would you put your two year old in the naughty corner if they refused to eat any dinner?

[Sparklemagic]

Posting question for a mate whose friend does this and they've clashed over it as my mate feels it's inappropriate and harsh. I agree with her but then I've always been very laid back with how much DS eats, never wanted to force the issue. What do you think?

No, I have a fussy eater (2.4) and we don't make a big issue out of it because possibbility of making it worse would be disastrous.

Serenity's right, there's a difference between expecting appropriate behaviour at the table and insisting people eat more than they say they want.
If ds and dd start mucking about (standing on chair and finger-wagging or singing, in a bring-it-on style, a big fave with dd at the moment) plate is taken out of reach and meal terminated if behaviour persists. She is a good but lively eater - ds is like a bird. He can eat as little or as much as he wants at meals but there are no snacks until the next mealtime. He is old enough at six to understand that mucking about at table means loss of stories at bedtime and that works for him.

i wouldn't. in the past i've encouraged dd to eat more at meal times only to have to clean up sick later.

I wouldn't. No way. If she doesn't want to eat, she doesn't eat - why should she?!? Only she will have to wait until her next regular meal or snack time!

Don't think you sound harsh, Bozza. LIke I said, I make DS stay at the table until we've finished too and although I don't do naughty corner/step yet, I don't think it'll be long. Perhaps with DS being my first it's a little different. When DS2 gets to this age, perhaps I'll be doing the naughty corner thing with him.

I agree with some of the posters here though, Sparkelmagic. Fine to discuss whether to do it or not here (and it sounds like most wouldn't)but to clash with a friend on the subject is interfering, unless of course, your friends opinion was sought in the first place. Everyone has the right to their own parenting style, as long as it's not abusive/illegal etc.

Ponka - I think it does make a difference. For instance, there is no sending your DS to the naughty step for laying into his big brother is there? And also for me part of it is being fair in DS's eyes. If he hit (and he's actually very patient with her) DD he would get sent to the step and so the reverse has to apply.

I see serenity's point though about the two seperate issues (eating and table manners/behaviour) but agree with whoever said that they can become blurred on a lot of occasions.

Just recently we have had our dd leave the table if she refuses to eat anything AND sits there whining about it. She either eats or sits quietly or happily until we all finish or leaves the table and the room. It's not a punishment as she is allowed to play (not TV though) We then make sure she hears us having fun at the dinner table and more often than not she'll come back and choose to eat at least a little.

I hope that's not setting her up for issues over food in later life. She's 3.

Agree with everyone who says that not being hungry is not a punishable offence.

No way would i punish a child for not eating

Just to make things clear, obviously my comments were made based on my own experiences. I've never had to tell a toddler off for whinging etc at the table, because we don't make it an issue as to whether they eat or not. Our 'moaning minnie' is DS2, who at 5.8 is more than old enough to understand that we might not mind if he eats but we do mind how he behaves. I'm really not going to put up with bratty behaviour at the table when the rest of us are trying to enjoy a civilised (well, you can hope!) meal.