Ahhh, my child was making me crazy last night. She didn't eat lunch and she wouldn't eat dinner. She wouldn't even try it. There are so few things that she will eat and it makes me crazy. I hated it when I was younger and watch kids or we had kids over who said, "I don't' like that"....about everything!!!! It is fine to have preferences or a few things you don't care for. My cousin only eats about 5 things and it makes me nuts.
I don't want my kid to be like that and it is already starting. I tried to feed her and she covered her eyes (we have not quite reached object permanence yet...I guess she thought the beans would disappear).
Where have I gone wrong? I sent her to bed with no dinner because I am not just giving her "nacks", as she says, or bread like she wants everyday. I want her to eat other things. The kid won't touch eggs...what kind of kid won't eat eggs? Things she ate last week she won't even try this week.
Am I being too hard on her? But if I go easy now will I pay for it later? Expert parents where are you? How do I fix this?
She will branch out just keep giving her a variety of foods. Sometimes it takes a gazillion tries before they figure out that they actually like it!!! I know it's frustrating but it will get better. Be persistent but don't let it be the hill you die on either. Eventually you will see her add things to her menu and you can start incorporating new ways to serve it or ways to sneak other things in. I'm praying for you!!
ReplyDeletePiper went through this too; I think it is part of their development, realizing that they can say no or resist. I read a great article on BabyCenter about not giving in and letting toddlers eat whatever they want. If you give them healthy options (read, options--Piper DID actually eat only black beans and tortillas for about two weeks straight), they will eat when they're hungry.
ReplyDeleteAlso the fact that you're worried about not having a bratty kid means she probably won't end up being spoiled rotten. You're doing a great job, woman! You are a fantastic Mama.
You guys are the best. Thank you for the advice. I needed that.
ReplyDeleteAll of my kids have gone through this at this age, Annie stayed picky for a long time. I would just give her 2-3 options, and if she didn't want any of them, I would just wait an hour or two and then she'd usually come back and eat something when she got hungry enough. When she was three she came to me with the shakes and asked for apple juice, and I realized she hadn't eaten hardly anything for a few days, so just make sure you keep track that she's still getting enough to eat, some kids are so stubborn they'll starve before they eat something they hate. She'll probably grow out of it soon as long as she knows that you are making out the menu, but she gets a choice within that parameter. It can get out of control when you turn into a short order cook, and she is "placing her order" so to speak.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing a great job! She's becoming a toddler, but the terrible twos are really fun, too! They're actually better than the threes!