My 2Yr. Wont Eat Whats for Dinner.

You didn't say what time you eat dinner. After a full day, my two year old is ready for bed by 7-8 PM so we eat early or she eats before us.

Maybe by the end of the day, he is just not very hungry. If he is hungry he will eat what you make, if not he most likely eat well the next morning.

If he is just too tired or too hungry, he may just being giving you a difficult time due to that. Try letting he eat earlier and put him on to bed.
C

Don't fix him anything else for dinner other than what ya'll are having. That will set a bad habit. Just put out a plate of food for him. Give him a time limit. If he doesn't eat, then he goes to bed hungry. Tell him it was his decision not to eat. He will cry, but just remember that his body won't let him starve himself. He will eat eventually. Keep up that routine every night.

I'm going through this right now with my 3 year old, & that's what we do. It ended up a yelling match or a bribery contest, & my DH & I were sick of that. So we've just put out the plate. After about 3 nights, he started eating. Good luck!

I would check out a very good vitamin that is all natural and not artificial coloring. Remember "This to shall pass!"

I agree with the other poster on here. I am watching this go on with my 4 year old niece and we have finally had to put our foot down and say "this is what there is to eat. This is the only time there is to eat. Eat now if you want to eat." She tries to hold out for junk like chicken mc nuggets but after a while she cracks. Especially when we won't let her snack after dinner's been put away.

I read on some pediatric website somewhere that a kid will not allow himself to starve to death. His survivor instincts will kick in and override the finicky thing-he will eat what's for dinner if he's hungry and has learned that this is all that's available to eat.

I think being calm and not yelling and making a big deal out of it is key.

You will just have to give him what the rest of the family is having and he will learn to eat it or be hungry. No snacks after dinner. If he is hungry again later, reheat his dinner and serve that again. It won't take long before he realizes that what is in front of him is his only option and he will eat if he is hungry enough. They won't starve themselves. I assure you....it won't take more than a week or so for him to catch on. The key is not to give in and let him have a snack after dinner because then he will just hold out for the snack.

I agree with something one of the other posters said. When we push our daughter to eat, she fights us. If we ignore her and let her do it at her own pace, we don't have any issues. Just put it in front of him and then talk as a family like you would normally. When he says he wants something else, tell him that this is dinner and it's all he is getting. It may be rough for a week or so, but like I said, it won't take long and he'll get the picture as long as you're consistent.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for posting this!! My son is the same way, he is 3 1/2. He just won't eat dinner!! I have even gone as far as to put him in his room and shut the door telling him that he can't come out until he finishes it. I am at my end on the subject. Anyone who posts with advise is deeply appreciated. Thanks J.

I think I lost my first reply back to this... In short, my kids have done this also. I have 2 kids (5 & 7) and you can't please both of them all the time. So one of them will not eat "dinner" that night if they don't like it. There have also been times when one of them would not eat what was for dinner for long periods of time. I finally made a rule about it. I NEVER cook (or even warm in the microwave) 2 meals. Their choices are to either eat what is for dinner or eat something cold (like breakfast cereal or a lunchable). This way, I am not forcing them to eat (impossible), they eat SOMETHING for dinner, and I don't feel frustrated with having to prepare 2 meals. Usually, they get tired of cold meals and eventually start eating dinner again. Making a battle of it only prolongs the process (in my experience with my kids).

I try to make dinners that will satisfy all the different taste buds in our family. I do two kinds of veggies (I hate peas but my kids will eat em!) and some kind of side dish with protien if we're having chicken because I have one who won't eat chicken.

At two we are MUCH more lenient here about fixing something different and by 4-5 my oldest two started eating better & not asking for alternatives so much. My now 4 yo is just starting to do that, so it is proving to be true for us again.

My kids are individuals and I don't refuse them alternative food as long as they try what we've got.

4 things I've learned about our son... these might help.

1. he doesn't like things mixed together.
2. he doesn't like too much on his plate. (I put a T. of each on his plate)
3. he doesn't like getting pressured to eat... we've noticed that if we just leave him alone and my hubby and I talk during dinner, our son eats and plays and is fine... its the attention from us that makes him not eat.
4. he's usually too wound up at first. He needs a good 15 minutes or so before dinner to relax and chill. we all have very full days - I work, Hubby works, and our son goes to "school" (daycare)...
which leads me to ... if you're stressed out, then he's stressed out... just relax... he's not gonna starve.

hope these help!

with my daughter i fix her a plate of dinner & that's it, if she doesnt want to eat then that's fine i dont force her but i also dont give her other choices. (well unless i have fixed something that is really not kid-friendly like spicy or something) if we have finished then she can get down from the table but i take her plate & put it into the fridge. then if she says she is hungry later then that is what she has to eat, no other options, but she can eat her dinner. i dont fuss too much about how much she eats bc kids go through eating spells & i dont want to force her to eat everything on her plate if she really isnt hungry, but you also cant give snacks afterwards either. this has worked for her, she has never gone to bed hungry she has always come back & eaten her dinner or at least some before bed. but all kids are different & you might have to try a couple of different things before you find what works for yours. good luck!

I agree with the previous posters who say if the kid doesn't eat what you make, then he doesn't eat. When he gets hungry, he'll what you make. You also need to cut out the snacks.

My BIL is coming over Thanksgiving and when he was young he only ate a handful of things. He, to this day, is like this. Only one of the things he eats is being made for Thanksgiving. He demanded that I make, at the very least, hot dogs. I told him if he wanted hot dogs, to stay home and nuke them and not bother coming over and dirtying my dishes.

Nip it in the bud now, while he's young.