3.6 year old going to bed hungry

[Bedsheets4knickers]

My 3.6 year old hasn't had a good day. Seems hell bent on being hard work today. He's refused his dinner. I'm so annoyed with him on the whole today that I'm contemplating taking his plate away and he can wait until morning now to eat. Am I going to far????

I logged on to post about my son (same age) and your post said it all. He has been utterly horrendous today. He was so naughty all morning as he woke too early, wouldn't nap, trashed everywhere, emptied a plant pot all over floor, emptied cat food all over kitchen, throwing blocks around, etc etc! I made an effort with him as I thought he was bored, took him to the park in the pouring rain, loved that for half hour, got back, moaned non stop, didn't have strength to make him a proper dinner, gave him sandwich, crisps and salad, messed about with it, put him to bed at 18.15, asleep in minutes! So if you've gone too far, so have I! Oh dear, what a day, cried three times, hoping we both have a better day tomorrow.

No, I wouldn't ever use food as a punishment.

It leads to far too many issues, and that's very young to even begin to understand your reasoning.

It's not punishment if he has refused to eat it though. He doesn't want it so send him to bed. Ds (3.9) has just battled that very same problem - eat his dinner or go straight to bed. He ate his dinner.

So if they refuse dinner every night then what do you do, it's not punishment, so if you present a second meal or a treat what message does that give?

It says, don't worry, if you don't sit and eat dinner you can have something else later - wrong message

And at 3.6 they do have some idea of right and wrong, and are definitely not too young to start showing them the consequences if not eating your evening meal are going to bed hungry

I can guarantee the message will get through fairly sharpish

I would have offered a bit of bread and fruit (always on the table at meal times in our house) in this scenario. My 3 kids are now all much older and are excellent eaters. Just think food being a battleground is so grim.
Be calm, smile, ignore and keep offering the good meals alongside something they will eat. My kids aren't pushovers honestly-eldest ds has asd and was very restricted in what he's eat when he was younger, but I just thought sending him to bed hungry would be hurting me too-early rising/night waking etc and it felt mean frankly.

I took it away from him. His not eating it was a defiant backlash because I'd taken us home from a soft play because 3 times he'd emptied his juice into the ball pit. He's gone to bed with no dinner. I actualy don't feel bad as today he's done so much naughty it really has left me guiltless .

I logged onto post about my daughter (4) who stopped eating the range of foods she had as a baby and has not gone back to them. She didn't have lunch at nursery either! So annoyed with her as the food is left out for at least 45 mins. Said I was going to take it away then she said she was going to eat it the she carries it round the room only to have it all on the floor minutes later. Not only that - she stares at it and won't help me pick it up. Given her brother and sister a yoghurt and not her. Anyone had joy with their kids stopping snacks and them finally relenting and having a meal or trying something new? I haven't and dd eats crap!

God I've put my ds much younger to bed without dinner, if he don't want it when its there hes not hungry. Hes routine does go dinner, bath, milk bed though so not like I ended the day early as a punishment.
I've never had issues if he doesn't feel like eating and on the whole hes pretty relaxed around food and eats what hes given. But on a day when he doesn't want to thats fine too.
Agree with iam above it's trying hard to persuade to eat that I wouldn't dare do.

Ok now you've said that I would say ending the day asap by sending him to bed was the best move. My twins still remember the times they were brought home from things for naughty behaviour years later-it does work. Tomorrow is another day and he may well be sunshine and smiles tomorrow!

The soft play was the cherry on the cake . He's emptied my gym bottle all over the floor this morning . Punched me in the side if the head while I was cuddling him. The wet floor business is not fun at the mo as I have an 18 month old in leg casts He knows I'm terrified of them getting wet so he's doing it to be naughty.
I swear 2s are a doddle compared to 3s

I just think they're generally not that hungry when they refuse dinner. As long as dd had eaten earlier, I just say calmly it's fine if it don't want it but there isn't anything else, and most of the time she does eat it. I don't make a fuss either way though. I'm not going to offer a different meal as by the time we get home from nursery there's no time. She's 3.5 and definitely her appetite varies a lot day to day.

He sounds tires tbh.

Yep he's tired and fed up playing second fiddle . Tomorrow's another day . At least he'l eat his breakfast :-)

I agree in that I'm finding age 3 harder than 2. It's almost like he's doing it to wind me up with a little look over when he's up to something.

3s are so different especially 3 approaching 4. They have so much more knowledge and independence . I could let the 2s go because his actions were so much more about discovery than misbehaving . Now I'm finding a lot of it is to get a rise from me. He's got no worry about consequence .

Honestly you're reading far too much into it. He's a tired 3 year old. Cut him some slack.

Staying calm is what worked the best with my 4.5 year old when he was that age. Now he's great.

My 2 year old on the other hand... Although I can see that's just age - harder when they're younger.

I read that toddlers eat best at breakfast time so I always give them a fab meal to start. at least lots of if and fruit.

come supper time I think they've already eaten well so I never even wonder how much they are eating. and if they don't eat much I just take it away and get on.
we don't do much in the way of snacks either.