Sooooo over mealtime

Ok, I'm just really venting, but suggestions are welcome, too. My 2 1/2 yr olds are driving me crazy at meals. Mornings Hannah would live off a quarter of a slice of toast and 2 slices of fruit, and then whine for the rest of the mid-morning after getting up b/c she's "hongreeee"- I should explain that I don't feel it's right to be overly accomodating to persons in the family who are not willing to eat at scheduled mealtimes and snacks, so when she doesn't eat, that's it, no more till the next scheduled snack, BUT SHE"S DRIVING ME NUTS w/ the whining about hte natural consequences of her behaviour. Also at breakfast, and most meals, for that matter, Sarah will not drink. She intends to drink, and I think at times she even yearns to, but her attention span is so poor for drinking that once she takes the first couple sips, she forgets/refuses to drink more (I guess feeling she's had enough?). And so I spend most of the meal bugging Sarah to keep drinking, and Hannah to eat more, and then feel angry and frustrated when neither do either. And now it's spilling over to the other meals for both of them, too. I feel like they're Jack Sprat and his wife ("Jack Sprat would eat no fat, his wife would eat no lean..."). I've tried both forcing them to do as I wish, and lettting them experience the natural consequences of not eating/drinking, as well as bribery ("if you finish, I'll give you a...") and punishment ("since you didn't finish, we are not going to.../you can't have..."). Darnit! I'm out of ideas, and I'm not a stinkin all day buffet for grazing!

 

:hug99: I am sooooo there with you. It's very frustrating. My girls are extremely picky, unless it comes to snacks <_< , and are even refusing some of their favorites lately.

On a positive side...I'm at my mom's a few states away this week and my nieces are here also, they are 8 and 6. I remember them being even MORE picky than my girls and their tastebuds have increased dramatically over the years. Soooo, we just need to get over this very annoying speedbump. There is a light at the end of the food frustration tunnel.

 

I totally understand. :hug99:

I am so sick of dinner time. It's like they just want to sit there and throw food at me, not EAT. They are going through a phase, obviously, but it is still so frustrating. :hug99:

 

The best thing to do is remove your emotions from the equation. I know it's hard, especially when they are whining because they didn't eat/drink. You might try a straw cup or different type of sippy so she gets more per sip without as much work, that might help with that. As for not eating at scheduled times, oh well. I was a nut about it with my first, but by the time the twins came along I just have too much other stuff to stress about. They won't starve themselves, so they eat what they eat when it's time and nothing else til next time. If they whine to me that they are hungry, I tell them "I'm so sorry you're hungry right now, we will eat lunch/dinner/whatever a bit later". Then ignore them completely. It will take some time for them to catch on that your serious, but if they see it gets to you they'll keep at it. Just be consistent and it will eventually pass.