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Refusing to eat meals - please help!!!
Hi ladies, I'm hoping that you may be able to offer me some advice or at least reassure me that I'm not alone!
My ds has always had a good appetite, not a fussy eater as such and always preferred proper home-cooked meals over snacky foods or packed lunch type foods...anyway for the last few weeks he has been turning his nose up at a lot of the meals he used to love. For the last week or two, he has started refusing point blank to eat any meals, esp his dinner and he has been going to bed with no dinner (he has milk before bed so doesnt starve) as I refuse to offer him alternatives or snacks if he wont eat his meals.
I have tried a number of things - cutting out all snacks after 2pm so that he is hungry come dinnertime, ignoring the behaviour and acting like it doesnt matter if he eats or not (even though I am angry inside!!!), telling him off, eating at the table with him etc etc etc but nothing I do makes any difference. He simply says "no dinner" or "I not" to me when I offer him meals/sit him at the table. It is driving me nuts - I am trying not to make a big deal out of it and just let him go play rather than trying to force him to eat but I am getting so cross with him. My hormones (I'm 33 weeks pregnant) are making me think that he is rejecting my cooking and my parenting
Anyone else have any ideas for how I can get him to eat again without making mealtimes into a massive battle ground? I am dreading xmas as I know that he will be spoilt by our families and will prob end up eating all sorts of rubbish at odd times of day and i am terrified of the prospect of trying to get him back into good habits again in the new year once everyone back to work and before new baby arrives.
Forgot to mention he is 2 and half yrs xxx
My ds has always had a good appetite, not a fussy eater as such and always preferred proper home-cooked meals over snacky foods or packed lunch type foods...anyway for the last few weeks he has been turning his nose up at a lot of the meals he used to love. For the last week or two, he has started refusing point blank to eat any meals, esp his dinner and he has been going to bed with no dinner (he has milk before bed so doesnt starve) as I refuse to offer him alternatives or snacks if he wont eat his meals.
I have tried a number of things - cutting out all snacks after 2pm so that he is hungry come dinnertime, ignoring the behaviour and acting like it doesnt matter if he eats or not (even though I am angry inside!!!), telling him off, eating at the table with him etc etc etc but nothing I do makes any difference. He simply says "no dinner" or "I not" to me when I offer him meals/sit him at the table. It is driving me nuts - I am trying not to make a big deal out of it and just let him go play rather than trying to force him to eat but I am getting so cross with him. My hormones (I'm 33 weeks pregnant) are making me think that he is rejecting my cooking and my parenting
Anyone else have any ideas for how I can get him to eat again without making mealtimes into a massive battle ground? I am dreading xmas as I know that he will be spoilt by our families and will prob end up eating all sorts of rubbish at odd times of day and i am terrified of the prospect of trying to get him back into good habits again in the new year once everyone back to work and before new baby arrives.
Forgot to mention he is 2 and half yrs xxx
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Replies
I really know how you feel - I could have written this post myself so want to reassure you that you aren't alone. My DD (will be 2 on 5th Jan) has hardly eaten a thing over the weekend. I have always had quite firm rules, in that you eat what you are given or you don't eat, no snacks if you haven't eaten your meal, and you have to eat a reasonable amount to get a yoghurt/fruit pot afterwards. She has always had home cooked meals, and is also not overly keen on sandwiches etc but lately she is refusing everything. I even offered her Thomas Tank shaped pasta at the weekend and that didn't work! I have also tried sitting down with her, or just sitting with my meal and hoping that she will come and ask for some from my plate but nothing. I get her down from the table, as she pushes her food away and tells me 'finished' and she goes off to play. After she had missed almost a whole day of meals (breakfast, lunch and tea) I did start to be a little concerned but keep repeating 'they won't starve themselves' which offers me some comfort but is no good when she is crying in the night because she is hungry (I think!). My one comfort is that she seems to eat brilliantly at the childminder the 4 days she is there (for breakfast, lucnh and tea) and eats fruit (if I offer it to her at home you would think I am trying to kill her). I don't know why she is like this as I have never given her biscuits/chocolates or lots of snacks. My concern is that when I pick her up this Thursday, thats it at the CM until the 4th Jan - thats a long time for her not to eat! I just hope that she will give in.
I try not to make mealtimes a big deal and force her to eat and for now I think thats all I can do.
So, I'm sorry for rambling and hijacking hun but I just wanted you to know that I totally understand how you feel and I hope someone can help!
Nik 14+2