Mealtime battles

When it rolls around to mealtime, my DS doesn't want to get into his booster seat. My DD is pretty compliant. My DS will just fight it completely. So far my strategy has been to just set him down and let him wander around. I give him one little taste of what he is missing but then I give my attention to my DS and feed her. Thus far my DS has been coming around after 5 or 10 minutes and asked to be put into his chair. Today I thought he might not show at all for breakfast but he did at the very end. I don't want to feed them separately, so my thought is if he doesn't show by the time breakfast is over, then he doesn't get any. Of course, that's the theory. Hopefully I don't have to practice it!

Has anyone else had this problem and what have you done?

Thanks

Sotto

 

If one of the kids does not want to get in their highchair, we make a point of saying we aren't going to chase them and then sit down with the other to eat. They typically come over very quickly and climb up into their chairs. If they didn't come over by the time we were done eating, I probably would assume that they weren't hungry and put their food away also. We haven't had that happen yet though, my kids love to eat!

 

I haven't run into this problem, but if I had, I would approach it as you had. I have one that will start to fuss at the table sometimes so I take her down and tell her when she's ready to eat, she can get back in her chair.

 

We did everything wrong initially: from about a year our peanut refused to sit in her high chair, so we ran around after her hand feeding her. duh!

Then we finally bought a kitchen table and I bought this fab X shaped things which you put under an ordinary dining chair which raise them up so the kids basically sit on the same seats as you. (this isn't the exact one we bought, but it looks similar, ours was just cheaper - about $15). I also insisted that DH and I sit down at the same time for dinner.

Since them things have been much much better.

 

I go through the same thing with one of my boys several times a week. He doesn't want to come upstairs for his nap, he doesn't want to sit in his chair, or he doesn't want to do something or other. He doesn't fuss or cry, he just shakes his head or says "No" and keeps playing. I usually try not to make a big deal and he always comes over eventually. I say, "Lunch is here when you're ready. James and I are eating now." I think he just likes to feel like his own man. I pick my battles. If he wants to come upstairs 2 minutes later than his brother, then it's not a big deal to me. He has so little control over anything in his little life - maybe this is his way of saying "hey, I have ideas too, you know!".

 

I haven't had that problem exactly -- it happens occasionally, but not regularly -- but the way you are handling it sounds good to me. Make sure he knows it is mealtime, and then it's up to him. Definitely don't chase him around the house with a fork or let him eat sometime later if he decides he's ready.

It also helps a lot if the whole family eats together, rather than just you feeding the kids. Even if you only do that some of the time, it reinforces the idea that mealtime is mealtime.

We do let our kids get down when they say they are done, and if they change their minds and want to come back, they can, as long as DH and I are still eating.