I have just realised that my kids are like feral animals around the kitchen and I have no control over their diet

[Cappuccino]

something needs to be done

they eat snacks

they don't eat their tea

they leave their tea

they scream because they can't have snacks

I told dd2 (3) today that she could have a flapjack when she had finished her bagel

she never even sat down for the bagel she was all over the damn place, then I found her eating a miniature Yorkie that she had found in a box (we never have them, we had them at the weekend for camping and they had been put away)

and her flapjack was in the garden in a flowerbed

when dd1 gets home from school she will get an orange, leave half of it lying around, moan that she is hungry, leave her tea, moan for dessert, moan some more, wander off, and then strop at 6.30 because she is hungry and wants 'supper' (ie biscuits, which we never even have in the damn house)

I can't get them to sit down and eat and I know it is supposed to be a lovely family time but it is like feeding a family of animals they don't stay still and they have their own agenda

and I did everything right we always do family mealtimes we are supposed to be sitting wonderfully around the table talking about our day and being Good Family but they WON'T PLAY NICELY and they are out of control and I do not know what to do

Must be a big orange. Or perhaps just alot of clearing up afterwards .

sorry yes update

actually they were fine. They sat with me and had an orange and a drink, and then later they sat down and had their meal

dd2 didn't eat a lot of it but she wasn't insane

I think sometimes it's easy to add up in your head all the times they have been out of control and say 'this is what they are like', esp if you are really tired like I was yesterday

actually they are like that maybe 20-30% of the time

thanks for all your support and good ideas, am gettting things more into perspective now

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oh they are very polite when mates are here

however the last two kids were so bloody awful

the last playdate we had was like a kid out of a storybook, 'The Surliest Girl in the World'

actually it could be an addition to the series

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Capp - I will lend you my dh. He can subdue even the wriggliest child at table, with A Look. Hell, he even got ds to finish his choucroute (which he then promptly puked straight back up, so who won that one is dubious )

Have you tried pasta jar bribery - rahter than the treat after the main meal?

I don't know if you are sorted re. this or not yet, judging by thread progression quite possibly yes.

But my 2p's worth - suffer similarly - I find the problem is bridging gap between early aft (starving) and suppertime (uninterested) so what I am trying to do is drag supper earlier and earlier, trying to catch The Appetite before it is either satisfied by fruit or disseminates, oddly, into nothing. The problem with this at the moment is that no sane adult can eat supper at 5pm, and I do like to eat together. However my DS will eat a proper meal at 5, without fuss, so I am now about to start dragging it later again, a bit a day, so that it will end up at a time we can all share it.

Does that make sense?

I try to get the evening meal on the table around 4.30 so want to snack less in the evening.

Saying that, mealtimes suck in my house too. DS 10, constantly argues with DD 6 about naff all and DD wont eat, I get so mad.

I hav resorted to counting up to 10, when I get to 10 the dinner goes in the bin.

This usually works and they get on with it, terrible atmosphere I know

Sounds mean of me but I have tried plan a,b,c,d,e,f,.........

we have cheese and crackers after school

we all eat at 5pm, I eat, dh eats, dd1 and dd2 moan and sometimes eat "it's got bits in" "I wanted red peppers, green are horrid" etc

they sit at the table as I give them a Death Look if they start

I haven't the time or the energy for crappy behaviour at the end of the day so they know not to mess with Grumpy Mum and go to Softarse Dad if they want their own way or treats

btw, dd1 tried ratatouille (sp?) the other day as we have the dvd atm on rotation

apparently if a rat chef makes it, it must be good , fgs, I may create my own series of dvds with animals eating cabbage and other stuff so their diet improves

your post sounds very much like my house a while ago cappachino, mealtimes with my little shites darlings used to put me off food and indeed life

things are a lot better now as i put rules in place, no telly, no helping your self to stuff before mealtimes, only fruit or yogurt for pudding unless i have said its a treat pudding (e.g friends for tea so I'll get the ice cream out) no shouting,whinging,throwing food or fighting at the table, or the child responsible has to have time out on the stairs. (we have a fair few meal times of little people being almost entirey on the stairs with a couple of bites between the next bout of bad behavior and banishment!)

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no19 you are right - we have to be careful to avoid after 6.30pm, which in our house is called 'mad o'clock' since dd2 goes LOOPY