so what to do with refused meals?

[*Jo*]

so i know that we arent meant to keep offering foods if LO doesnt want what you have given them but what do you do?

I gave Caleb sandwhiches for lunch and he refused them, didnt even know what was in them, didnt even try them, just didnt want them, so i left it an hour and tried again, doesnt want it still. do i offer something else, i know he will eat yoghurt but i dont want him to get the idea that if he refuses his food he gets whatever else he wants. he does this quite often, but i will wait about half an hour and offer something else so that he doesnt associate it with the refused meal but i dotn want to start a bad habit.

hes so frustrating lately!!!

[anna*]

Their appetite drops a lot at around this age. I would start as you mean to go on. Offer the food, offer again a bit later, if he doesn't eat it then that is the end of lunch. Perhaps offer a slightly bigger mid afternoon snack, but be careful it's not too big that he will wind up refusing dinner.

[*Jo*]

Anna you give good advice I did just that! After the refusals I waited till about 2.30 and gave him a whole pottle of yoghurt and some dried fruit snacks, he was clearly still hungry afterwards but opted to give him dinner at 5 and he ate heaps!
I don't mind him eating less but not even taking a bite is annoying

[anna*]

Oh I know. They'll drive you nuts. If it's something I 'know' he likes I'll bring the same meal out again for dinner. At least now that Stan is older I can explain that if he wants his dessert (yoghurt or fruit) he needs to taste everything on his plate. He doesn't need to like everything I give him, but he does need to taste it before he rejects it! patience hun, this kids are a real test of it

[*Becky*]

we are going through this and it is driving me crazy. DS has decided that he likes baked beans and oh a bit of potato with it and that is kind of it.
I have to say that if he refuses what I give him I do give him plain yoghurt as I hate him not eating anything at teatime but maybe that is bad....?

[TashaW]

{{HUGS}} So frustrating isn't it.

We're going through this as well so really interested to read advice. I think I need to be firmer with it by not giving DS something he likes instead, but I worry about DS not eating enough, then not napping well etc... He was poorly at the end of last year a LOT - in hospital three times and seemed to revert to puree, now we can't move him on from this hardly. Cheese sandwiches, toast, biscuits, porridge and lumps of cheese are the exception. He won't touch veggies that I know he likes, has gone off bananas, won't go near an apple now... urgh

Trying to move to whole milk too - he sips it then spits it out everywhere. Really messy and so annoying!

[anna*]

If you think he's holding out for the yoghurt... I'd personally not give it. FWIW we've never had NWs from hunger. Oh, also I had to stop giving snacks somewhere in that 1-2 year, the appetite drop is no joke.

[Mommy_to_a_Monkey]

I am going mental lately with all this food refusal!  Its like he doesn't care what it is that I offer him.  I waste so much food as well and the foods he normally likes he is not eating.  I don't get it.  We also had 2 NW's last night and I am pretty sure its due to not eating enough during the day.  We are having major battles in the highchair as well and I am trying not to let it get to me but all he does is point to something he wants and won't eat a bite.  I give the item to him (spoon, lid, etc) and he is happy and will eat a couple bites and then he is back to pointing and screeching for something else, argh!!  As soon as I say no there is a major meltdown.  What to do?!!