When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

....do you let them have a snack later if they ask?
DS isn't the worst eater, but at times isn't the best....tonight at 5 he refused any dinner (He always eats at 5) At 6:15 he said he was hungry. I gave him a banana, he ate the whole thing, so then had a half of a mini bagel with a slice of cheese.
As I am typing this, I am realizing I wouldn't deny him if he said he was hungry, just wondering how others handle this. Do you offer dinner food again or something different?

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

I re-offer dinner, but nothing else. It's only happened once or twice and she learned to eat what I make or forever hold her piece.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

I do exactly what you do. Usually he eats with us without a problem...I find it's the daycare dinner he won't eat. As we drive home I let him have a snack and when we get home if he asks for something to eat I will make a little something for him.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

If for some reason Sabrina doesn't eat what I prepare, I allow her to have yogurt or cereal. I won't cook something new, but I won't deprive her. The only one to suffer would be me when she wouldn't fall asleep or wake up in the middle of night because she was hungry.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

DS is very picky, and eats a limited array of foods. So on any given night, there is usually something on his plate that he won't eat. It's not that he isn't hungry, but he will not eat certain things.

When he's a bit older, I probably will insist he eat what he is given, but he's not quite 2, and a skinny kid. So I usually give him a piece of cheese or something easy in place of the food he won't eat.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

No, if they don't eat the dinner, that's it. They know they get nothing else.

Tonight, DD didn't eat her dinner (we had grilled cheese and soup). I have no idea why, she was more content in playing with her milk I know she eats it, so I left it for her on the table. Now its bed time and she gave no indication she was hungry. So off to bed she goes.

Mean mommy, huh?

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

I will offer her a piece of fruit or a mini bagel or something like that if she doesnt eat dinner.

she is a picky eater and theres not a lot she does eat without a fight.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

I don't really worry about it. If she asks for something later on, I'll give it to her (as it's usually cheese or fruit).

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

I'd love to say that he eats what i make and that's it. But... jacen has always been such a bad nighttime sleeper. So him eating a good amount before bed is definitely key.

So we offer something else for dinner. No snacks afterwards though. He's 16 months and i figure when he's a tad older, we can be stricter about dinner.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

Ryan used to be an amazing eater. Would eat anything, any time, no question. Lately he is starting to become difficult.

But, I am a mom, not a short order cook. So, if he doesn't eat what I make for dinner the first time around and show signs he is hungry later I offer the same meal again. Maybe I am being a bit strict for my 16 month old. But, my sister has 3 children 2 of which are REALLY difficult eaters. I know its because they caved for so long. I have learned from them and won't go down the same road.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

nope, no dinner, no snack

sometimes, she has cheese for dinner

eta - when I say no snack, I mean no junk...she will sometimes ask for something so I will offer fruit or something semi healthly

Message edited 10/28/2009 8:56:46 PM.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

Posted by pinkandblue

nope, no dinner, no snack

sometimes, she has cheese for dinner

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

Lily doesn't eat a whole lot, so it's pretty common that she doesn't eat her dinner. If she asks to eat something later on, I'll give it to her. I'm not about to go to war over food with a child that doesn't eat a whole lot.
Generally, if she doesn't eat dinner, it means she's not hungry and won't ask for anything else.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

DD will usually eat something on her plate. I

f she refuses dinner outright, I would give her cheese or a banana later if she asked but that's about it. And she would not get a snack/dessert.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

DD has been refusing to eat dinner lately...I tell her no dinner=no dessert. So, if she doesn't eat her dinner...I save it. Later she will ask for dessert and I tell her she didn't eat her dinner, so she doesn't get dessert. Then she says she wants to eat dinner. So...I give her back her dinner and she usually will eat some if not all of it, so she can have her dessert.

I used to throw it out, and then give her cheese instead, but I stopped doing that so that she learns that she has to eat dinner. The only time I will give her something different is if I KNOW that she doesn't like what I made at all.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

I try to put it aside and reoffer it. Then I might negotiate to get something in him (tonight he had to have 2 more bites in exchange for 1/2 cookie). He took the 2 bites and ate 1/4 cookie.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

Since our snacks are usually fruit, I let them eat when they are hungry, and stop when they are full (or not eat at all if they aren't hungry). I wish my mom did that with me when I was growing up. I have a lot of food issues from being forced to eat when I wasn't hungry (but the clock says it's time to eat), and cleaning everything on my plate.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

I wont cook something else. We eat late, around 7, so if they refuse to eat, they are offered cereal or yogurt, sometimes Oatmeal.

On nights when they dont eat the original meal they are not allowed to have chocolate milk (plain milk only) before bed and absolutely NO snacks/dessert, whether they ate the cereal or yogurt.

Message edited 10/29/2009 8:12:23 AM.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

DS is a bad eater so if he asks to eat I let him.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

DS son was sick last week and had grapes for dinner.
If he asked for junk food (on a regular day) I would offer him something more healthy.

My mom told me that I'm not always hungry at the same time every day - and some days I eat more then others so why should my DS be any different?

I found that if he eats a bigger breakfast or lunch, the next meal is lighter.

I try not to be a food natzi b/c I don't want him to feel forced to eat as long as he eats on most days. So far its worked for me.

BTW - when he was sick and had grapes, I made ravioli for dinner - he wouldn't even eat one. The next night he was with his father and he made ravioli and he ate them all up. Go figure.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

We are trying VERY hard to stop doing this because he's a terrible eater and knows how to play us. We cave occasionally especially if the meal is something i know he really dislikes but it must be something healthy like fruit.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

DD has had issues with eating since Day 1 and has even had to see a specialist. When she doesn't eat dinner, she'll either get a piece of fruit or some dry cereal if she's hungry. Nothing else.

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

Snacks like you described--banana and bread --yes...but not things like ice cream or cookies

Re: When your toddler doesn't eat any dinner....

If DS doesn't eat dinner I don't worry about it until he asks later for a snack. If his dinner is still around or re-heatable I offer that. If not, I offer a healthy snack. If he doesn't ask for anything, he goes to bed w/o anything else.