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how should i have handled this?

5 replies

Kveta · 11/07/2013 18:59

DS is 3.10, and generally a nice child at the moment.

However, he is being a total pain regarding food right now, and refusing meals, picking at food, and only wanting snack foods to eat.

So this evening, I did a cottage pie with peas and mashed potatoes, as he loves those things to eat normally (well, really it was because I had the ingredients to hand, but him liking them was a bonus).

I gave him and 1 yo DD a small portion each, and left them to it whilst I ate my meal. DD wolfed hers down, and cleared her plate. DS on the other hand took one mouthful, and said he didn't like green food, then somehow produced a toy car and dunked it in his meal.

Having previously warned him that if he doesn't eat it, it goes in the bin, I calmly took his plate, binned the lot, and asked him to go upstairs, whereupon he started kicking and screaming and yelling that he was hungry.

I said he could come upstairs and have a bath, or go straight to bed, but he was clearly not hungry if he didn't want his dinner, and after about 20 minutes of tantrum style screams he came upstairs, had a bath, we gave him a banana before tooth brushing and story, and he went to bed quite happily.

I feel like a total cow for not letting him eat his meal, but on the other hand, quite pleased that I didn't lose my temper with him, as it was a close run thing.

This is not the first time he has had dinner removed from him when he has refused to eat a previous favourite BTW...

I just don't want meals to be an endless battle for the next 12+ years!!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
QTPie · 11/07/2013 19:26

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

GobblersKnob · 11/07/2013 19:31

I do the same as QTPie and try to make food a total non-issue, eat it if you are hungry don't if you arn't.

nosila12 · 11/07/2013 23:08

Me too. I leave the plate of food and mine can go back and eat it later. It's v hard to keep your cool in this situation - used to drive me mad.

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DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 12/07/2013 12:27

Kveta well kept temper, you followed through on your warning. No loss of face, really well handled if he goes to bed sunny, so much less stress for you too. Smile

Kveta · 13/07/2013 07:52

thanks everyone - we had exactly the same food refusal last night too, so off he went to bed with no dinner, sigh. he barely ate breakfast today either, so possibly just isn't very hungry in this heat? I guess we just have to try and get him to eat a decent lunch, and push healthy snacks on him during the day whilst this phase passes! why do kids keep moving the goalposts?!

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