This is my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter after only a couple bites of dinner (no matter what it is we serve her): "I'm full."
And it's usually followed with "I wanna snack".
Or "I wanna treat".
This is a battle that needs to be carefully managed.
Your child is asserting themselves. They don't want to eat what you've served for dinner, but they still need to be properly nourished.
Oddly enough, my wife and I have found success by using ranch dressing or ketchup to help dinner go down easier.
But sometimes even that doesn't work.
And it may resort you to threats. Or worse, capitulating to their wants.
Sending them away from the table with 'it's this or nothing' can be counter-productive.
You're sending them away from the table hungry. This can later lead to 'snack-sneaking' in the middle of the night or at other times they feel that Mom and Dad aren't watching.
Bad snacks, I might add.
If your child doesn't want to eat what's for dinner, allow them wholesome snacks.
String cheese. Apples, oranges, bananas, berries. No treats...cookies, candy, or candy like snacks (this includes fruit snacks). If you have dessert planned at the end of dinner, make it clear to your child that dessert is only for children who finish their dinner (or a better than average portion of it).
Treats are bonuses...that and nothing more.
This will incentivize them to finish the dinner you initially prepared for them in the future.
And if they want sweets instead of this, make it clear to them that they've been offered a choice. These are the available choices and nothing else.
They'll get the message.
And they'll get healthy habits that will last them a lifetime.
NEXT WEEK: Making a big splash out of toilet-training
No comments:
Post a Comment