How do you make a 4 year old eat his food and behave at the dinner table?

Question

I've been noticing that he deliberately tries to tick me off and pull a big fuss at meal time. He's a picky eater and will not eat something if he doesn't like it. He overwhelms himself to the point where he makes himself sick..any ideas?

-Doesn't matter what it is he just tells you he's not eating it...nothing new same food he seems to enjoy

Answer 1

Well, you could try hiding it in some food he likes. For example you could put a veggie (corn, carrots, broccoli, etc.) in one of his favorite dishes, like Mac N' Cheese.

You could try rewarding him for eating so much of whatever it he's not eating. For example, if he takes 5 bites of carrots, he gets a new toy car, and if he gets 10 bites, you get to go out to Dairy Queen, or something.

You say he tries to make you mad, so just act like it doesn't bother you. Don't start yelling at him, and being crazy. Just be firm. "Johnny, you eat your carrots now, or you won't be able to (fill in the blank)." Make sure you look him directly in the eye and have a strong firm voice when you say it, so he knows you're serious. Just don't get carried away with it and start yelling at him and telling him off.

I'm not a big fan of threatening, but if he gets to be too squirrely, I would try and say, "If you don't start behaving, you'll go to your room for the rest of the night without any dinner at all. Is that clear?"

Maybe also what would help is if you had him help you prepare the meal, so he takes some pride in his work and will enjoy eating what he created. For example, you could have Hamburger Helper with corn (or something). Something easy to prepare that he would somewhat like. He'll be so proud of what he made, he'll love showing it off to the family and eating it.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your little boy!

Answer 2

i'm a extraordinarily liberal discern and that i comprehend that not all human beings concurs with this, yet while it have been me i might supply up attempting to rigidity him. he will ultimately get hungry adequate to consume on his very own. perchance make beneficial there are some unquestionably handy issues interior the refrigerator in case he would not choose you to be sure him eating for some reason. Or tell him while he's waiting you will possibly be able to make him a PB&J. i might permit him consume each and all of the healthful snacks he needs, yet no junk, so he would not turn this into an hazard to consume cookies and chips. My son is two and has days the place he quite eats all day, and that i'm getting desperate; i can not think of how i might experience if he boycotted dinner for days! stable success. :)

Answer 3

Another fun phase, mom. Let's see if I can help.
Firstly, he will not starve. You can't make a 4 year old eat what they don't want to eat. Don't waste time yelling or punishing him because it won't work and you will lose the battle. Give him tiny bits of food on his plate and praise him when he eats it. If he asks for more of a certain food, let him have it. Mix some of the food up, sometimes they like the combination. Lower intake of sugars and sugar drinks.
His likes and dislikes will keep changing. Don't worry. His body will tell him what he needs. Give him a vitamin tab every day.

Answer 4

I got my child to mind when she did that by turning her around at the dinner table, chair and all, and telling her that her actions were very rude, and that she was disrupting the family so she didn't deserve to belong with the family. She wasn't allowed to eat or to talk until she could act properly. When she could she could turn herself around and rejoin us. We made a point to laugh and talk about all kinds of things so she'd feel jealous at being left out. Low and behold she'd calm down and turn herself around. Also making her sit there without eating but not being allowed to be excused from the table until the rest of us were done eating helped as well. Also, no snacks at least 2 hours before dinner, and no making of other foods to keep her from being hungry after dinner either. No desert without eating her foods on her plate. All I ask is that they try everything 3 times at 3 different meals to ensure they don't like a food item. After that I won't make them eat it but they DO have to eat and they DO have to behave or they get turned around and not allowed to have fun with the rest of us. CONSISTENCY is key here. It worked for my girls!

Answer 5

Set a timer. Let him know how much time he has and give him time reminders. Once the timer goes off, the meal is over. He gets no snacks, no desserts, etc. until the next meal. He's old enough to try new things--my niece used to make herself sick and then said, "I must be allergic--I threw up." Really, she either gagged herself or spit it out and said she threw up. The rule is one bite and you can't leave the table until the timer goes off. She's offered the same bite the next meal. Good luck!

Answer 6

sometimes with kids you gotta try different things till you find something that works...
this is what I suggest trying: give it no attention. If he says he doesnt want to eat, say "ok". ignore the fussing unless its too much to ignore then tell him to leave the table. give him extra attention if you can before dinner. Let him help getting it ready, set the table and give extra praise for doing such a great job. If he is doing it deliberatley he is trying to get your attention. so maybe he is needing some extra love from you.
Good luck.

Answer 7

Very easy. 3 meals a day. No snacks. If he is not finnished in 15 minutes, let him leave the table. No snacks till next meal.
Write down everything he eats now in the course of a day.

Answer 8

somehow you've spent the last four years teaching him what he can and cannot do. at this rate, picture him in 12 years. I am serious about you getting some kind of help with your toddler. read, read, read. Get access to a professional if possible, as it's your kid's future. if not, try to recall these words when the time comes.

Answer 9

Don't force it on him if he doesn't like it.