Dealing with a breakfast refusing, scream-y, drama queen 2yo. All before the school run.

[Suddengeekgirl]

I am rapidly turning into a shouty mum in the mornings. :(

Ds (4.5yo) is at school and about as straight forward to get ready for school as can be.

Dd (2.5yo) is the polar opposite. I am reaching the end of my tether in the mornings and shouting and generally feeling like I've had enough!
She will tell you why she wants for breakfast and then refuse to eat it. She will go from 'no breakfast' to screaming meltdown in about 10 seconds so there isn't much room for maneuver. The screaming will go on and on and on. :(
I've tried letting her not eat breakfast but then she whines about being hungry all morning and with snack and snack. Which then means she won't eat lunch either. And the cycle repeats! I've tried leaving her to CIO as it were but time ticks on and we have to leave for school eventually.

How do I get breakfast into her without a drama?
If I could do this I'm sure the rest of the day would be SO much easier.

Just while she's going though this phase is it possible to let her have something portable to eat in pushchair/car on school run like a banana croissant etc then give her her breakfast when u get back? Assuming u r going home after this is

Or would she drink a smoothie or yoghurt drink? So she's at least having something rather than being hungry snacking all morning and then not eating her lunch.

My DD can be like this in the mornings when i'm trying to get us both out the door for childcare drop off/work. Its V stressful so I sympathise! I find its generally better if I do the following;
a) get as organised as humanely possible night before...lay out clothes, put her milk in a beaker in the fridge, make my lunch, gather all the stuff we need to take etc. This takes a bit of pressure off me and then gives me more time to be patient with her.
b) get her dressed, teeth brushed, face washed as soon as I get her out of bed with promise of a bit of TV if she complys.
c) put on TV while I get ready and then I make her toast to eat in front of telly if theirs time or I will prepare something portable to take with us in the car... toast, scotch pancakes, croissant, fruit (prepared to go the night before). I grab her milk beaker (no handles so it fits in her car seat cup holder) and off we go. She usually has a second breakfast (cereal) at childcare (my dsis)

I used to try and get cereal down her but it was too stressful and she would often refuse and then over hungry meltdown would ensue. Take the path of least resistance and make life as easy as possible is my morning motto!

Gawd excuse the grammar mistakes!

We have same thing with DD. I have tried many things to combat the shouting - hers & mine and now follow this:
Limit choice - I only offer weetabix but she can choose warm or cold milk, she has an orange bowl but chooses her spoon.
No other choices - bib, cup already on table for her.
I take huge deep breath and also face to face, lots of eye contact and say that we're having breakfast with no fuss coz no one likes fuss. She usually agrees!
Before this I'veafe sure she's had a good morning cuddle and done a wee so she's ready for breakfast.
It was quite hard but getting easier now! Hth.

My 2.5 year old also often refuses breakfast and has meltdowns about it. What I have found that works for us is to always cook her porridge. If she doesn't eat it I put it in a pot I. The fridge and cut the cold congealed mess into lumps which she will then eat while on the way out the door in th buggy.

I'm not being Evan - she seems to like it like that! Try it?

I often have one DC or the other eating toast fingers or dry Cheerios out of a cup in their car seat cup holder on the school run.

Evan = mean

Do you go home with your DD after the school run? if so, why not wait till you get home and have a leisurely breakfast together then?

I've tried the 'don't eat it but no snacks' approach. It doesn't work. She just moans and moans and gets more and more het up until meltdown - which is often worse as she hasn't eaten anything since tea the day before.

We usually go straight out after school - either to her playgroup she's just started or to a toddler group thing. A leisurely breakfast would be nice but not really posssible most days.

All the clothes etc are sorted the night before so all that needs doing is breakfast, teeth and get dressed. We have plenty of time until meltdown starts...

I know it's just a phase and she is 2 and it's all about exerting her independence etc etc. But she is SO stubborn! Not at all like ds, or dh or me even!

Next weeks plan might involve a tub of Nutella - if she doesn't eat that I'll be shocked and if it all gets too much I'll be scoffing it with a spoon!

Breakfast in the car/pram?

Why can't she have a snack for breakfast? If she's not hungry for breakfast and you need to get out of the house, then go with that approach.

Yes to portable breakfasts!

Or, maybe try letting her copy her big brother- sitting together, same breakfast, same bowl etc, and you leave the room?

My 2.2yo always has breakfast with his big sisters!