Battle of Wills
Lately my two year old has become a VERY picky eater. She refuses to try anything new. You should have seen me trying to give her her medicine last night, but that's a totally different story! 
Anyways, today for lunch, we had leftover broccolli cheese soup. Cass won't eat it so I made her a peanut butter and jelly samich and gave her some applesauce. She ate the applesauce fairly well but refused to eat the sandwich. Keep scooting her chair away from the table using her feet. Normally she'll eat pb&j with no problem.
SO when Jenna and I were done, I told her she had to sit there till she ate. We've got a strap on the booster that keeps her in, most of the time. So, I put Care Bears (which she LOVES) on in the other room and started cleaning up the kitchen. She kept saying she wanted to "get out of here. Watch Care Bears." I told her again that she needed to eat first.
A couple minutes later in the kitchen cleaning up process, I ended up tossing a few of the pieces of sandwich in the trash to make it easier for her.
After about five minutes, she finally decided to start eating. Took her good sweet time. Finally, she got down to her last piece... and refused to continue. Since I'd thrown some of her sandwich away already, I decided to make her sit there till she ate that final piece.
Cut to about five to ten minutes later. She's still sitting there. Chair scooted back, feet up.
I stood my ground and wouldn't let her out. BUT I told her if she finished her lunch, she could watch Barney. That is eventually what did the trick.
Five minutes later, after repeatedly telling me she wanted to watch Barney and me telling her to eat, she finally gave an exasperated, "Ok..." (I could *almost* hear the words, "I give up" following! LOL)
She picked up her sandwich piece, stuck it in her mouth, took a few more minutes to swallow it, then announced she wanted to "get out of here."
I went over, bent down to her level, told her what a good girl she was for finishing her lunch, and gave her a kiss. After I wiped her down, we headed to the other room to turn Barney on. She spent the next half hour sitting on the couch with her blanket watching it.
I guess that food battle went to Mom. I'm figuring it'll be one of the few I actually win.
Anyways, today for lunch, we had leftover broccolli cheese soup. Cass won't eat it so I made her a peanut butter and jelly samich and gave her some applesauce. She ate the applesauce fairly well but refused to eat the sandwich. Keep scooting her chair away from the table using her feet. Normally she'll eat pb&j with no problem.
SO when Jenna and I were done, I told her she had to sit there till she ate. We've got a strap on the booster that keeps her in, most of the time. So, I put Care Bears (which she LOVES) on in the other room and started cleaning up the kitchen. She kept saying she wanted to "get out of here. Watch Care Bears." I told her again that she needed to eat first.
A couple minutes later in the kitchen cleaning up process, I ended up tossing a few of the pieces of sandwich in the trash to make it easier for her.
After about five minutes, she finally decided to start eating. Took her good sweet time. Finally, she got down to her last piece... and refused to continue. Since I'd thrown some of her sandwich away already, I decided to make her sit there till she ate that final piece.
Cut to about five to ten minutes later. She's still sitting there. Chair scooted back, feet up.
I stood my ground and wouldn't let her out. BUT I told her if she finished her lunch, she could watch Barney. That is eventually what did the trick.
Five minutes later, after repeatedly telling me she wanted to watch Barney and me telling her to eat, she finally gave an exasperated, "Ok..." (I could *almost* hear the words, "I give up" following! LOL)
She picked up her sandwich piece, stuck it in her mouth, took a few more minutes to swallow it, then announced she wanted to "get out of here."
I went over, bent down to her level, told her what a good girl she was for finishing her lunch, and gave her a kiss. After I wiped her down, we headed to the other room to turn Barney on. She spent the next half hour sitting on the couch with her blanket watching it.
I guess that food battle went to Mom. I'm figuring it'll be one of the few I actually win.
posted by Anonymous at 1:46 PM
11 Comments:
those two year olds can be something and food battles are terrible. i can remember going through a period where i just hated mealtimes, stay strong mom!
Michele sent me.
My mom has plenty of stories like that with me as the star. Apparently I was the stubborn kid in my family. All those stories might be why I decided not to have kids--but my brother has 3 so I feel that we averaged out okay on keeping the population going.
Good luck to you on winning many future battles with the kids, Cathy but I'm not going to place any bets!
Ahh, the joys of "two." My oldest is still a struggle sometimes when it comes to food. We opted not to fight a full-on battle. I figure when he's hungry, he'll eat. He gets the choice between whatever I've offered him or a yogurt. If he refuses both, then he just needs to sit until everyone else is done. He's off with nothing in him. If he comes to me later and asks for a snack I tell him not until he eats whatever it is he refused before. It's made battles short lived. He typically will at least peck at everything we give him now or eat the damn yogurt. :)
Good luck!
You go Mom! LOL! We have plenty of days like that in our house with our picky 4/01 kiddo. ;-)
Good luck with the battle. Each of our kids started with the pickiness pretty early, and none has ever truly outgrown it. It explains my wife's gray hair and the bags under my eyes.
Yet somehow, they don't starve themselves. So it all works out in the end.
You are totally in my thoughts on this, Cathy!
They can survive on a tablespoon of food a day. Truly I know this. My son has been in and out of hospital being checked and re-checked for different things because he barely eats. I used to agonise over the fact that he would not eat supper or that he would have one bite (still does). My time is better spent on other things than being angry that they are not eating etc.
Once my doc said to me that kids can literally survive on one tablespoon of food per day my mind relaxed and I was set free from my worry.
To each his own and you will find what is right for you. Just because something worked for me or someone else doesn't me it will work for you though.
Thanks everyone... I *know* she's not going to starve and honestly, I'm pretty lax about both of my kids' eating habits but you know, sometimes you just have to stand your ground a bit. She's not going to spend dinner time playing at the table, which is what she was doing. It would have been different if I was forcing her to eat something she did not like. That wasn't the case.
For what it's worth, I didn't get angry at her at all. And she is just fine... still picking at her food as usual.
:)
Sounds like Claire...
oh it is not only two year olds... I got a nine year old that is the same way...:)
Sometimes it's not a matter of food, it's a matter of obedience. I struggle with which is which at the table! My 2yo son is very picky -- no vegetables at all. He'll fish them out of anything I put them in, "Don' yike it", usually depositing the chewed item on my plate, lol!
I'm not looking forward to the food battles. Sounds like you're doing a great job standing your ground!
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