*Does* the *Yorkshire* method* work*?*

[Mumbree]

HI Everyone - new, so bare with me...when I was a stroppy 2.5 yr old, my mother resorted to serving up the same meal over and over again (with no snacks) until she broke my fussiness with food and eating. By breakfast the next day I was hungry enough to eat without question, and didn't look back. I am now the dishevelled owner of a 7 month old (who eats everything) and a 2.5 yr old who will not (unless it's chalk or crayon based). She seems to solely live off milk, fruit and the odd chip (she's 90 centile - so not worried about physical issues) - but I suppose what I want to know is - should I do what my mum did to me - or is there a better approach??

i'd cut back on the milk, large amounts of fluids are often at the bottom of children's difficult eating habits because it fills them up.

dunno about the 'yorkshire method' - but I do know that the 'bucket method' doesn't work...

Sorry Joash - I lost my brain approximately 2.5 years ago and it just won't come back to me (have tried begging and lost posters) - "bucket method"???? (sigh - oh to be on the ball once more.....)

Bundle - cheers - I've had a couple of friends suggest milk is the problem - I must give it a go (but first I have to convince the live-in mother-in-law to stop too....cue hysterical laughter followed by desperate howl)

Right - I warn you in advance - this is nowt to do with yorkie puds.

BUCKET METHOD
A method of birth control used by idiots. He stands her on a bucket and they bonk standing up, just as he is about to come, he kicks the bucket away and she falls off!!!!

SORRY - I did warn you

Apologies again - but couldn't resist

ROFL

Sorry Mumbree, no actual words of wisdom, was just interested to know what the Yorkshire method was and learnt two things!

A good laugh to start the day - sounds a bit like my mothers advice to use asprin as a form of contraception - something about holding it between the knees.....aahh - how to destroy a thread...

mumbree my mum used it with me! and it worked.

would a sticker chart work? helped with DD for potty training and sleeping, we got a picture one so she built up a garden scene.

Second the suggestion re sticker chart. Using it now with ds1 aged 3.5 to improve general behaviour and so far it's going pretty well. (Must confess, I don't think he'd have been mature enought for star chart a year ago, but girls mature faster...)

He decided what theme he wanted - trains AGAIN! He loves choosing the next star for the next train, and hates it when I take a star off (hasn't happened much yet) Best of all, he chose as his treat when the chart is full, an ice cream. Won't break the bank then!

had exactly the same prob with DS1, refused nearly everything but milk between the age of 1.5 and 3, cut his milk intake by half, that did help but he was still a fussy little monkey and didn't eat properly till he was over 3. BTW, he ate MUCH better when he was in his creche. Having other children aroung him eating a normal diet seemed to put peer pressure on him.

Good to know that there are multiple sensible women out there that have the same problem.....its just that I remember a lad I used to know that at 18 yrs old still lived on toast, pizza and milk (oh and beer of course) and I so don't want a fussy eater - its almost against my religion!!!

She Devil too little yet to understand reward star charts - but i dont get it - how can a child that will eat garlic bread and stilton not eat pizza, and chicken nuggets (veggies too of course....sigh). Today it was my feta cheese - but a real raspberry too spaghetti and sausages....

Intravenous anyone???

Your mother's technique might work, or it might just make the fights worse and cause you all to spend all your time worrying about food. The technique that as far as anybody can tell is the most likely to work (where "work" means "in the long run, the kid eats a varied, healthy diet, is willing to eat things they don't much like occasionally, is polite about not eating things they can't stand, and is not over/underweight and nobody remembers the whole experience as one of the worst parts of their life") is to provide balanced meals at regular times that involve at least one thing she's willing to eat, and if she eats it, fine. If she doesn't, move on to the next meal without comment, complaint, bribery, fretting, threatening, misery, preparing something else...

I have seen it work on a stroppy 3-year old who ate only crackers. The household he was staying in slowly ran out of everything he would eat (by design) and just put in front of him what everybody else was having without fussing or paying attention to his fussing. If he didn't eat it, well, there was another meal coming up.

I think I know deep down that you're probably right, Californiagirl - I would never dream of making another meal - thats for sure! Think I'll just plug away as suggested - my problem is that I'm more bloomin belligerent than she is and have to stop trying to fight her on this so much!