What if child won't eat before school?

What do you do when a child chooses not to eat the breakfast you prepared for him/her before school?

Clayton has been real slow in eating his cheerios in the morning and this morning he stared at it for a good 15 minutes before he tucked it in the fridge "for later." He wanted toast. I said no. Before he left I did give him a half piece of toast. What would you have done?

 

My pre-schooler often refuses to eat before school and I don't try to make him, but he starts at 11:20 and they have "lunch" immediately. When he gets home from school at 1:40 I feed him "lunch" again. He just doesn't like to eat too early, and I'm ok with that, neither do I.

I DO offer a nutritious breakfast every day, but often end up throwing it away. I find he does better with variety and often gets bored. Right now we are (actually eating!!! whoo hoo!) "eyeballs" (poached eggs) every morning for almost a week! I can promise that next week an egg won't pass his lips - no matter what I do to them...

HTH,
Donna

 

Nadia won't eat in the morning before school -- she just has no appetite in the morning. I used to try to force her (bad me, I know, but she *needs* something in her stomach) -- and she would gag and throw it all up.

So, the compromise is a smoothie every morning, which she likes to drink. Milk, frozen fruit, whey protein powder, and some probiotics and vitamin C powder. Sometimes yogurt or Nesquik thrown in to mix it up.

This works for both of us!

 

We have a big family so Every day there is someone who does not like what is being made. I do cook most mornings....eggs, french toast, muffins.or..something because I like a hot breakfast. But we always have choice....what I am making OR cereal OR something from the freezer (waffle, muffin, kolache or whatever is in there for breakfast). I think you should offer choices if it is easy to do.

Cindy

 

Mine do this...a lot! If they don't eat what I served, I send a baggie with some cheerios with them. They will always eat their yogurt, so they do get that every morning, but anything beyond that is hit or miss. Lily's been eating the Cliff Kids Z bars really well, but Grace only at that well one day. She's my problem breakfast child right now. I can't even get her to eat her beloved bananas.

 

Breakfast is not a meal that I serve necessarily(referring to what if he doesn't eat what he is served). At 7:45 I ask them what they would like for breakfast. Sometimes they say exactly what they would like and sometimes they ask for their options. If one wants a piece of toast and one wants cereal that is fine with me. I think of breakfast in a whole different manner than a meal like dinner (where I make what I make and they eat it). The options are not exotic by any means, toast/english muffin/cereal/french toast waffles/sometimes we have muffins/banana/yogurt. I don't mind letting them choose when the options are often as simple as taking a banana off the hanger or helping them open a yogurt.

 

Same here. I ask them what they would like for breakfast and lunch (as long as it's healthy), but they eat what we give them at dinner or don't eat. I almost always serve one thing that I know they *will* eat at dinner (usually they go for the fruit or veggie).

 

I voted other as I will offer one other choice in the mornings. If you don't want to eat what is offered then you may cereal but that's it. I'm not making anything else or even heating up something else because I do work hard to get them and me ready in the morning and try to make sure they have a "hot" breakfast. Mine usually will eat something, but sometimes, they're just not in the mood and I don't push it.

 

I voted 'other'. We don't do cooked breakfasts so they get to choose what they want. Generally there is a choice of three different cereals or they can have toast. Sometimes there may be croissants/crumpets as well and they can choose to have one of those.
They are usually very good about eating what they picked. I let them change their mind about what they want if I haven't put the milk on the cereal or pressed down the toaster (sometimes they change their mind when they see/hear what the other one picked ) but after that then it's tough luck and they have to eat what they asked for.
If they're being slow then I remind them that we have to get to school on time to try and hurry them up. (But they're older and they understand that it's bad to be late and they will have to sign in at the office)

 

Alex LOVES cereal in the morning ans will eat as much as DH and I. Nicky doesn't do breafast most mornings. I let him go without eating in the morning. I can't force him to eat and he just is not read until 11ish, which is when we have lunch before school. Sometimes in the morning he will ask for odd things, like spagettios and meatballs or hotdogs. I make them for him if he askes. I am just happy that he eats in the morning.

Nicky also eats BIG dinners, while ALex won't touch dinners. THey just both have a different eating schedule and I have learned not to fight it. I have other battles to fight.