If your children don't eat what you cook for dinner...

Bettyboop

do you cook an althernative, offer a sandwich with fruit or yogurt or do you send them to bed without having dinner?

My daughter has been playing up a lot lately. I admit I'm not the best cook in the world but even if I have tried my very best and think my food tastes nice she tells me that it's disgusting and she's not eating it!

When she has done this before I just take her to bath and then send her to bed without something different to eat or a story before bed. I felt dreadful and tonight she did the same thing.

What is the best way of handling this? Sticker charts and the like don't work.

skintchick

I don;t have children yet but I'd do the same as you. I assume she eats in the day? So she isn't starving?

Stephb1986_2

When I was a kid my mum use to make me sit there till i ate it failing that she would sit me in the bath and put it over my head! It only happened the once!

Steph xx

manda1205

Steph ^ LOL

I have a similar prob with DD, I do the same as you and she has nothing! I know shes just playing up cos its food that she would normally wolf down, so I just say if you dont eat it it goes in the bin and no yoghurt. If she really wont eat it she'll go to bed with nothing, sometimes she will eat it though. No real pattern. But she eats well at breakfast and lunch so Im never that worried about it! The second you give in and give them something different, they've won and they'll just carry on running rings around you, and it wont just be with eating dinner! Tough love I know!

fernliebee

Sounds like your doing the right thing. Food is really the only power children have so it is common for them to try it on from time to time. If you stick to your gun's she will learn that it is up to her if she wants to be hungry. Don't play into a power struggle as ultimately it will only lead to an upset mummy and child
When we were children we weren't forced to eat our dinner but we didn't get anything else instead, and we had to sit up at the table until the others had finished. This stops the children who just get bored of eating because they want to be playing instead. If they know they have to sit there regardless they may as well eat something- but it may take a while for them to realise this!

Milford_Cubicle

It's going to have to be the tough love approach. Tell her "You upset mummy when you say things like that, so I'm going to put you to bed without any dinner"

Make no fuss when you do it, just be very firm and make sure she knows she's upset you.

Then, the next day just carry on as normal. If she does it again, do the same thing again. She'll work it out eventually. I'm guessing she's around three or four? It's a phase (yes, the dreaded 'P' word!) and they all go through it. She'll not starve and I absolutely wouldn't offer an alternative. If it's something she's eaten before or you know she likes, then there's no excuse. If it's a new thing, then you need to encourage her to politely tell you that although she's tried it, she doesn't like it.

Reinforce good behaviour, ignore bad!

MrsE_2

I agree with above, don't let it become an issue.

If she doesn't eat it, take it away, throw it in the bin & she will eat the next meal.

MrsTinks

I think I'd react differently to "I don't like it, please can I have something else?" than I would to "It's disgusting and I'm not eating it!"...
The I don't like school would get an alternative and asked what it is about it she doesn't like? Try and work on finding something that you all like.
The disgusting school of thought would get sent to bed, if nothing else to think about what she had said!
When I was a kid we ate what was served - if we didn't we went hungry - simple as... Mum couldn't afford to serve several meals we didn't have that kind of money! Her idea of luxury was sweet and sour uncle bens chicken thingy... and I HATED it I would have had a sandwich by choice any day but I knew that that was dinner and that was all there was... end of

Bettyboop

Sorry I forgot to tell you the little monkey is 5.

Stephb1986_2

manda1205 wrote: »

Steph ^ LOL

You think im joking?? Im not honest lol. We wasn't well off or anything and my mum had two feed and clothe me and my brother on a single parents part time wage so it was tough.

Tough love is the only way to do it. I know my fellas sisters daughter is fussy at eating she wont have the same as her brother and sister, dont know why!

But she just goes along with it!

Steph xx

manda1205

Stephb1986 wrote: »

You think im joking?? Im not honest lol. We wasn't well off or anything and my mum had two feed and clothe me and my brother on a single parents part time wage so it was tough.

Tough love is the only way to do it. I know my fellas sisters daughter is fussy at eating she wont have the same as her brother and sister, dont know why!

But she just goes along with it!

Steph xx

No didnt think you were joking, just it made me chuckle.
My DD wouldnt take her clothes off to get in the bath, and was really having a tantrum about it, so I put her in the bath with her clothes on, she hasnt done it agian either! :rolleyes: