Everynight I cook dinner for the family. My two-year-old daughter seems to never want to eat what we are having. Sometimes I put it off, thinking perhaps she isn't hungry. But after dinner she instantly asks for "snacks". She doesn't want "real" food. Any advice as to what I can do to make her want to eat with the family?
2006-11-08 07:41:08 · 16 answers · asked by LaLaLaBamba 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Have her start helping you cook. Make it a mommy-daughter thing and special. Let her help pick out some of the stuff you cook (she's 2 giver her 2 choices and let her "decide").
My baby girl is 17 months old and is sooooo picky. I have her "help" me cook. She shakes the baggie of coating for pork chops/chicken, she shakes on the salt/pepper, stirs and generally gets in my way and makes a mess. But she is more likely to eat the things she helps with.
Good luck. When a little one puts their foot down and won't eat anything green, the battle is on! She'll grow up and get better, they all do.
2006-11-08 07:51:01 · answer #1 · answered by Gem 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my granddaughter had that same problem. she would even cry at supper time because she didn't want to eat what we were having. it really didn't matter what we had for supper, she refused to eat.the more we tried to get her to eat the more she would react in a negative way. so finally we decided we would tell her it was time to eat and if she started whining about it we would just say OK well we are all hungry and we like what we are having so if you don't want to eat go in the other room and we will be done in a minute. {by the way -no snacks- if you can't eat your supper you are not hungry enough for snacks}.after a while she found we were serious and she soon was very interested in eating with the family. i think it was a kind of power struggle, and the more we gave in the worse it got.you have to put your foot down and not let a 2 year have her way.if you continue to give in it will send the wrong message and she will try it out on other things to see how much she can control you.
2006-11-08 15:55:21 · answer #2 · answered by cvgm702 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My daughter is a picky eater and will do this because all she may want would be corn, pop-tarts, or junk foods. I try to convince her that if she will eat three bites of everything on her plate then she can have a snack. This works sometimes and then sometimes it doesn't but when it doesn't I try to convert a snak into a piece of fruit and now she get an apple everynight after supper and I don't complain becasue at least she is eating something.
2006-11-08 15:45:35 · answer #3 · answered by mommy of two 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't give her a choice. look if you keep allowing her to eat after dinner. thats what she is going to do. tell her tonight that she will have no snacks unless she eats dinner with the family. no eat dinner no eat snacks. that should do it. just stay firm and don't back down. if she does not eat what you make and asks for snacks later tell her no but allow her to eat her dinner if she is hungry. good luck.
2006-11-08 15:46:50 · answer #4 · answered by littleluvkitty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Save the dinner she does not eat and when she wants snacks heat it up and say here you go...she will realize you have called her bluff and she cant get away with only snacking and not eating dinner. My daughter tried the same thing...
2006-11-08 15:47:06 · answer #5 · answered by Marcie E 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Offer meals and snacks at fixed intervals. Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, maybe bedtime snack. Offer healthy choices. Make her sit at the table through the whole meal, whether she is eating or not. Keep offering her the same food, if she refuses to eat it at dinner time, and at designated snack time, then you offer it for breakfast, snack, lunch, etc..
2006-11-08 15:50:17 · answer #6 · answered by Just Me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My friend has a two year old little boy and all he wants to eat is junk food too, but recently he has started eating "real food" on his own, he used to wake up in the morning and want chips, now he wakes up and wants cereal, and he started on his own, so maybe shell do the same.
2006-11-08 15:45:19 · answer #7 · answered by Jennifer H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since she knows all she has to do is wait and she will be snack fed then she will hold you in her palm. Let her know she will eat as she is served and no snacks. She will learn you are the boss. Right now she rules the roost. It's up to you to put a stop to it.
2006-11-08 15:45:05 · answer #8 · answered by john h 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give her very small portions and don't pressure her to eat. A 2 year old's stomach is pretty small and it doesn't take much to fill up. If she doesn't eat what you fix, make sure to offer nutritous finger food to her. At 2 they like the power of being able to feed themselves.
Try to get her to sit at the table when the family eats even if she doesn't.
2006-11-08 15:45:28 · answer #9 · answered by Shalvia 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
WHAT are you teaching your daughter? If she won't eat the food you are giving her, why are you giving her snacks. If she asks for snacks, bring her dinner back out. Do it again and again and if necessary, AGAIN. If she starts throwing a tantrum, (which I'm sure she will as you are spoiling her rotten) she goes to her room. Who bosses whom in your home? If you don't get control now, what will happen when she reaches her adolescence.
2006-11-08 15:47:36 · answer #10 · answered by kiki 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋