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Operation "Give DS What We Eat at Mealtimes And Offer No Alternative"

5 replies

flipflopsonfifthavenue · 01/07/2014 15:45

Not sure if this is the best place to post this...

DS is almost 2 and although he eats or at least tries everything at nursery, at home his eating is fairly limited. It's all healthy home made meals but it's basically just a handful of different things - pasta, baked beans, savoury muffins, eggs, lasagna...

Part of the problem is that we don't have many meals together, so at the weekend 5pm approaches and one of us will say, "shall I just make DS some pasta then?"

DP and I are crap at meal planning (both work full time) so we basically end up making DS something different then we just fend for ourselves once he's in bed.

The result is that we're always offering him the same things and I feel terribly guilty about it, and he's started to get fussy about trying new things when I do make them.

So we're currently on a 4 week holiday in Canada visiting DPs parents and were all eating dinner together at 530pm so we're basically going cold turkey - we'll offer DS what we eat and that's it. He can eat/try what he wants, leave what he doesn't and there's fruit or yogurt afterwards regardless if how much/how little he eats.

Meals are pretty toddler friendly so there's always something he should like even if it's home made chips, mashed potato, pasta, bread whatever, so I don't think we're being unreasonable.

Thing is - already feel like I'm losing my nerve!! He's basically refused dinner the last two nights. He always has a good breakfast and good lunch so really it's just dinner that he's not eaten much of.

If he looks at his plate and pushes it away without touching anything and says "all done" and wants to get down, I just get him down right.....? I know this is the right thing to do and he won't starve (he always has milk before bed so he doesn't go to bed on completely empty stomach) but still....it all a little out of my comfort zone!!

Any experience of doing this? I shouldn't cave in and offer toast or weetabix should I....

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
LastingLight · 01/07/2014 17:08

We have a fussy 12 year old and I wish we had followed the approach you're following when she was 2. He is not even almost starving, he is eating 2 good meals a day, there is fruit and yogurt after the meal... I don't see how you're doing anything wrong. Just stick to your guns. Don't let mealtimes become a battlefield but also don't pander to his tastes. If you don't make an issue of it then hopefully he will become more adventurous in what he eats.

QTPie · 01/07/2014 19:26

This reply has been withdrawn

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

NoraRobertsismyguiltypleasure · 01/07/2014 19:31

Yes, agree with op, but I would get him to sit there for 5 mins after he says he's done. Seeing you all still eating may encourage him to have a bite of two.

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beccajoh · 01/07/2014 19:35

My daughter is the same (she's 2 tomorrow) and I think we need to do this. She's not too bad but she's recently started turning away things she's previously eaten.

upyourninja · 01/07/2014 19:39

I think this is a really great idea - seeing you two eat a good range of food will sink in (eventually). Stick with it!

Generally, I try not to fuss over food with DD (2.5) but I do encourage her to taste things with her tongue at least once, then maybe the next day to put the new food in her mouth. Today she had broad beans (we grew them) for the first time with no fuss at all and I think it really helped that we were all eating the same.

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