Author Topic: if your toddler dosent eat the dinner you give, do you offer something else??  (Read 1147 times)

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Offline 4 under 5

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my 22mth old is a bit fussy recently. hes cutting back teeth also, but dosent stop him eating what he wants.

so when its dinner time, and he dosent even taste the food i offer him, should i save the food and try again throughout the day offering him nothing else, or give him something else?? ???

Offline Lolly

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I'm not a fan of keeping the same food through the day, but I don't offer anything else at the same meal time. So, for example, if DD doesn't eat the sandwiches I make for lunch then that's fine, but there isn't anything else. If it's a cold lunch I will keep it for the next hour or so, so if she asks for food then I will re-offer but she will then have whatever the rest of the family are having at the next meal. With their main meals I will make sure there is always something on offer that I know they will eat along with things I'm not sure if they will eat today.

They do go through fussy phases, especially with teething. DD has just cut her molars and we have had many nights recently when she has not touched even a mouthful of her tea, she does seem to make up for it on other days. These phases do seem to pass.

Laura



Offline Mashi

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We have always made sure to include some things that he DOES like, no matter what we are making. I mean, I hate chili and I hate lamb and if someone presented me with either of those things for dinner, and then tried to get me to eat them at other times in the day, well I would go hungry for a good few weeks before I gave in and ate them (Probably close to the brink of starvation before I would give in!).  I don't see it as any different with my DS, no matter his age. If I am making something that I know he likes and he refuses it, then it's different.  

So tonight I made a stew that I know he hates and so it is not really fair for me to expect him to eat it. I still put it on his plate, and still told him he needed to try it, but I also made sure he had other things out as well, at the same time. I do give the other things at the same time and present it all as his dinner, so that he does not get the idea that if he does not like it I will go and make something new.  But I make sure he is given choices that he does like.  So tonight in addition to his bowl of stew he had a plate with carrots, corn, bread, and cheese.  And he did actually try a few bites of the stew but spat them out - and ate the rest of his dinner.

Offline 4 under 5

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thanks girls for the replies. ill try that, offering what he does like with foods i think he wont eat. its fustrating sometimes.also i do still spoonfeed him and he can sort of feed himself. maby i should just let him do it himself from now on?  id also like for him to eat meat, but he just dosent seem to want it. im afraid hes not getting enough protein as he dosent like eggs and spits out cheese. :-(
« Last Edit: August 30, 2011, 20:38:17 pm by mumof2babies »

Offline Lolly

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My DD is just about coming out of a protein strike. I did find that I could hide meat in things, so really finely chopped chicken in pasta sauce for example and she would eat it that way so I think it's a texture thing rather than taste. Will he eat cheese in things like a cheese sauce, or grated cheese in mashed potato - that's been a staple here for a while ::)

Laura


Offline 4 under 5

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yeah i really need to get some protein into him. will try some chicken chopped up in foods he likes the next day. thank you