I totally agree with your approach Beckles, though personally I would not have left the meal available after meal time had finished.

Angus is having a throw food on the floor phase atm. It's so frustrating to see him tip a whole bowl of food on the floor without tasting it when you've been very careful to only give him something you're sure he likes.

The thing is, little kids don't like foods mixed together and don't like it hot. We were confused the other day when we were in a cafe and he threw hot chips on the floor, when we knew he loved them and had just been eating them. But we'd just got a fresh plate. Once they'd gone cold he wanted them. Yesterday DH was surprised that he refused lovingly made banana sandwiches. But he'd eat a plain piece of wholemeal bread and plain pieces of banana.

The thing is, at the moment it doesn't really matter if he eats nothing but vegemite sandwiches, milk and bananas.

My older girls are good eaters and like veggies, and I've never forced them to eat. I am pretty strict though, and if they don't eat at meal time, they don't get to go have a bowl of cereal an hour later or have dessert. With little kids though, if everyone's having desert you can't really enforce this all the time. We often have our desert after Angus has gone to bed at the moment.

They'll never starve themselves, so I totally agree that it's best never to make them eat or make a big deal out of it. Just make good food available to them and try not to worry.

Oh, another thing, they go through stages of eating like birds and eating everything in sight. I'm convinced it's related to their growth spurts. Also, I think it's good to judge portions as best you can, and never make them finish everything on their plate if they say they're full, as I think that can lead to overeating issues later in life. I do tell the older girls though that if they can't eat it all, do have the meat & veggies & leave some of the carbs ie spuds or rice or whatever if it's too much.