be sure all 3 will eat. But the same 3 meals gets very boring very quickly (apart from for them of course) so I inevitably horror of horrors have to make soimething else. Then they won't f*king eat it. I don't especially like cooking anyway, although I can do it reasonable well and have a reasonable range. Tried getting kids to help make it. Ds can no make quiche. will his brothers eat it? Other ds can make a lovely lasagne. Will his brothers eat it. bloody kids.

or as lth in op summised perfectly, Ungrateful little f*ckers!!! too bloody true

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 11/12/2006 11:23

Mmmmmmm speedy, that chicken curry sounds lovely.

I might just make that tonight. They like curry too so we may very well have a stress free meal

OP posts:

ThrockenAroundTheChristmasTree · 11/12/2006 11:27

speedySleighmamahohoho

the problem with that approach in my house - they eat the "nice" bits first - it the bit they prefer - and then that leaves them with the other bits - usually the potatoes and veg - if I take it away at that point they are not getting a balanced meal and that annoys me too.

We have the current rule - first course has to be finished before any second course - they frequently get no second course !

ernest · 11/12/2006 11:40

will try the chicken curry, although my boys have never eaten a curry in any shaoe or form, even tho I love it.

My guaranteed meals are toad in the hole, roast chicken +veg, and chicken stir fry. Anything else is asking for trouble.

speedySleighmamahohoho · 11/12/2006 11:47

If they won't eat vegetables, trying hiding it in a soup or a tomato base sauce. You could make a chicken cacciatore by cooking chicken in your tomato sauce with hidden vegetables (onions, carrots, etc) with added dried herbs. That would be quite tasty!

speedySleighmamahohoho · 11/12/2006 11:50

For the chicken curry I mentioned, add salt/pepper depending on your taste.