Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
OK, for the empty plate rule, you have to understand (since you are pensive), we didn't have this rule either, but desperation makes you try new things. The important thing to remember is that I don't pile up 5 brussel sprouts on the plate and expect him to eat it. I will take one brussel sprout and cut it into small bites, then give him some meat and potatoes and a glass of milk. For him to get more meat or potatoes (which he always wants) he has to finish his one brussel sprout. So, I KNOW that he isn't full. Now there are exceptions, for instance, I KNOW that cooked carrots make him sick (now I get sick when I eat beets, I cannot stand them), so for him, I will give him a cold baby carrot, which doesn't make him sick. So, I am not a dictator about it, if there is an alternative, then I will allow it. But, if I didn't do this, then he would never eat veggies at all.
He even refuses pizza (I didn't think kids did this!!), but will eat breadsticks (empty carbs), he says "yes" to spaghetti then eats two bites and says all done and asks for crackers. All he wants is crackers and breadsticks and other empty carbs. Oh and cookies (yeah right kiddo).
Well, now that is our other house rule. We don't make special meals. None of our kids are forced to eat, just if they want seconds they have to finish all of their firsts. But, we don't force them to eat. But, we also do not make different food for the kids than we have. Part of that is our financial situation, we CANNOT AFFORD to make them something different. We also do not keep snack food in the house. We don't have crackers or cookies (though the occasional spoiling may occur). The only thing we keep for a snack is popcorn, and that is the popcorn that you actually have to cook, not the microwave stuff. .
We didn't used to have this problem. My son is 2 -- he will eat veggies but not enough to fill himself, and some veggies he no longer eats. He refuses to eat meat at all. ..... the main thing he wants to eat are empty carbs. So his idea of a good dinner is a small bowl of corn and a ton of crackers. Last night I made chicken and red potatos and asparagus. He said all three items were yucky without trying them. There have been times in the past we have told him that if he eats a few bites of something he doesn't like (like meat or once biscuits and gravy... not even anything that healthy, we just wanted him to try something) and he throws it back up. I can't even eat some things right now because I still remember him throwing them up. I just don't know what to do with him..... I just don't know how well such logic will work on him anyway because he is so young and there wasnt anything he wanted so theres not more for him to look forward to getting more of. He even refuses pizza (I didn't think kids did this!!), but will eat breadsticks (empty carbs), he says "yes" to spaghetti then eats two bites and says all done and asks for crackers. All he wants is crackers and breadsticks and other empty carbs. Oh and cookies (yeah right kiddo).
DD is also two and I think that for her, if she feels like she has some control of the situation, she is more likely to eat. You're a smart mama, so you might already have tried this, but DD responds well to choices. Peaches or pears? while holding a can of each--that sort of thing. Oh, and she loves, loves, LOVES snack sizes of things (sometimes I buy big sizes and break it into the small storage cups to save $$--other times I buy the cups.). I'd try to avoid the crackers, or maybe put an allotted amount in a bowl in the morning (after he asks for them), but tell him that's all for the day. He'll probably freak out the first day, but he will get the idea eventually! Will he eat whole grain pasta or bread?
He never changed his mind, went to bed hungry, woke up the next morning and the first thing he ate he puked all over the kitchen floor. I thought that meant he was sick but no other signs of sickness followed.
Yeah I've done this... the problem is he doesn't want any of the choices and will just go hungry if I only give choices that I like....
I guess I'm going to have to think this out and draw a line and hope there isn't too much puking. He has some kind of sensitive tummy...
Wow, he's really a stubborn one, huh?
We didn't used to have this problem. My son is 2 -- he will eat veggies but not enough to fill himself, and some veggies he no longer eats. He refuses to eat meat at all. ..... the main thing he wants to eat are empty carbs. So his idea of a good dinner is a small bowl of corn and a ton of crackers. Last night I made chicken and red potatos and asparagus. He said all three items were yucky without trying them. There have been times in the past we have told him that if he eats a few bites of something he doesn't like (like meat or once biscuits and gravy... not even anything that healthy, we just wanted him to try something) and he throws it back up. I can't even eat some things right now because I still remember him throwing them up. I just don't know what to do with him..... I just don't know how well such logic will work on him anyway because he is so young and there wasnt anything he wanted so theres not more for him to look forward to getting more of. He even refuses pizza (I didn't think kids did this!!), but will eat breadsticks (empty carbs), he says "yes" to spaghetti then eats two bites and says all done and asks for crackers. All he wants is crackers and breadsticks and other empty carbs. Oh and cookies (yeah right kiddo).
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?