ds 3.5 taking ages to eat

[breaghsmum]

i set dinner down at 20 past 5, made it simple as really cant be bothered with row tonight so dinner consisited of two sausages and a round bap. so far he has eaten precisely half a sausage!!! its driving me mad. he is a really fussy eater but even when i make things i know he likes he either just sets the plate back onto worktop saying he doesnt like it or else he dilly dallies for ages over it. the only way i can get him to eat is to promise cartoons if he does and even then it still takes ages. i cant take any more evenings like this, most nights im not home til six after work and he should be bathed and in bed by half 7 at the latest. what to do, i cant go on like this. any help will be greatly appreciated TIA

btw, i always eat with him and have what he is having

My Ds is the same. He's just turned 3.
I just let him eat not a lot if thats what he wants!! Then when he gets hungry enough he wolfs his dinner down (he only does this about once a week lol)
I do that for dinner and for lunch (dont tell anyone I expect its frowned upon!) I give him sandwiches and fruit and snacky things and let him eat them in front of the TV. It still takes ages, but he does work his way through it while distracted by Peppa Pig.
He's a skinny thing. but has endless energy so isnt suffering to much from such a small amount of food.

its just so frustrating, he's not getting any good veggies, he eats fruit during the day so thats not an issue, its just that i would like to be able to sit down as a family and eat and then clear away, do bath and bed and stories, but as it is, its been 2 whole hours since he sat down to it, he hasnt said he doesnt want it or anything and when ive tried taking it away he cracks up, so ive left it sitting, he's been chewing o the same piece of cold sausage for the past ten minutes. how can he be enjoying that??? he's not upset or kicking a fuss about eating it's just taking soooo long. trying really hard not to lose temper.

my 3 year old charge does did this sometimes

he now has half an hour and thats it (he can and often does eat a whole meal in

will defo do the clock thing tomorrow. i have just put him to bed. he still hadnt eaten anymore but said he wanted it, he then wouldnt change into jammies so he is now in bed fully clothed. keeps getting out, screaming, im doing supernanny thing by just putting him back in. OH is back home tomorrow and after me whineing on the phone about dinner time im sure ds will be the perfect child for him tomorrow evening. anyway, half an hour and clock tomorrow!!!