Won't Eat

[TwinMama]

What do you do if one of the kids won't eat unless it's something specific. I've got one 8 year old girl that will only eat a few things. Mom and Dad encourage this by having plain spaghetti noodles on hand and the rest of the family eats tacos or something else. It's ridiculous.

She doesn't complain, and I require her to take a bite to try whatever I've made..

Should I just go about my business as usual and if she eats fine, but if she doesn't then that's fine too?

[Alwaysgreener]

Yes just keep what you're doing what you're doing. I watched some documentary based in England about a decade ago. They had children taste the same vegetable 3 days in a row by the third day they liked it better than the first.

[Cat Herder]

It is against regulations to require children to eat anything, here. I think it may be a federal food program rule as well. I serve the meal, allow 15-20 minutes, then take up plates. They are allowed to leave the table when they are finished eating, even if they have not taken one bite. Unless they ask for seconds, I do not even note what they ate. Meal times are relaxed and stress free.

[Jo123abc]

Yup, I offer the food and go about my business. Not much you can do otherwise!

[Valerie928]

Same, I don't fuss over meals.

[Gemma]

Same here, I offer the food and the kids decide if, what, and how much to eat

[Blackcat31]

99% of food issues arent about food.
I have a 5 yr old that hasnt eaten a single bite of anything here in almost 6 months.
I serve. He eats or doesn't. Not my issue.
I don't require them to even taste anything.
Eat or don't. No bribes, no treats, no special anything.
I will not engage in any type of food struggle.
I serve well balanced meals and snacks that are kid friendly.
Eat or don't.

[e.j.]

When the kids ask what I'm serving for lunch, I tell them I'm serving "Eat It or Don't". I will substitute foods if there's a legitimate reason. (I don't serve my 1.5 year old oranges or pineapples because citrus foods give her a terrible diaper rash. Until she grows out of it, I will substitute those foods with something she can eat instead.) Otherwise they get to choose to eat what I'm serving or not. Next meal is in about 2 hours; they won't starve.

[GirlMomma]

For my own kids, my oldest was almost 5 before I stopped making chicken nuggets for her... then it was time for her to eat what we made. Our youngest will thankfully eat anything.

For daycare, I serve well-balanced, kid friendly foods and the kids eat or don’t. I encourage them to try it or remind them they like it. I don’t normally have issues, thankfully!

I just had this come up today. DCB is 3 and he usually only eats here for me, doesn’t eat at home unless his parents make him something special. I served grilled cheese today, he ate everything but the grilled cheese. We’ve had it before, I reminded him that we’ve had it before and he likes it. He took small bites. I finally told him to try and take big bites. Next thing you know, he ate the whole thing & napped the entire time during nap time.

[flying_babyb]

center here! Same process, either you eat or you dont, your choice. If you refuse to eat snack, you dont get more food till you go home with your parents. (snack is 3 we close at 5). Today I had a child who normally eats who said he didnt want snack, reminded him of the rule, asked again, he said no. By 4 he was whining he was hungry. He told me that he would awalys eat snack now, cause hungry sucks! when mom showed up, he told her the rule and said he was SO hungry. she laughed and said "you'll eat snack now wont ya!"

[CeriBear]

Same here. I serve what is required and if they don’t eat there us not much I can do. It’s against health department regulations to force food or drink.

[Annalee]

Food is all about the 'mood'. You could have the same thing on consecutive days and the kids eat it one day and not the next.

[TwinMama]

I just have to get in that mindset that I don't have to make the same things constantly just because I know they'll eat it. If they don't eat then that's on them.