I have tried every trick in the book to allow my little girl to eat a meal. We have tried meal prep, tv dinners and we allways sit a table with the rest of the family, since day one. If enyone can help please, all we get is, i don't like, my legs hurt or i'm not hungrey. Our little girl loves easy food and i feel she hates sitting. Wiether this is down to her condition i don't know?????
2007-07-25 07:02:44 · 4 answers · asked by clairebear76@btinternet.com 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
The rules for a disabled child need to be as close to the rules for other kids as possible. After making sure her chair is not making her uncomfortable explain that she may only eat at the table with everyone else. You may have to allow a little bit of walking around, but not with food. When dinner is over, it's over and she doesn't get a snack unless the entire family is having one. If she leaves the table because she is finished let her go but make sure she does something quiet so as not to disturb everyone else. I have yet to see a three year old starve herself. By the way, I'd check with her rheumatologist to see if sitting can make her uncomfortable. She may need a different kind of chair.
2007-07-25 10:40:46 · answer #1 · answered by EC Expert 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At this age it could just be a fussy eater or it could be her arthritis, but I would guess it is a combination of factors. Make sure that she doesn't have any snacks or anything before dinner, at least two to two and a half hours before dinner. Try to let her help out with meal prep and then maybe have her call everyone to the table. Make sure that her plate is already made and in front of her and that she is the last person to be seated at the table. You should expect about a 15minute attention span for her age. Be enthusiastic about eating and encourage every bite she takes. Lots of praise. When she is finished, let her down. You can't expect her to sit still while everyone else finishes, she just doesn't have the attention span for that yet.
And the most important thing you can do is to not make this a battle between the two of you. You don't want her to dread meal time or every meal will start off on a bad note.
2007-07-25 07:13:50 · answer #2 · answered by jilldaniel_wv 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She's old enough to know that if she complains about her legs hurting, you'll believe her. That may be what's going on here.
Keep the arthritis a separate issue, sit her down at meal time (no TV!!) and make it clear she will eat with the family or not at all.
2007-07-25 07:07:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that this is pretty normal 3 year old behavior. My daughter did it to. To help with the problem, we only allow eating at the table, and if she does not finish her meal we wrap her entire plate and stick it in the refrigerator in case she complains that she is hungry later. We also make her ask to be excused from the table. When she is excused, she has to leave the room and go play quietly somewhere else so the rest of us can finish our dinner in peace. She is now 4 and although far from perfect, she usually makes it through 15-20 minutes for a meal.
2007-07-25 07:17:22 · answer #4 · answered by Wilmavimom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you leave food in front of her and she refuses to eat it make her sit there for awhile and maybe walk away. She is making the choice to eat or not. If she chooses not to eat then take her food away, save it if you can and put it in front of her at her next meal. She will get hungary enough to eat and then she will realize that she has to eat the food you give her. All kids like simple food, but if you give in and give her what she wants she will never eat anything else. She will just throw a fit whenever she doesn't get the food she wants
2007-07-25 07:09:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋