We have a variety of dishes each night but we have the hardest time trying to get him to eat.
2007-02-28 01:23:01 · 9 answers · asked by s62212000 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
I have 5 children, I know first hand what you are going thru. Limit the variety of dishes you offer. Think of it this way, if you go to a buffet, the variety of dishes in front of you makes for a difficult decision. Your child has that same mentality. Include your child in your meal preparations, they may be small things for them to do (wash the carrots, place the rolls in the dish, etc.) this will give them a sense of involvement. I would also suggest that you sit down with your child and prepare a menu for the week. Let them decide on the vegetable one night, the main dish the other (give them choices ahead of time), but be prepared to eat what they suggest as you will be teaching them that you eat what you are given. Keep this posted on your refrigerator at their level, maybe put pictures up of the meals for that night. I have found that by getting my children involved in the planning and preparation, the overall meal experience flows better. On another note, remember your stomach is the size of your fist, so imagine how much smaller your childs stomach is, smaller portions will also help as they will see themselves finishing what is in front of them. Do not bribe them with cookies or ice cream after. All in all, do not worry....your child will eat when they are hungry, but if you limit their snacking to earlier times and leave time for them to build their appetite back up for dinner you may ultimately succeed... dont worry though, it is a learning process for everyone, but you are ultimately setting the tone for their habits they carry on thru life.
2007-02-28 01:44:50 · answer #1 · answered by Shawna B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does he eat a decent breakfast and/or lunch? If so, I wouldn't worry so much about it. If he's hungry he will eat. Just make sure he knows THAT is the time to eat his dinner. Ask him ahead of time if there is something that he would like for dinner. If it is cereal, give it to him. He may not yet like some of the adult food you serve. Also if he refuses to eat at dinner don't reward him by giving him a snack he likes before he goes to bed because you are worried he will be hungry. A tiny bit of hunger at bed time is harmless and may make him realize that he needs to try to eat at dinner. Good luck!
2007-02-28 09:42:39 · answer #2 · answered by AKA FrogButt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son went through this phase at about the same time and I did what my grandmother told me - I let him go hungry. By the end of the meal he was eating what we were eating and he's been a very good eater ever since. Obviously you don't want to take this to extremes. We have a rule, if he eats a meal once that we make and he doesn't like it we won't make the meal again.
2007-02-28 09:33:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
make the food look like something, ie pankakes can have berry eyes and smiles, broccoli can be trees, get creative... tell a story using the food as characters and your child as the giant who eats all the characters... If your child likes cheese add cheese to the foods he doesn't like, make a big deal when he eats something he doesn't really want to.... I had this problem with my daughter she is now 7 and still picky but knows that she has to atleast try everything that is on her plate, she is finding that things she didn't like she now does, or some veggies she doesn't care for she can handle with a little parm. cheese...
2007-02-28 09:34:04 · answer #4 · answered by B-E-B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh, that's an easy one. Fix a plate for him and set it down in front of him. When he gets hungry, he eats. Don't give him snacks between meals or in the evening unless he eats his dinner.
2007-02-28 09:56:55 · answer #5 · answered by spelling nazi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with "kelly" ...however go one step further.
let him help prepare / choose the dinner...but also...make sure that it is healthy food!
i made this mistake with my first child of letting him eat what he wants (pasta, pizza, etc). i cannot get a veggie or fruit in him without tricking him now.
my little guy i taught to eat right from the beginning...at 3 you can still get them to add some green peppers or onions in their spaghetti sauce...or to add a tomato to their grilled cheese. even fruit in the jello (which..makes me cringe personally..but its not about me is it? *smile)
maybe even make a chart with a rainbow on it and get him some stickers with foods on them. let him put a sticker on each color food he eats that day. (red-apple, orange, yellow (banana, squash), green-brocolli, pear, blue-blueberry waffles, violet-grapes)
challenge him and you to eat a rainbow every day if he eats his rainbow at the end of the week maybe he can make a badge to wear or get a treat.
at three he may think this is fun!
gooooooooooooood LUCK!
2007-02-28 09:37:19 · answer #6 · answered by foxinsox 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
let him help make dinner, or decide what he wants for dinner once a week. make it HIS day to pick like every monday or something. you can also go to kraftfoods.com, they have tons of healthy recipes from beverages to full course meals and some just for kids!
2007-02-28 10:49:51 · answer #7 · answered by jane 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let them help you make the dinner, because then they feel like I made this!
2007-02-28 09:32:37 · answer #8 · answered by Jazzi 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had this problem with one of my five children, solved it by letting her help prepare the food.
2007-02-28 09:27:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋