Mealtime battles! Just eat your food!
One of the most frustrating things for me as a parent is the relationship that our girls have with food.
They love fruit. M will eat blueberries like sweets and they eat bananas, oranges and grapes in abundance.
Every Sunday we have a cooked chicken dinner with lots of veg and the girls always eat their brocolli.
So, what’s the problem you may be wondering?
Aside from Sunday dinner and their fruit eating moments, dinner time has become a battle. Mainly with R to be honest!
Breakfast is ok, but when it comes to lunch and dinner I feel like banging my head against a wall!
I always give the girls a choice of what they’d like for lunch and tea. I’d rather them decide what they want, than me telling them what they want.
Quite often the girls will choose different meals and that doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
What does bother me though is when R has one mouthful and then declares, “I’m finished!”
Uh, no! No way! You’re not finished! Put your bum back in your chair and finish your food!
The look she gives me! One of a stroppy teenager, yet she’s only four!
This happens most lunch times and dinner times.
I don’t know what it is that’s making her like this at the moment, but it’s so frustrating!
Aside from starving her in between meals I don’t know what else to do! Of course I wouldn’t starve her really! I allow them to have snacks in between meals, but not filling food and certainly only small portions. An apple, orange or small chocolate bar perhaps.
M is pretty good at eating the food, but she can be lazy and request that my husband or I help her so we have to shovel food into her mouth for her. I know we shouldn’t, but if we didn’t we’d still be sat at the dinner table two hours later with a plate full of cold food in front of us!
Surely, I’m not alone in this! These mealtime battles are starting to do my head in!
9 Comments
Yosh
May 11, 2016 at 5:32 am
Awww! Poor mommy!
I am not looking forward to that stage with my boys… One of my boys used to be a bird eater and that used to frustrate me that he used to spit everything out and he would only take cheerios for dinner… but they are both eating well now… and I really hope it lasts for a while! (They are only 15 months old, so I'm sure that teenager attitude will come once they are 3 or 4!!! lol)
Hang in there! I totally understand your frustration. I would rather give my boys snacks while I prepare for dinner than them both crying because they are hungry. So I totally get what you are going through. I am sure this is the phase. I hope it gets better soon for you. xx Happy belated Mother's Day!
(Mostly) Yummy Mummy
May 11, 2016 at 6:25 am
I think they all go through fussy stages and it only becomes a big deal if you make it one if that makes sense? I must admit that reading this, I'd be tempted to drop some of the snacking as it does look like it is affecting their appetite. They're grazing rather than eating full meals? They certainly won't starve to death but they might be better at eating their dinner! Also, personally I have never given mine a choice in what they eat. I cook one meal for the six of us. I think sometimes giving them a choice can make them picky. Besides, if I asked mine, I could guarantee that they'd ask for sausages every day! Ha!
Ally Mother Under Measure
May 11, 2016 at 6:32 am
Ah, just wrote a huge comment but deleted it like a plonker! But no, you're no alone, I have exactly the same problem as you. I've given up the battle now and just fill him up on toast before he goes to bed. X
Mellissa Williams
May 11, 2016 at 6:49 am
I think a lot of parents go through battles like this. It's difficult as you don't want to make a big fuss of it, as that is giving attention to the behaviour. If it was me I would drop the snacking between meals (drop the chocolate for sure), if she is grazing she won't be hungry at meal times. You will have lots of different advice, do what you think is best.
Hannah Latoya Bond
May 11, 2016 at 11:44 am
It's good what you're doing about snacks in between meals. Moderation is key, some parents don't bother and just let their kids eat the whole cupboard before tea x
Gemma Pearce
May 11, 2016 at 1:20 pm
I was always adamant that it was one meal for the whole family (much to the mils annoyance as she cooked seperate meals for her 4 boys!-who has time!) till my 6 year old got fussy about a year ago. Shed only eat chicken burgers. I think she got so bored of them she eventually started eating other food again but then had to have it sandwiched between 2 slices of bread. Im happy for her to do this cause surely its better then a burger a day! Shes always refused to eat meat since about 3 years old (unless it had a 'coat' on ie chicken nugget/burger or sausage-strange girl!) but recently has been trying roast chicken/beef etc. A few nights of going to bed hungry too made her try harder the next day as if she didnt try to eat her tea up i wouldnt let her have a snack. (shed always have atleast 1 thing on her plate i knew she liked)
My neice and nephew however are VERY fussy but they are allowed to snack all day on biscuits and crisps and nuggets/fishfingers chips/waffles every day for dinner…its a wonder they aint constipated!
Martyn Kitney
May 11, 2016 at 6:20 pm
James is exactly the same. He goes through phases like this and is almost 5. Once time he'll be fine the next it's 2 mouthfuls and he's full. No, you're really not.
So frustrating #bestandworst
Sarah Howe
May 11, 2016 at 7:51 pm
ooooh yes we have recently been through a "feed me" phase. I thought it was the baby coming but we seem to have got to the end of it. I have found if my girly is more hungry (and I mean no snacks) she will eat her meals a bit better. Also if she eats her food, she gets yoghurt or a small treat – not sure that incentive is the best thing but it works!! Thanks for sharing with #bestandworst and good luck x
Tas D
May 11, 2016 at 7:53 pm
Woops…I meant to say…when do they realise that food is absolutely amazing?