Do you make them something else?

[MrsFabuloso]

Not sure if this is the best place for this topic?? Please move it if there's somewhere else more appropriate!

My DS is becoming a fussier and fussier eater by the day! DD is ok, she eats some stuff and generally if I offer her a food she will try it which is fine by me if she decides she doesn't like it. But DS will not even try some things. And both of them will flat out refuse some meal I make and just not eat any of it.
Recently I have made several meals and they just will not eat it or try it. Like beef stroganoff, chicken drumsticks with veg, DS even won't eat schnitzel. I try to make sure there is something on the plate they will eat. I made a ham plate last night for dinner- ham sliced off the bone, salad, potato salad, beetroot. DD ate the ham and some of the potato salad. DS threw it on the floor. Wehn I made the srtog, neither of them ate it. I served it with pasta (and veg), which they both usually love. But they wouldn't touch it. Because they have been not eating I had stated to make a sandwich or something small for them to have before bed so they're not hungry.
But I can't send them to dinner on empty tummies, right?? But then, I don't want to continue making more and more food either. I'm not terribly worried about DS as he is still bfing and has his booby before bed and sometimes through the night, but if DD doesn't eat dinner, then she' would have had nothing between about 3.30/4ish until she wakes up in the morning. I mean a sandwich isn't hard to make, but it's not all that nutritious, and I don't want them not eating dinner caue they think/know I will make them a sandwich or something. What should I do? What do you do??
TIA

[Arimeh]

Nope I'm a hard arse. If you don't eat your dinner - thats it!!

FWIW, DS hardly ever eats any dinner - but he doesn't wake up during the night for a drink or anything, just his normal time of 6/6.30 and then has a drink of milk before breakfast.

[Emma1979]

i don't make anything else.... but i'm a bit predictable and only serve her up what i know she will eat.... she eats vegies (i just give her the frozen kind), so will have brocolli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, corn etc, and then i give her something with it, like chicken, or whatever meat, or fish etc... she is often eating a different meal to us, as she doesn't eat salad (which we eat pretty much every night) and won't eat spicy foods etc.... i figure as long as she is getting meat and a reasonable variety of vegies i don't mind...

i will make the next child eat salad though from an early age, missed the boat with this one. and will also introduce a heap more of foods with the next one so i am not limited.... within reason, i make the hottest hottest meals with chilli so wouldn't subject my kids to that, hehe.

[Lulu]

I'm a bit of a hardass too.

My kids are 3 and 5, so maybe it's easier for me (so take that into account ok?) but I insist they try to food first.

I was/am a a very fussy eater and when I look back I wish my parents pushed me a little bit harder to at least try stuff. It is very successful for me. I respect if they really don't like something but more often than not they DO like what I ask them to eat.

Also, I make sure they kids watch me enjoy something. If they snub their dinner, I say - yay more for me and start picking of their plates. Lots of times they protest but they DO eat it!

Don't forget the bribes of sweets after dinner (please don't crucify me ) - you can get 3 more spoonfuls into them that way.

When they are little, I do NOT make an issue of food but when they get older I get a little bit harder...

[Laranna]

No, I don't make DS anything else. If he doesn't eat what he's given, then he doesn't get anything else. It doesn't happen very often because he loves his food, but sometimes he will just tip it off his plate or throw it on the floor and then that's that. Nothing else for him. It usually doesn't bother him either, he'll whinge for a minute and then forget about it.

[Arimeh]

Ooh Lulu reminded me of things that I do - I do steal stuff off Aricyn's plate - its amazing how much its HIS food when I start nicking it... lol

Oh - and we totally bribe him with an ice cream after dinner - but he has to eat at least 3/4 of his dinner. Tonight he actually GOT an ice cream (its rare..lol) because he ate most of his omelette (talking about that omelette maker in that other thread got me wanting one.. lol)

[CrystalBoo]

I always agonized over this too when DD was younger. Now that she is older, I tell her she can eat dinner or go to bed. Usually she chooses to get down and go to her room but is back out within a minute, climbing back up to eat.

Then, as long as she has eaten a decent amount, I give her something I know she really likes (frozen berries, yoghurt etc) If she doesn't choose to eat then she doesn't get anything else, but has about 1/3 cup milk before bed.

It's hard to be tough, even when you know you should be isn't it? Good luck!

[Curly]

DS loves helping me in the kitchen and that is getting him to at least consider eating some new foods. We get him to have at least one bite...we get a bit tough if we have to, we might let him start with a lick and then we go from there. We might tell him if he has 3 spoonfuls then he can have a yoghurt, which usually works (under sufferance). He loves his yoghurt.

I find that next time then the food isn't quite so unfamiliar and he won't kick up as much. Also helps if a new food is served up a little earlier...if he is tired he flat out refuses to eat anything at all. I also tend to talk up the food during the day "tonight we're going to have XYZ and it's going to be so yummy" just so he doesn't get a shock when I serve up something unfamiliar. I also only try one or two new foods a week max.

We've really only started getting tougher with him now that he is 3 but I was more motivated because DD is a fabulous eater and will try anything but will also only eat if she sees her brother getting the same thing and I didn't want her menu to be limited by her older brother's fussiness.

[MrsFabuloso]

(talking about that omelette maker in that other thread got me wanting one.. lol)

hahahah!!!!

[MrsFabuloso]

Thanks girls

The thing with not giving DD more food after dinner is that she will tell me she is still hungry. I sometimes keep her dinner and tell her if she's still hungry to eat that (if it's still edible). I always try to make sure there is at least one food on the plate that the kids will eat, well DD will eat anyway, because DS is becoming sooo fussy the only thing I can guarentee he'll eat is spag bol. But I usually have mashed potato/home made chips/chicken 'nuggets'/sausages/carrots.....whatever it is she likes. So at least she's eaten a little. But I want to be able to make new meals too and have them try it, at least. I guess DS is too little to expect to try stuff, and generally DD will at least lick food to 'try' it! And we usually don't do dessert, only the occaisional treat of iceream or yogurt. Maybe I will start having some 'backup' bribes in the fridge, lol! But what do I do if DD tells me she's still hungry, just insist she should have eaten dinner?
Arrrgh! It's doing my head in!!

[Emma1979]

sometimes i offer fruit if dd is hungry....
and sometimes if we have an early tea (we usually eat around 6-6.30pm, so not very early), but if say she eats early at like 5.30pm, i will offer her cheese and crackers a bit later....

its a tough one.... !!

i'm hoping dd will try more things when she is older.... i really like the idea of having cherry tomatoes and slices of cucumber and cheese in a lunch box.... i will die if she is still eating boring sandwiches well into her school age years....

[MrsFabuloso]

See, we eat early, usually about 5.30ish. Then bath and bedtime for DD is about 7/7.30. So it's reasonable that she really is hungry then. Particularly if she didn't eat dinner, and I don't feed them before dinner (after about 4ish I won't give them any food unless it's what I'm preparing for dinner, like some carrots or cucmber from a salad I'm making).
Fruit or veggies is a good idea. Or something that's dessert-ish but not too junky, like yoghurt or something....

[Softy]

I'm probably a bit naughty....I do offer something 'familiar' if I'm trying something new. DD has at the moment only 3 meals she 'likes' that I rotate and none of them have meat!! There's a risoni and 5 veg mix, scrambled egg on toast or baked beans on toast! I know even writing it down I feel terrible She did eat a beef & veg mix but has gone off it in the last few months so even if I do give it to her it's a lot of bribery...blowing bubbles, letting the cats in etc

I rang the MCHN line and was told that they 'know' what they need and will eat what they want, will tell you what they want??? So I figure I don't give her sugary treats or any junk, she eats heaps of fruit so will keep trying new things and giving her a tried and tested meal if she doesn't like it.....just got her onto flake...yay!! After making tuna rissoles several times which were no go, after 3 tests of flake she at 3/4 of a piece....after one of her fav meals! Think you have to keep giving them something it is hard though cause you do stress about it hey!! I was making cheesy rissoles, pancakes, tuna rissoles etc etc and she wouldn't eat any of it!! Oh well, we know a little boy who will only eat fetta, olives and crackers for dinner....so I guess we're not doing too bad

[ll80]

My view is kids will eat if they are hungry.
I cook what ever i feel like cooking and if the kids don't eat it then too bad, with the exception of anything hot and spicy.
My kids eat pretty much anything put in front of them, DD1 went through a stage of fussiness (around age 2) where she would eat no meat and hardly no vegetable but I persisted and she is eating well again now. Went on for many months.
If DD1 eats all her dinner then she is allowed dessert, be it yoghurt or Icecream or an icy pole piece of chocolate, cause I figure if she eats all her dinner then she is hungry.
If she doesn't eat her dinner then she knows she gets nothing else that night because she must not be hungry.
No pressure on any of us for her to eat, the rules are clear if she doesn't eat then she knows she gets nothing else.
DD2 is only a little younger than your DS but she is a great eater. It's hard at that age but if he is still BF I wouldn't worry too much just keep offering it to him. I think persistance is the key, make some rules and be consistant with them in the end they will pay off.

[*Ali*]

We are pretty tough in this house too- usually there is nothing else to eat if dinner isnt eaten, except if it is a totally new dish they have never tired before, then they are allowed to have something different if they give it a try. We dont do dessert alot, sometimes they have fruit or yoghurt after dinner, but it is random, so they can't rely on it over their dinner. I think food refusal comes in stages, DD went through it at about 2- 2 1/2 and DS is going through it now. My big thing was never to turn food into a battle, because I dont want to give my kids food issues ie. you must eat everything on your plate, it's dinner time so you must sit down and eat etc.

ETA- I have found a great way for my gettin my kids to eat there dinner is allowing htem to serve themselves, so if we are having wraps or burgers etc, I let them 'construct' their own with the ingredients on the table, and it is a winner, especially DD, so almost always finishes off her food.

[~Kim~]

We have a rule that you can't say you don't like something if mum hasn't seen you try it. Has worked so far for us, but has gotten DH eating a few things he wouldn't have tried either.

I don't make food a big deal either. I get far better results from just saying "OK well you chose - bed or dinner" than DH who makes a big deal out of them not wanting what has been prepared. DD just digs her heels in then. Far better to have a co-operative 3yo I say.

I also re-offer dinner if she has chosen not to eat it.

My kids aren't big eaters either I have discovered (much to their father's chargrin), so often if she eats half, I know that's really enough.

Darcy often also tells me she's hungry later. So am I sometimes so we have a 'supper' type offering - usually a glass of milk/yoghurt type affair. We don't do dessert here either.

[beansbeans!]

hi there;
ever since DD1 was on solisd I have had the policy that if you don't want to eat dinner, then its fruit and only fruit.
Tonight for instance, I made this yummy dinner, she was actually taste testing it for me whilst it was cooking but once it was in her plate she wouldnt eat it. So as her replacement she got fruit. Tonight she had grapes, banana, and apple.
I figure that if she doesnt want to eat what I make then she can have the healthiest things in the house. I figure at least that way shes still eating well and isnt missing out too much.

Justine

[Pinny-mum]

We too do the fruit only rule... I usually offer dinner with a few things that I know DD eats and there is no pressure to eat, encouragment but she is not forced to eat anything she doesn't like, I always offer new things too, but if she doesn't eat dinner then there is only fruit... seems to work well in our house, and you know they are not going to bed hungry.