Last year Caitlin ate raw clams with Tabasco sauce. This year I can't get her to eat anything. Some days I wonder how she doesn't pass out from hunger. It does explain her perpetual state of crankiness. Caitlin does eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and other healthy things but she only eats them if it is her idea. I want her to eat the same meals we are eating and not make separate food for her. Some days she even refuses to eat those too.
We have tried different approaches with very little success. We got hard core and decided she would eat what we had for dinner or she wouldn't eat. She opted to not eat 9 out of 10 times. She wasn't eating from lunch time till breakfast the next day. We did give her milk before bed since it is apart of her bedtime routine.
We have tried bribing her with trips to the ice cream store among other things. She would sometimes eat almost enough but would stubbornly stop just short. We are NOT enforcing a "clean plate club" either. We simply want her to eat something. If I say eat 2 chicken nuggets she will eat 1 1/2.
We have tried to give her a choice of two meals. (Not exactly what I want but it is closer.) She would pick a meal and still not eat it.
We have tried having her help us cook the meal. She enjoys the cooking part but still doesn't eat much.
So I'm asking, no I'm begging for help and ideas. What have you done that has worked? Is this just one of the many joys of having a 3 year old girl?
4 comments:
I think it's normal for kids at that age to just graze. I would just offer little snacks through the day, instead of planning meals for her. I mean, still have "meals" but offer snacks to ensure that she's eating enough.
Make a list of all that she likes and go from there. If you'd like to email, I'd love to go back and forth and you can bounce ideas off me.
secret agent mama at gmail dot com (take out all the spaces and add the appropriate marks)
I did a few searches a few weeks ago because Molly is doing the same thing. One thing I found is that it is common during the summer for their appetites to go down. I know that happens to me, it's so hard to think about food when I'm hot and yucky. One suggestion was to get them to eat as much in the morning as possible and then let them graze after that. Obviously trying to get them to eat dinner is great, but I've found it's just not worth the fight or the throwing food, etc.
I've got nothing... we have the same problem, as you know. Except right now all Eva wants is milk...not great with her stomach bug!
Its quite common for kids to eat everything that we prepare for them and then one day refuse all and sundry. This behaviour is normal for nearly every kid and can start from 18mths to 3 years and it lasts for a few years. One more frustration to add to our list!
I was determined not to do battle with my kids during this period and I started a blog of how I was coping.
If you would like another mums insight and some tips please have a look at yucktoyum.com.
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