No Savoury, No Sweet Is 2yrs 2 mths too young for this rule

[FooffyShmoofer]

Every evening meal is difficult now that DD(2) will not touch anything savoury placed in front of her. I always give her a variation of what we are having but it just doesn't matter. She plays with her spoon and then attempts to hand the dish back to us. It just feels cruel if we refuse to give her a dessert and when she gets upset DS(8) gets upset for her. She had terrible GERD as a baby and I think we have 'babied' her way too much where meals are concerned. I would be extremely grateful for any suggestions.

I haven't any first hand experience of this I'm afraid so I hope you don't mind me offering my thoughts....
How about breaking the dinner then pudding sequence for all the family? Everybody only has a main, pudding can always follow a little later as a snack if necessary. I'm sure an 8 year old would go along with this if they knew they'd be getting it later.
Perhaps try having sweeter main for a while if it's a matter of taste, e.g roast butternut/ sweet potato, which again everybody has exactly the same. Serving themselves from a big bowl on the table might help. Or give her ownership by making her own food like wraps or sandwiches from fillings on the table. Could she help you cook the food? That technique often gets the more tentative eaters in my reception class to have a try of new foods. What about DS/DP and DD preparing a meal to further break the cycle? Mummy could sit up at the table and be served for a bit of fun. And don't even make a fuss of forcing her to eat. Just get on with the meal yourselves commenting on how yummy it is!
Sorry.....got a bit carried away with my trail of thought there....slightly sleep deprived!!!!
Hope that helps :)

Thankyou so much for that it has given me alot to think about.The refusal in itself had become a routine all of its own so its true we do need to break this cycle. I will definitely try making sweet a little later taking away its importance and also the sweeter main courses.
That was my first post and I wasnt sure I would get an answer let alone one so practical and helpful.

I'm a newbie too! Hi there

You could try the if you don't eat this there is bread and butter line. Followed by if you don't eat that you can't be hungry so you don't need pudding.

And make puddings unexciting for a week or so (ie fruit salad cf ice cream/cake). Even I would throw a strop if I was refused a fab pudding on account hadn't finished my main.

Agree with serendipity - at least for a while, drop the idea of pudding, or at least make it more distant from main meal. Try to demonstrate how much you are enjoying your own food, and get your older dd involved in this too - lots of chat about it, what bits you particularly like, how you cooked it, etc. Try not to engage with any fuss, just get on with a happy meal time, and see if she gets over this little blip.

And welcome to MN, both of you!

Am so pleased. I no longer feel like the new kid at school!!

My DS will be thrilled to have a go at making our meal. Trouble is, as of next week DH wont be around most evening mealtimes due to new job so things will be changing anyway. Probably the best time to change the routine.

And unexciting puddings, yep can do that too.

Oooo carpet picnic?

God why didnt I think of that! We do that with DS every time there is a new disney channel movie. (Premieres of High School Musical 1+2, Camp Rock et al). I'd love to say I dont look forward to it but.....

She would think that was fab.

DS, sorry, not older DD! too tired to read...

I'm also a crappy movie fan!
If I said M-K and A would you know what I meant?!!!

Mary Kate and Ashley? (Sorry, was I not supposed to say that out loud?)

Mind you I have never seen their films. Are they good/cheesy/bad? My DS quite likes Hannah Montana (you didnt hear that from me)
so maybe they might interest him/me?

Oh so cheesy and oh so terrible....so bad they're good!
Anyway, nice to meet you Fooffy....I better get off to bed and clock up some hrs before my dd wakes again. 8 mths old and not a v gd sleeper to say the least!
Just saw this link on another thread, thought it might interest you as he has a 2 yr old too - www.mydaddycooks.com
Let us know how it's going with mealtimes won't you x

Serendipity Thanks so much, nice to meet you too. Sleep well

Hiya Fooffy, any improvements?
My LO is starting to develop into her own little person and show she has likes and dislikes and I keep thinking I might be in a similar position to you soon! Stranglely she really hates sweet foods! Unfortunately that's including fruit. But she's loving 'real' meals so is just having whatever we eat. I'm finding it hard tho to make sure every meal is balanced and get it cooked whilst she's going through the clingy phase and won't let me do anything!
Hope you're having luck with your dd x

Serendipity Hi not checked back in a while. We have had little improvements particularly in the area of making savouries that bit sweeter especially tomato based, also put baked beans in a veg hotpot and all of a sudden its far tastier to madam and she finished it!

So glad your LO is eating well with the family but yes I suppose you will be coming to the point where they start expressing their independence, then look out
So nice of you to check in and you must let me know when you get to where I am now
or for that matter if everything goes swimmingly!