You can lead a toddler to food, but you can't make him eat
My son is a good eater.
Except when he's not.
Some days, he will chow down everything on his plate, and I gladly give him seconds, plus dessert (usually a graham cracker or a little whipped cream).
Other days, he'll eat something the size of a button and declare the end of his meal by pushing away his dish -- or, most likely, dumping it on the floor.
Like today for breakfast. I gave my son some fresh, delicious blackberries and a mix of his favorite cereals.
He flung his plate like a Frisbee. (GRRRR!)
At lunch, I served up dainty pieces of turkey, some home-cooked pasta and peas. Surely by now he'd be hungry because he hadn't had a decent meal since dinner last night. Right?
My son tucked a few handfuls of lunch into his mouth and waved away the rest.
After his nap, I cut up a sweet organic apple for a snack.
And do you know where I found him?
Hoovering up a few little pieces of cereal I missed cleaning up (from breakfast), which had by now stuck to the table.
I can't win.
And some day, maybe I will find out why he turns away from actual, real food (his favorites, no less!), but find a stick on the ground and start gnawing on it.
Except when he's not.
Some days, he will chow down everything on his plate, and I gladly give him seconds, plus dessert (usually a graham cracker or a little whipped cream).
Other days, he'll eat something the size of a button and declare the end of his meal by pushing away his dish -- or, most likely, dumping it on the floor.
Like today for breakfast. I gave my son some fresh, delicious blackberries and a mix of his favorite cereals.
He flung his plate like a Frisbee. (GRRRR!)
At lunch, I served up dainty pieces of turkey, some home-cooked pasta and peas. Surely by now he'd be hungry because he hadn't had a decent meal since dinner last night. Right?
My son tucked a few handfuls of lunch into his mouth and waved away the rest.
After his nap, I cut up a sweet organic apple for a snack.
And do you know where I found him?
Hoovering up a few little pieces of cereal I missed cleaning up (from breakfast), which had by now stuck to the table.
I can't win.
And some day, maybe I will find out why he turns away from actual, real food (his favorites, no less!), but find a stick on the ground and start gnawing on it.
Labels: Food and eating, Man-cub
posted by Holly at Tropic of Mom at 4:12 PM
For Local Blog
3 Comments:
I think it's a toddler thing. My 19 month is doing the same thing. Nibbles at breakfast, ignores lunch, and then is super hungry at dinner where before she always ate great at every meal.
Oh, this sounds exactly like Max. It's a PITA to deal with. What works with me (personally, as I'm the one who's bothered by this!) is that I remind myself that if he's hungry, he'll ask for food; and when he eats everything, I give him a decent amount of praise.
As for the plate flinging - that's a sign that mealtime's over! lol If he does that, I take the plate away and tell he can eat later, when he's able to sit properly and eat.
It does nothing for the screaming and crying that follows, but at least I feel like I did my part!
Mines the same way. Typically a good eater but then sometimes he's not. Or he'll eat something ALL THE TIME and then all of the sudden he doesn't want it anymore.
Now that I think about it though he comes by that honestly cause his mama is the exact same way. :)
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