I dread dinner time some nights. I know they say to not make the dinner table a battle field, but what if I'm not picking the fights? Haley got mad at me tonight for laughing at her while she was crying over eating her dinner. (Heaven forbid) I was making her eat 5 more healthy bites of her food and then she cried, "I could make better food than this!" Oh dear, the agony! I had to quickly turn toward Dylan and tell her that I was laughing at him instead of her. Then she had to apologize, of course, for such a rude remark.
IT GETS BETTER! Our compromise was that I would give her a bite, then she could get her own bite, etc. and she wasn't looking when I put veggies on her spoon instead of the main course (which she was complaining about) and started making these gagging sounds after I put it in her mouth. I then told her that it was the mixed veggies that was in her bite. And she perked up, sat up, started chewing, and said, "Thanks mom!" The big faker!! She thought I gave her the main dish. THEN the next bite I gave her the main dish and she started chewing, looked at me, swallowed and said, "That wasn't veggies, huh?" I shook my head and she said, "I guess it isn't THAT bad. Just like Green Eggs and Ham, huh mom?"
Maleia just sits there with a bite in her mouth for many minutes and won't swallow. What do you do? Dinner takes an hour most nights. . .
The KH Shadow Puppet Shows
6 years ago
Woman, I am feeling you on this one. Dinner is exhausting for us. Thank goodness we have one kid (Kate) who will eat ANYTHING!
ReplyDeletePS You are a total sneaky mommy! Nice!
I read somewhere (on your blog, as I type it ) that the whole dinner-not-being-a-battlefield part comes after baptism. So let it be written, so let it be done!
ReplyDeleteMy girls all used to be very picky eaters! Until I read a book on parenting that said mealtime should not last more than 20 minutes. Believe it or not, a child up to four will not starve even if all they eat is 2 tablespoons of food. We set a timer and dinner was over when it buzzed. No snacks were offered if they did not make an honest effort to eat their food. Snack time was 10 minutes with a timer. Soon, the kids all started eating even when it was not their favorites. They knew the rule to eat or just be hungry. Now my kids will eat almost anything. If we trend back to the old habit of an hour for meals, I grab the trusty timer and they eat. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSo funny! I love reading blogs in the morning, they're such a happy way to start the day.
ReplyDeleteWhen you figure this one out, let me know! Katelyn, only 2.5, simply won't eat anything I offer her! Chicken nuggets and pbj's is about all she eats. I need some help too.. but thanks for the laugh as i read this post! I'm sure it's just a stage like they all say
ReplyDeleteI stood firm on "just one bite" of whatever was on their plate, and I know more than once that bite was actually given to the dog/cat/dining room floor. Again, keep trying, but just remember that your relationship with your kids is a WHOLE lot more important that if they eat their veggies (honest, I grew up on fast food and somehow survived).
ReplyDeleteBut moms the world over salute your valient efforts!
Isn't being a grown up great because we really don't have to eat things we don't like. Maybe you should sign Haley up for an acting class!
ReplyDelete