How to Get My 5 Year Old to Eat Breakfast Before School Without Yelling

I have two thoughts about this since you've already tried what I would. One is that she truly isn't hungry. Lots of kids (and grownups) aren't hungry when they first wake up. Let her go to school for a day or two with no breakfast if that's what she chooses. She'll quickly learn that eating will make her have more enegy. My other thought is to see if there's a portable breakfast that she can eat on the way to school. I used to make chunky scrambled eggs for my son and put them in a cup for him to eat in the car. You shouldn't force her to eat though - doing so could cause some real "food issues" around control.

I started setting a timer for my daughter while she eats in the morning. She would take a really long time to eat and then we were left rushing to finish getting her ready. Her favorite things to eat in the mornings are oatmeal or a banana. I set the timer for 5 mins. That is plenty of time for her to eat without rushing. It has helped out a lot, No one is stressed out in the mornings anymore.

I never ate breakfast before school. NEVER. And if someone tried to make me, I'd probably have gotten sick. To this day, I cannot eat first thing in the morning. I know breakfast is healthy, and an important start to the day, but I just cannot eat first thing in the morning. Yes, I was famished by lunch, but it was my choice, and I was ok with it.

Can she just have some milk or juice? Or maybe one of those breakfast drinks or yogurt drinks just to get something on her stomach? Maybe a few crackers or a couple grapes?

But honestly, I didn't even want any of those things. I'd have a drink, and that was it. Some people just can't do breakfast. I'd elminate the stressor from all of you, and just let her be. If she can stand not eating until lunch, then it's not the biggest deal in the world.

Perhaps she's just not hungry? I never ate breakfast before school, my children don't either. I try, but they just aren't hungry for several hours after they wake up. They make it till lunch time with no problem. I figure we should listen to our bodies. If our body isn't hungry, don't feed it.

A sticker chart for various tasks she has to do each morning works for our daughter.

Also, I may get slammed for this, but you could let her watch TV for half an hour while eating; turn off the TV if she doesn't eat.

Know that some people just aren't hungry in the morning. Yet it is important for kids to eat something for a variety of reasons, the most important is that a good whole grain breakfast helps prepare them for the tasks ahead.

Thus one of the things you could do is make breakfast more enticing and attractive, rather than the same old. Sure she may help you pick out breakfast foods, yet she may also be trying to please you.

For example, some kids find cereal, eggs etc boring, yet may find a Fruit Gobble more appealing or even a bagel half or homemade bisuit, filled with Chunky preserves (fresh or fresh frozen fruits added) spread within, she could take and eat when ready. (see recipe for Fruit Gobble below)

Forcing her to eat is never a good idea, as it could become a control issue; yet offering alternatives (not prepackaged cereal bars, some are too dry), including ones "to go (banana)" may just do the trick.

Fruit Gobble: (can be made the night before, and stored in the refrigerator. serve warm for best flavor, or even warm with a little bit of milk. Also make a super snack for after school.)
Preheat oven to 350*F
Serves 4-6
6-7 cups fresh or fresh frozen blueberries (increase Brain Power'), berries, cherries, apple slices and/or peaches
2 1/2 tablespoons minute tapioca
1-1.5 teaspoons sugar, optional
1/2 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)
1/3 cup flour (white or WW)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed firmly or brown sugar substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil

1. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish, pie plate or 9 x 9 inch pan.
2. If using frozen fruit, thaw the berries on high in the microwave for a few minutes or until slightly juicy.
2. Pour the fruit (and juices if using frozen) into the dish of choice, add the tapioca and mix thoroughly. Cover the dish and allow ingredients to set for 10-15 minutes.
3. Mix the dry ingredients into another bowl, add the canola oil and mix until crumbly.
4. If you want, although not necessary, sprinkle 1-1.5 teaspoons of sugar over the berries to slightly increase the sweetness of this dish.
5. Sprinkle the oat mixture all over the top of the fruit and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumbs begin to brown and the juices are bubbly. Serve hot or cold.

Just remember that she may not be hungry and that it is never a good idea to fight over food.

This and more recipes can be found in a new cookbook: Love More Feed Less.

I was one growing up that hated eating breakfast. Actually I would feel sick from eating early....and still do sometimes.
My daughter must take after me and hardly ever ate before preschool last year. I never worried about it because she was in AM preschool and they ate breakfast about 1 hour after school started. Then were released right before lunch time. When she started K, I was worried that she would be starving by lunch and needed something in her. For the first week I couldn't get her to eat, and she would be starving by the end of school. So I started taking things in the car with us that she could eat on the way or while we waited to go into school. (I even leave early for school so that she has time to sit and eat it before we walk into school) She eats things like a granola bars, pop tarts, cereal bars...etc. This seems to work for her.

I'm not sure you have that opportunity or if she has to ride a bus. But if she doesn't feel like eating then don't force her to do so. Your just putting more stress on yourself and her than you need to If she starts going to school and gets hungry she will start eating her breakfast. Keep offering it to her, but don't worry so much if she doesn't eat it.

I'd tell her that if she doesn't eat all of her food, she can't go outside, watch TV or do what ever she enjoys doing when she gets back from school. Give her the choice tho (that way, it's up to her to decide her fate). If she chooses not to eat, make sure you stick to what you said you'd take away from her.

For my son we would send in Nutrigran fruit bars or the 'to go' cereals as his morning snack for K.

My 9 year old still won't eat much breakfast. IF she eats at all in the a.m., it's a drink yogurt, or a nutrigrain bar or a banana on the go. My 3 year old likes chocolate milk and a nutrigrain bar. That's all she'll eat for breakfast.

The more you push her to eat, the more attention she receives from it, the more likely she will start doing this at lunch and dinner as well. The attention she is receiving is positive for her. Ignore it completely but keep offering her foods she enjoys. If she doesn't eat, don't worry about it but don't react, don't make a face and don't discuss her eating habits with your husband in her presence.

Late response here: my daughter has a Carnation Instant Breakfast in milk in a sippie cup while stil in bed. I heat milk for 1 minute in the microwave and add the packet (usually vanilla in chocolate milk, but she has also had strawberry in regular milk). We use 2% milk since it has some fat, and the packet claims it gives you 2x the protein of an egg and 2x the calcium of milk alone, plus a ton of vitamins. She used to drink PediaSure but we switched to Carnation after some years since it is much more affordable. She has been a picky eater since day 1. However, the doctor told me it is only my responsibility to put good food in front of her and her responsibility to eat as much or as little as she wants. The worse thing I could do according to him, is to make a naturally slim child bigger just because I think she needs to weigh more. She eats snack at school around 10, so she gets some solid food and a juice then. The pediatrician will track her height and weight percentile and let you know if your daughter is slipping. Mine went from the 15% to the 1% in weight but stayed in the 15% in height. She really needed more food intake. Good luck, people do not realize it is just as hard for some to gain weight as it is for others to lose it (I could stand the lose the amount my daughter needs to gain).

Hi,
Ah, children. Gotta love 'em! There are so many things we can control, but some we should not, because that causes bigger problems. Please reconsider a sticker chart. They are good for chores, bedtime, etc. But eating is not something that should be rewarded. All sorts of negative outcomes can come from this. And I really do understand your wanting her to eat a good breakfast. But please do not get into controlling this. I do have a suggestion, though. It's possible that you or your husband could change your behavior, get up earlier and leave time to sit and eat breakfast at the same time your daughter is served hers. Then chat and make plans for the day or weekend, do not ever mention how much has been or not been eaten. When you are done, ask if she has had enough, have her bring her plate or bowl to the sink, and end breakfast time with more conversation about anything but food. You will be modelling eating a healthy breakfast, enjoying her company, leaving the opportunity for social eating, and putting food in it's proper place...something you eat when you're hungry. Best of luck!

The standard is to have a well balanced breakfast to start the day off right. However, there are people who do not enjoy or want a regular breakfast at the appointed breakfast hours. So don't fight with her, send her to school with a snack for later in the morning.

My husband is the same way and it took me a while to find this out because he didn't want to hurt my feelings and ate but did not want to eat. So she may be one of them and stop forcing her.

She will get enough to eat and will be fine. Besides you will be able to have a stress free morning and everybody goes out on time and happy.

Good luck to you.

The other S.

Our daughter has never been hungry at breakfast, she still does not get hungry till about 11:00am.
I did everything you did.. I let her go to the store and pick out whatever she wanted.. made no difference.. I would give her 1/4 slice of toast.. dry.. and she would nibble. IF she ate it all, I would give her another 1/4 piece, but she rarely ate it..

Finally I was able to get her to drink a small smoothy, but she had to force herself to drink it. it was only about 4 to 6 oz.many times she drank it on the way to school.. . She had to be at school by 7:30, and Kinder ate lunch at 11:00, so she usually did fine whether she ate or not.. I packed her more food than she could eat (not a ton, but a little more) so that is she was super hungry, there was plenty for her to eat..

Morning smoothie.
1/2 frozen ripe banana
1/2 cup frozen fruit (her choice ~ strawberries, peaches, mixed berries, mango, whatever was in season)
3/4 cups cold apple juice.
Mix well in blender..

I have found that cooking toast and making bacon stirs up the hunger.... Maybe have that smell already waifting through the house when she first gets up to possibly stimulate her appetite? If you cant get her to eat at least send her with some type of protein bar in her back pack and tell her to eat it when she gets hungry. Maybe pick some other type of breakfast food like celery and pnut butter... find something she likes and just put a plate of finger foods in front of her. You can lead a horse to water but you cant make em drink... good luck tho ;)

It's OK if she takes a long time to eat--as long as she eats something. But it IS frustrating.
Try a Carnation Instant Breakfast shake maybe? Or a yogurt smoothie?
Or can you reward her for eating in -- say -- 15 minutes? Let her play her DS for 10 minutes on the days she succeeds?
Mine had pm Kindergarten and got REALLY used to lounging around in the morning & eating late, so 1st grade was a harsh reality! LOL I let him eat whatever he wants--even if it's pepperoni & crackers & cheese & orange juice (which gags me in the am!) but at least he got into the routine.
Right now he's loving the Dole Fruit Crisps. And Lucky Charms.
It's so frustrating, I know. Good luck!