Posted By Maggie on 10/05/2007 9:13 AM My husband and I are struggling with meal time with my 3 1/2 year old. If it were up to her she wouldn't eat at all. This has been an ongoing problem all her life and it seems it is getting worse. We have tried to bribe her, put her in time out, and feed her ourselves. Ultimately, she does eat but it takes her a long time. Is anyone else having similar problems?
Maggie, sometimes children will be more willing to try a food if it's presented in a fun way. Try arranging cut pieces of fruits and vegetables into the shape of a face. For example, a green bean could be a mouth, a carrot slice a nose, strawberries the eyes. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes. Roll up pieces of thinly sliced ham or turkey, cut it into bite size pieces and spear on a tooth pick.
Posted By KT'sMom on 01/11/2008 7:18 PM My daughter turned 3 in December, & I've been going through the same type of thing. Although, it's that she won't eat at the babysitters. I guess ours started in October when I was out for surgery & we were off schedule for about 3 weeks. I still sent her to the sitters the 2 weeks after I had surgery. When I went back to work in Nov. is when I think it started with her not eating at the sitters. I was back to work about a month & she was kinda starting to eat a little & then my brother passed away. So there were 2 weeks there we were off a little again, but she still went to the sitters & wouldn't eat. Then came Christmas & she was home for almost 2 weeks. She went back to the sitter's last Thurs (first time since before xmas) & we're not eating again. I don't know if that's normal or a phase or what's going on. Everyone says she'll eat when she's hungry, but I don't know what to do. I drop her off about 615am & sometimes don't get there to pick her up until 430-5, depending how my day is at the hospital. I am starting a new job in a few weeks, Mon-Fri, & won't be working those 12 hr shifts. Plus she'll be going 5 days a week now. Earlier this week she said she wanted a new babysitter when the sitter asked her about eating & what was going on. I can't afford that. Any suggestions? Is this normal? I have asked her all kinds of questions about not eating & not wanting to go to the sitters & I get no answers except I don't want to. She's fine after she gets there & plays with the other kids. She tells her my grandma or mommy will feed me when I get home, or I'll eat at home. I've thought about taking something away each day she doesn't eat. Or giving prizes like we did with starting to go on the potty. Any suggestions?
Perhaps there is something about the way the sitter prepares or serves the food that your daughter finds unpleasant. I wonder if she would eat food you prepared at home and sent along with her to the sitters?