Do I let her go hungry?

[ImDreamingOfANortyXmas]

DD - 18 months - has just refused 2 different hot meals - had a couple of mouthfuls of each.

She had 1 and a half slices of eggy bread for lunch followed by a kiwi and would normally eat a (smallish) hot meal now. No rhyme nor reason - just screaming and refusing.

This is becoming more frequent tbh, and I just let her get on with it, and if she eats half, we carry on with yogurt and treat.

I've just taken her out of the highchair without giving her anything else.

What do I do? Let her go hungry, assume she isn't hungry (she's drink a lot atm) or let her eat the crap I know she will eat?

Arrrggghhhh its so fustrating! She's always been a really good eater and I don't want to make things worse.

Hey Norty. My ds hasn't eaten anything today. He threw all his food off the tray at lunch and just had some juice (I gave him a rusk about an hour later), he has now just thrown all his dinner onto floor, gave him a pear but he seems to have forgotten how to eat it without chocking so I've taken that away. He did eat his breakfast.

I am a very bad eater and my mum is convinced it's because if I didn';t want what was served, she'd cook something else or let me have a pack of biscuits for dinner and it's something I don't want to get into with ds.
I don't want himn to realise that if he doesn't want dinner, then he can have something else. That to me would throw us into bad habits and I don't want him to become like me....

Personally, I wouldn't let on that it's a big deal that she hasn't eaten her dinner. My parents made me sit at the table til it was all gone and all that business and I'm not sure what kind of adverse effect forcing a child to eat has on later life......

Thanks LBB - that's the thing....I don't want her thinking she can refuse that and then get nice stuff.

We're the opposite - very good eaters and love our food....she was weaned onto everything and is slowly turning into this fussy little girl - she doesn't seem to care but its so fustrating for me....it also sends me nuts when I've cooked something and its just refused.

Perhaps I'll offer some milk before bed....

Oh well, the dog has just enjoyed it

you're not "letting her go hungry" - you've offered her food, if she chooses not to take it then that's up to her.

I wouldn't give the pudding though

Yes, I certainly don't want to make it into a battle ground....but she can't eat nothing but eggy bread all the time either.....

She goes to nursery 3 days a week, and more often than not, the same is happening there - and they make her toast.....not very nutritious for your main meal of the day (and I'm paying £40 a day!!)

I know it's awful isn't it. I just ignore it now. I figure he knows it's food......
My mum said that when I was a kid, if I didn't all my dinner after staying at the table on my own for an extra hour, they'd send me to bed. After a few weeks, she'd put my plate down infront of me and I'd ask if I could go to bed without even looking at it.

It's difficult at this young age too isn't it as we don't know how much understanding is there....

My DD started getting fussier around this age, and DS seems to be doing the same, unfortunatly. I think around this age they do actually start to eat a bit less. I would keep offering stuff, don't give her crap but don't worry to much if she doesn't like a wide variety of things, as long as you've got all the food groups covered. If she doesn't eat dinner I would offer fruit or yogurt and leave it at that.

My DD is now 4 and is getting over the fussiness, so it does end eventually!

Thanks

Its obviously my attitude that I need to address rather than hers IYKWIM....I get so pissed off....

Norty, as sputnik says, they do start to eat a bit less at this age, and also they are testing the boundaries a bit. The trick is to not let it become a battle of wills (says the woman who has a battle of wills with DS1 every mealtime)

I would put the plate in front of her, give her a reasonable time and then take away what she hasn't eaten and not make a fuss about it. You can then get her something else a little later on when she has forgotten about the meal. they are very good at eating exactly what they need at this age, and if hungry will eat eventually.

agree tis maddening though.

littleboyblue; interesting what you say about your eating habits; I'm terrified I'm setting my DS1 up for a lifetime of food issues by making him eat, but 6yo boys NEED to eat.

I know Daisy, it's so scary isn't it? I'm dreading if ds gets bad with food......