Children who won't eat their dinner?

Question

Just wondering about the different approaches parents use when you have a child that won't his dinner, even when he's hungry. I want to teach my child to be grateful for the food we have, and also to at least be willing to try foods. As it is, he sits at the table and refuses to eat unless it's one of the few foods he likes to eat.

I refuse to serve only foods he likes just to get him to eat.

Answer 1

Just keep doing what you are doing.  My son (who is 2.5) likes to watch Dora and Diego.  So we instilled a rule that if you don't eat your dinner then you don't get to watch TV and no dessert.  It works okay.  Sometimes he eats everything and sometimes I negotiate with him to eat the important things.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

I just keep heating it up and offering it throughout the day. We eat our biggest meal of the day at lunchtime, so that's the one they don't always like (always rice and some sort of stewish thing)...I warn the older ones that this is what we've got, and that there's nothing else to eat, but at least we've got (fill in the blank here!) for dessert! If they refuse, they usually end up separated from the rest of the family, and they'll stay that way till I come back from my meal. If they haven't eaten by then, I will often sit there with them and goad them into eating it.

  Luckily, even my 15 mo. old will eat most meals!  And I know my kids well enough to know stubbornness from being sick, or just plain not liking something.

Answer 3

Remember, you're dealing with a kid. When I was a kid my mother use to tell me that I did not live in a "two pot house". Meaning she wasn't going to cook special for me. It just pissed me off. When my kid started that stuff, my wife would feed her what she liked BUT there would be no desert. Either eat what's on the menu and get desert or order ala carte and go without. When she saw the others eating desert she knew she'd screwed up. That problem was solved inside of two weeks.

Answer 4

My son is the same. I fix what he likes only. When my hubby makes dinner he won't do that so I get my son things I know he will eat (applesause, oranges, mashed potatoes, green beans) in bigger amounts. But if he just isn't hungry then he doesn't have to eat. I don't think forcing a child to eat serves any real purpose other than a parent trying to assert a feeling of authority over a child. Kids know if they are or are not hungry and should follow thier own feeling of hunger on that matter. Besides-do you typically make foods that you hate and force yourself to eat them so you will learn to be grateful for the food you have? Not likely-I would be willing to bet you fix what you like and the rest of the fam has to deal.

Answer 5

We feel the same way as you do so we use the one bite rule. The kids have to eat at least one bite of everything that is on their plate, once they have done that they can be done, but they still need to sit with the rest of the family until everyone is finished.  I also don't give them anything else that night, except maybe some more dinner.  Children usually won't let themselves starve, and they will eventually learn to eat what is given them if they want to eat.

Heather

Answer 6

I had 7 kids and they had to eat what was set in front of them as there was no alternative food,except bread and butter. If they didn't want their dinner,which was exttremely rare,they had to have bread and butter. They all learned not to be picky eaters.

Answer 7

My daughter is going through that stage too. I dont want her to go hungry so I do get her something she likes. I wont let her get away with it for ever, but since she is so young and doesnt know better I think its okay.

Answer 8

leave the plate full of food until he decides to eat (even if it takes hours), do not give him anything else.