When your kids won't eat what you make.

[Teeki]

Lol exactly wysiwyg. DS is tired and cranky by 6, DD needs bed by 7. If I'm late and get home at 6, DS is already going a little troppo, we've gotta do dinner, shower everyone (DS showers with me then DD with DH), then I feed DS to sleep while DD has down time. But it doesn't all fit in!

[onthefly]

We eat dinner at 4:30~5. DS takes forever to eat, but he just comes and goes till it's done. sitting there and doing it all in one go would drive us all mad. I'm not sure how we'd manage it if I was working as well and we had no choice but to start later....
If kids are hungry they will eat. If they don't eat dinner, it's most likely because they've actually eaten enough earlier in the day.
We used to do the cajoling, the encouraging, the bribing and offering alternatives to DS when he was younger and it became a nightmare.
They get supper if they've finished their dinner (ie, if they're actually still hungry). We no longer make any kind of deal about meals at all. This is it, you eat it. Don't want it? OK.

[OceanPrincess]

Can you forgo the showers on work nights Teeki?

[wysiwyg]

Can you forgo the showers on work nights Teeki?

Yes we don't do baths or showers on work nights ever.

[Abigailll]

I don't do anything except when I think they are starving and really can't eat what I cooked. I would never force them to eat it but I also don't want them to go to bed starving. So they get a slice of bread instead if they want to.

[Marley&Me]

I am just wondering...is 18 months too young to understand :eat what you get or starve"? I definitely don't want her to develop bad eating habits. But I am having this problem most nights and it's driving me nuts. But I feel she doesn't quite understand yet.