What age is okay to go to bed without dinner?

Gabe is 21 months. He is also SO STINKEN STUBBORN! If it's not a hot dog or chicken nugget, he feeds it to the dog. I can usually manage to get a few bites into him, but not tonight. I made chicken and rice (food that he would usually eat some of) but I did not get one bite into him. He just pursed his lips together and kept throwing the food to the dog. It drives me crazy!

I don't want to get into the habit of making different dinner for different children but I also hate that he didn't eat anything at all.

Is it too young to let him go with no dinner? FWIW - He will get milk before bed.

TIA!

 

QUOTE(mommy23monkeys @ Feb 19 2008, 09:02 PM) [snapback]630193[/snapback]
Is it too young to let him go with no dinner? FWIW - He will get milk before bed.


If he's getting milk, then I think it's okay, he's not going to bed on an empty stomach. Plus, if he were really hungry, he would eat. Tony does this too, and I have stopped making him something "special" just for him because it's too much work. My two don't get milk before bed, but they eat a banana for dessert everynight... so if they don't eat anything for dinner, I let them have two bananas. I know how frustrating it is to cook food and then have them refuse it. :hug99:

 

My boys are very similiar. They hardly eat anyting at all .. a few bites here and there and they will only eat certain foods. My worry about going to bed without dinner is that they may wake up hungry in the middle of the night. Thats why I offer them a snack about an hour before bed. Nothing junkie, usually a small bowl of cereal or maybe some Goldfish crackers. it just eases my mind to know they have at least a little something in their tummies.

Good luck .. its a pretty rough stage .. I dont like making special meals either .. especially when I am making something good for them and it would be SO much better for them if they would at least try to eat some REAL food.

 

I don't cook extra dinner for any of my kids. If Emilie and Trevor don't eat something (even though I only make what I know they all will eat) I will sometimes offer fruit or yogurt, but that is it. They get milk and a few cheerios or a real small snack before bed.

I think you are okay. If he is really hungry he will eat.

 

I have always let them go to bed without dinner if they don't eat. Sometimes they eat enough during the day and just aren't hungry. Very occasionally they are having a tantrum and refuse to eat (though usually if I wait out the tantrum and then give them another chance to eat, they will eat if they are hungry). We always give a sippy of milk before bed (dinner at 6, bed at 7:30), which I hope will fill in the gaps if they didn't eat enough.

 

Have you tried removing the dog from the room? He may be amused by the dog eating. If the dog isn't there he might be a little less distracted.

 

I, too, make one meal. If they don't eat it, or much of it, then that's what they get. We usually get fruit for desert, so they will have some of that. But, then off to bed, no special meal for them. And if they wake up hungry in the middle of the night, they get water.

 

Our dog is going to be FAT because of Addison - she feeds everything to the dog!!! and if I try to feed her with a spoon, those little lips are clamped!!!! I do not know what to tell you?? Addison breastfeeds before bed so I guess she is getting enough and Gabe is too with the milk. I hope - this is my biggest frustration lately!!

 

1 meal here too.. the boys have gone to bed without dinner. i give them a sippie of milk, or a fruit cup or small snack if they want it if not, then they go to bed without it..i agree with pp they will eat when they are hungry..

 

well since my kids only eat nuggets or pb on wheat I make 2 dinners...of course mine are SO TINY that I can't send them to bed without - and they don't get milk before bed...they have dinner at 5 ish and thats it until the next morning...and I had to cut out all snacks - they get juice when they get up from their nap and if dinner will be delayed until after 5 for some reason they get a few cheerios or goldfish crackers - mine were such poor eaters - they'd graze all day long if you let them!

 

I never substituted and honestly they are getting worse at 2 and they have never starved. I give them a small snack about an hour before bed with water and there is usually one meal a day they barely touch and they used to eat most anything. Now there is only a handful of things I know they will eat but I continue to feed them what we are eating especially for dinner which is the only meal we are all together and if they don't eat it that's fine I don't really make a big deal of it. They are starting to be picky with breakfast which was Never a problem ...I make it give to them and if they don't eat it so be it.

We have a German Sheperd and he goes in the cage when they eat.

 

I go through the same thing off & on with my two. Last week it was Luke (fruit & yogurt boy), next week it will probably be Lila. If they are getting some milk, I don't worry too much, but it is sooooo frustrating! It's probably just a phase, though. I refuse to cook different meals for each child, if they won't eat at all I usually offer yogurt (which they LOVE) then at least I feel like they got something in.

 

QUOTE(lilymadison @ Feb 19 2008, 06:21 PM) [snapback]630244[/snapback]
Have you tried removing the dog from the room? He may be amused by the dog eating. If the dog isn't there he might be a little less distracted.



Sometimes, if it's really bad, I will put the dog in my bedroom. But it doesn't always help. We will be at a restaurant and he still "feeds the dog" :laughing:


Thanks everyone. I'm glad I'm not alone in this!

 

You are definitely NOT alone. How is he eating the rest of the day? I've noticed with my munchkins that one meal a day they're generally grazing, but eat really well the other two.

We're a one-dinner and that's it family too. They always get some fruit after dinner, so I still offer that to the fussy one and they get a sippy of milk at the table too.

Just be consistent and he'll outgrow it :love0028:

 

We never send out children to bed without dinner. If my five year old picks at his meal I will leave it out for about an hour and encourage him to eat - and we usually will let him have something healthy (cheerios, yogurt) before bed. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I sent them to bed hungry.

 

yep mine are abit the same, I use a dvd as a distraction as me and hubby dont have dinner till they in bed as hes home last most nights from work...i know dvd probley a bad habbit but it seems to work well for me, as long as i get there vegies in i dont care about the rest..if they being really fussy, once out of their highchairs i give them plain bread and tell them to go feed the birds outside and 9 times out of 10 they eat the whole lot before the birds get a chance...going from older boy ..by the time they 4 they are fine eaters so my moto is anything thats works at that time of the day is fine by me...

 

Sophie is like this too. SHe is so lazy with her eating and so fussy. I always give them a yogurt with their dinner which they eat but sometimes that is all that Sophie eats. My dogs often get "fed" to (i have 2 german sheperds). I reckon that she will soon get the point that if you dont eat your dinner you are starving when you get up x

 

I do the same as another poster, the food will stay out for a little bit after dinner so they can pick from it. I also give them some fruit or animal crackers before bed, cause I know myself I like a little something before I go to sleep too!

 

I always feed them something I know they will eat, plus they get to try what we're eating, and then fruit for desert. If they don't eat the meal I know they'll eat the fruit so atleast they've gotten something. I used to worry about this but for most meals they eat well and it's better to look at the overall week than focus on one day or one meal.

 

QUOTE
I wouldn't be able to sleep if I sent them to bed hungry.


But you assume that they are hungry. Some nights mine just aren't hungry and don't eat, even if we're having something they love. I let them eat however much they want of what's being served. I think offering snacks or something else so soon after dinner establishes bad eating habits. Their little bodies get "tuned" to that snack even if they don't need the calories.

 

QUOTE(summerfun @ Feb 20 2008, 03:20 AM) [snapback]630240[/snapback]
I don't cook extra dinner for any of my kids. If Emilie and Trevor don't eat something (even though I only make what I know they all will eat) I will sometimes offer fruit or yogurt, but that is it. They get milk and a few cheerios or a real small snack before bed.

I think you are okay. If he is really hungry he will eat.

Same here. My kids eat a different meal since dh doesn't get home until 7.30 pm, but I cook one thing.

I think at age 2 or 2.5 she started going to bed without food, although rare since she is an extremely good eater. Lately it's more common. But she doesn't seem to care, sleeps the same, etc.

 

QUOTE(Mellizos @ Feb 21 2008, 02:25 PM) [snapback]632932[/snapback]
But you assume that they are hungry. Some nights mine just aren't hungry and don't eat, even if we're having something they love. I let them eat however much they want of what's being served. I think offering snacks or something else so soon after dinner establishes bad eating habits. Their little bodies get "tuned" to that snack even if they don't need the calories.

Agree!

 

QUOTE(Stacy @ Feb 20 2008, 03:20 AM) [snapback]630425[/snapback]
Just be consistent and he'll outgrow it :love0028:



Does anyone know when they will outgrow this?! All my kids used to eat ANYTHING I put in front of them and each year it has gotten worse! My 4 yo is the THEE pickiest - it seems everyday there is something else she "doesn't like" that she used to love! A & E who just turned 2 are unfortunately following in her footsteps...

Sorry to take over your post - I am just as frustrated! My DH works in the evenings so it's me night after night dealing with this and it is so hard to "not make a big deal of it" though I know this is what you should do!

Thanks for letting me vent,
Jenny