Please can you talk to me whilst he eats his dinner because if you don't

[Twiglett]

I may just pull his head off

the current threat is eat your dinner or you will go straight upstairs

he is whinging and moaning and saying he's eaten 6 mouthfulls .. liar liar pants on fire

now he is throwing food at his sister and egging her on

I'll just sit here and talk to myself shall I

oh god couple of savages eating with their hands .. and chewing with their mouths open

Put them both to bed and pour yourself a large glass of wine

he is so very tired he's just unmentionable

I am trying to avoid shouting at him again

I just caught 2 yawns one after the other ... is 5pm too early for a 5 year old to be going to bed

today is truly interminable

bedtime I say

"please may I get down from the table"

"no, you'll eat your dinner"

"awwww ... you always "

I think my record was 4.30,at about the same age,and he slept right through too.

Unfortunately if you put him to bed at 5 he'll probably wake at 5pm! 5.30 isn't too early for a bath thouth and bed at 6?

Bugger, that should have been 5am!

I've just yawned twice - is it too early for a 31 year to go to bed??

I've never put him to bed early

Then you are a very strong woman.

Mine are eating their tea now - DS2 eating baked beans bare handed; DS1 getting them on his fork then dropping them at point of entry.
Children's table manners ....

Mine should be eating their dinner but cooking it will involve getting off mumsnet!

Ds1 just been sent to chippie!

Great idea sugarfree, unfortunately none nearby!

I have put him in his pyjamas .. he's totally affronted

I am on the verge of walking out the door too

Bath and then try again? Sometimes works....

Otherwise long bath, bed.

Why haven't you ever put him to bed early??!!

my dd is also 5 and has been really tired all week (plus a bit ill) - she's even fallen asleep in the afternoon 2 days in a row. Unheard of!

Forget dinner, early bath, small snack and bed.

(sympathies though, 5 year olds can be surprisingly awful)

no his dinner is too cold .. its his 2nd dinner cos his sister ate the chicken off the first so I agreed I would get him a clean plate with just the chicken and veg on it .. he was given that 10 minutes ago

I really really want to walk out of here before I do / say something I'll regret

I've always hated what I call the "witching hour" from diiner time to bed time. It's horrible ending the day with a confrontation though (for both you and him) - I do think a bath is a good way to distract him before bed without doing something that will reward him for the fact that he didn't eat his dinner. Speaking of which I'd better go and cook now - good luck

whne is dh home

I sometimes put mine in the garden when I'm really fed up with them ( and lock the door)