Meal time madness.
By bobbyjoe143
@bobbyjoe143 (1287)
March 29, 2016 3:13am CST
I am fast becoming a hater of meal times. I have 2 small children who are hard work to feed.
My almost 2 year old is the main problem here, he refuses to eat most foods, not that he doesn't like them, just that he does not want to eat. We can be sat with breakfast for 30 minutes or more, with him having eaten none or very little of what he's been given.
It makes no difference what I give him, toast, fruit, different cereals... None of it gets any excitement or enthusiasm and most of it will go to waste. It doesn't matter if I sit and eat with him, as I've tried to sit an have exactly the same as him.
This plays a toll on my almost 1 year old, not that I have any issues getting food in him though! He will eat anything (I mean literally anything, I have not come across a food he will refuse yet!), but he is such a fast eater and I have to keep plying him with food while he waits for his older brother as he gets very agitated and grumpy if he's sat in his high chair without food...
I've gotten to the point now, where 3 times a day I dread preparing food and trying to get them to eat happily... With one not wanting to eat and the other getting mad because he's finished, it's nothing but a stressful time for me and I hate it!
3 people like this
4 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
29 Mar 16
I remember a post on Facebook where an icecube tray was used at meal time. In each cube was a different type of food. The child was more apt to try the different foods when using this method. Or that is what was said anyway. Below is a link that I found for you to take a look at.
Are you looking for healthy snack and lunch ideas for kids? I’ll bet this Toddler Ice Cube Tray Buffet can do the trick! It makes for a beautiful presentation that even the pickiest young eaters can’t deny. The best part is that you can use whatever foods
1 person likes this
@bobbyjoe143 (1287)
•
29 Mar 16
That's quite an amazing idea and certainly looks fun to try. I'll have to give it a go at some point, but it can be difficult getting the time to prepare in that way when you've got two children under 2 to keep occupied and get food ready for. I may have to take them over to my mums house and feed them there so that she can look after them while I prep!
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
29 Mar 16
@bobbyjoe143 having had 4 children, mealtime was qutie an experience. However, I cooked, they ate. If they didn't eat. They got a light snack before bedtime.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
29 Mar 16
Personally I would just let the older one watch you feeding the younger one, and not offer him any food at all. That way he may get to feel that he's missing out, and he may get hungry too. Obviously you can't keep that up for too long, but it might be worth a try for a meal or two.
1 person likes this
@bobbyjoe143 (1287)
•
29 Mar 16
I've tried, he either doesn't care or wants exactly the same as his brother, who up until recently was still on the slop named baby weaning food lol! The new and current trend is, if youngest child gets mushed up banana, older child wants his mushed up too (but still might not actually eat any of it).
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
29 Mar 16
@bobbyjoe143 I feel for you, it must be very difficult.
1 person likes this
@bobbyjoe143 (1287)
•
29 Mar 16
I spoke with my health visitor about it and she isn't concerned, it just becomes such a stressful thing for me to have to wait and see if he will eat.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26245)
• Singapore
29 Mar 16
@bobbyjoe143 I feel if your are not stressed that will rub on to him too and he will be relaxed to eat normally - make him relax during meal times - siva
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
29 Mar 16
I'm afraid I would take the approach "if he gets hungry enough he will eat it." Mind you, I did NOT have this problem with mine. She loved all kinds of healthy foods.
1 person likes this
@bobbyjoe143 (1287)
•
29 Mar 16
I have tried this and it seems to do nothing, he's not bothered if I don't offer anything up or if I take the food away after a set amount of time. The problem for me with this, is that he is rather skinny and slight of frame, so I worry that if he misses out on what little he does have it could be detrimental to his health in the long run.
