What do you do?

[jubee]

What do you do when your lo doesn't eat the dinner you have made, especially when you have included something that you know they like.  Do you just give a small snack or something more substantial later?  Also what do you say to yourself to keep from getting a little frustrated/annoyed?  Our ds is picky and on top of that his appetite is not always that great.  Sometimes he eats alot and sometimes he doesn't.  Right now he is getting his two year molars in to make matters worse.

[Deb_in_oz]

I BATTLED THE food  monster too much and now what i do is

they can have yogurt and / or fruit if they choose not to eat even their favourites

what i tell myslef OUT LOUD as a mantra and taking deep breats is "i have provided them with good food it is up to them to eat it" i find it really reminds me they won't startve and i avoid getting to that stressed out place where i get anxious about what they are/aren't eating etc


i say to my Dh if it were not for feeding them I woudl be blissfully happy   

[tylersmommy]

Like Debra said, it's really hard not to get upset and concerned when they skip meals. I find myself repeating in my head "healthy kids don't starve themselves, healthy kids don't starve themselves..." over and over. And it's true. Tyler's appetite comes and goes, and it's pretty common for him not to eat much for dinner for no apparent reason. If he doesn't eat much (or, uh, anything) we'll offer him a healthy snack before bedtime, usually cereal.

It's so hard not to get frustrated! Hang in there!

[JennŠ]

Been wondering this myself.  DD may or may not eat well, but will always eat yogurt.     Should I give that at the end of the refused meal, or wait 'till bedtime?  Still a small tum and I worry about her finishing her bedtime milk if she's too full.

[Deb_in_oz]

in our household 99% of the time yogurt or milk is the equivalent of dessert anyway so i always offer it AT dinnertime rather than a stand alone later snack. then Liv gets bedtime bottle.  alex at 3 seems to be able to skip meals whenever she wants to and goes all through  the night and then gorges on breakfast so i never worry about her.  sometimes even with the fruit or yogurt Liv will come begging foir food later (brought me the container of Dh's meusli from the pantry last 2 nights  so i will then give her that to eat too, but not initiated by me)

[jubee]

Thank you all for reminding me that many toddlers do this and that they won't starve!  I definitley need to have a little saying like you all do, to keep the anxiety from creeping in.  It should not drive me nuts, but it does   I also have to keep reminding myself that he NEVER has eaten well when teeth are coming in, especially molars!  Thank goodness we will have a nice long break after these 4 come in.  One has come through about half way and three more left to go.   I never thought that feeding a toddler could make me this crazy at times.  I like the fruit/yogurt offering if they don't eat.  Thanks again.  You all are great.

[Deb_in_oz]

i know what you mean and i take great comfort in hearing form others who are struggling too so i don't feel terrible when i end up giving my (previously good eater) 3yo fish sticks yet again!  my 2 cannot even coordinate most of the time so their preferences are different and their appetites are opposites (i joke that if i serve  the same thing i can guarantee that one will eat it up and the other leaves it over, also alex is a breakfast eater and liv prefers dinner)  i can never win so i have thrown in the towel on the stress part at least - i just keep providing those meals and leave it to them to decide (and pray for quiet whinging instead of tantrums  )

may the teeth come through quickly