Who is really only serving their toddler what they eat for meals?

LipstickLibrarian

And not fixing a special/separate meal EVER?

DD had her 15 month appt today and the sheet they sent us home with suggests that we only offer what we are already eating and if she "makes the individual choice not to eat" then she will be hungry enough to eat what she is served at the next meal. ?It further states that "no child on earth will ever starve to death between two meals." ?While I know that this is technically true, it still makes me uncomfortable. ?I have a very picky eater and I am definitely tired of offering, offering, offering and then always having to have a back-up of one of DD's 10 fav foods. ?I guess I'm looking for input on what you all REALLY do for mealtimes at your house??

LoriFalce

Joseph has eaten what we eat for dinner since he was 6m.

Bonzer

yeah, my kid just isn't going to eat spicy ass chili and I'm not going to offer it to him. I'll give him the rice I make with it and sometimes I make him something more age appropriate than chili with cayenne pepper.

There are a few meals actually that I wouldnt' expect or mandate that he eats and I wouldn't serve him some prisoner style bread and water substitute because of

ShanJosh777

I don't have a picky eater, at least not yet, so I've had a lot of luck with just feeding him what I'm eating.  But, as he gets older and possibly more picky, I don't plan to force him to eat something he doesn't like.  I don't get that.

I understand no one wants to be a short order cook.  But I think I will offer a standard alternative, like a turkey sandwich or something simple, that he can have if he absolutely doesn't want what I'm making.  I feel like, I don't eat things that I don't like, why should I make him?  I'm sure some people disagree, but that is JMO.

ETA: With that said, I do plan to have him at least try each food before he decides that he doesn't like it.  

BlessedMommy723

Well I guess I do a bit of both. I only give her what we are having for dinner. That being said, if I am serving something new or something that I know she isn't crazy about I always offer something I know she DOES like.

For example, if I serve chicken in a way I haven't done before I will make sure that we having peas, asparagus, mandarin oranges, or something that DD LOVES as well. This way, I know she isn't going to bed hungry because she will eat her veggie and fruit.

I am lucky though in that there aren't many foods DD doesn't like. She will at least try everything. She loves every fruit and most veggies, so I don't have to worry about her not eating anything for dinner. I don't think I could send her to bed if she didn't eat anything on her plate though. I would feel way to guilty... lol.

Mrs.tlcS

LipstickLibrarian:

And not fixing a special/separate meal EVER?

DD had her 15 month appt today and the sheet they sent us home with suggests that we only offer what we are already eating and if she "makes the individual choice not to eat" then she will be hungry enough to eat what she is served at the next meal.  It further states that "no child on earth will ever starve to death between two meals."  While I know that this is technically true, it still makes me uncomfortable.  I have a very picky eater and I am definitely tired of offering, offering, offering and then always having to have a back-up of one of DD's 10 fav foods.  I guess I'm looking for input on what you all REALLY do for mealtimes at your house? 

Well, since DD was "underweight" according to her pedi, and we were on order to beef her up, we fed her whatever she'd eat... which was obnoxious.

Now the pediatrician has decided she's just a little kid (duh!), and we're done being short order cooks.  She gets what we get for breakfast and dinner, and she doesn't get any choices at her DCP - other than take it or leave it.  

newportbride715

Lately, at dinner, he probably eats what we are eating about 80-90% of the time. If we order take out, I will make him something else. It has gotten better, a few months ago it was definitely less.

la79al

If it's something I think she will eat, she gets what we are having.  But I generally make her something separate for lunch so there are usually leftovers from that for a backup for dinner. 

adri77

For the most part....me.......If I've had a really long day with the 2 of them, there are times that I don't "make" dinner, and i will just make them something, feed them, bathe them and put them to bed and then i will eat.  I usually just reheat something or eat cereal on these nights.  DH is not home for any of this.  But, if I have made dinner (a feat in itself on lots of days) the 3 of us will eat together and they will eat whatever I make.  The only exception is fruit- I will always give them fruit if they don't seem to like what I've made b/c I just believe the more fruit the better so I wouldn't withhold that from them. 

mrsmatto

DD has milk and egg allegies/sensitivities so she can't eat a lot of stuff. She hates meat, pasta, vegetables... All the kid lives on is milk free waffles, soy yogurt, fruit, chex cereal, cheerios and oatmeal.

Smores730

I offer her something else if she's not interested. I grew up with the rule that if you don't like dinner you've got 2 choices: cereal and milk or a sandwich (both of which you're making yourself.) I'll probably do the same. 

little_mrs

I pretty much give DS what we eat with a few exceptions like eggs since he had a reaction & peanut butter since we haven't introduced it yet. 

I'm reluctant to offer only what we eat & then make him wait til the next meal. 

MrsG2B07

I try to make things for dinner that I can also offer her.  If not I will make her some steamed veggies or I still give her some of the stage 3 baby foods.

brandonsfuturewife07

S always has a separate meal.

i try to offer him what we're having, or even try to give him new stuff, and he throws it all over the place or chews it up and spits it out.

he pretty much has the same repertoire for BLD:  toast w/ a spread (PB or J) & a fruit for breakfast, cheese & fruit for lunch (except now he is refusing that & eating only goldfish or some other cracker), ham & cheese quesadilla with veggie and yogurt for dinner.

it is driving me crazy, especially when i go out of my way to make new things for him to try.  sandwiches--all over the floor.  mac & cheese (he used to LOVE)--you guessed it.  sweet potato fries, fish, spaghetti, etc etc..

they all end up in the dog's tummy or in the trash.

lucylea

Smores730:

I grew up with the rule that if you don't like dinner you've got 2 choices: cereal and milk or a sandwich (both of which you're making yourself.)

I grew up with this rule too, only we could also chose leftovers (yuck).  DD has been eating what we eat since 10 months and I have not once made a separate meal for her and have no intention of starting now.   I do make sure she has a fruit or veggie that she likes with the meal, but we are also eating that so its not special.  Yes, she has gone an evening only eating beans and oranges, but she didn't starve overnight. :-)

mrsmorris1

brandonsfuturewife07:

S always has a separate meal.

i try to offer him what we're having, or even try to give him new stuff, and he throws it all over the place or chews it up and spits it out.

he pretty much has the same repertoire for BLD:  toast w/ a spread (PB or J) & a fruit for breakfast, cheese & fruit for lunch (except now he is refusing that & eating only goldfish or some other cracker), ham & cheese quesadilla with veggie and yogurt for dinner.

it is driving me crazy, especially when i go out of my way to make new things for him to try.  sandwiches--all over the floor.  mac & cheese (he used to LOVE)--you guessed it.  sweet potato fries, fish, spaghetti, etc etc..

they all end up in the dog's tummy or in the trash.

I take some comfort in knowing other moms are dealing with this.  My dd has been doing the exact same thing.  Just when I think I know her favorite foods, she starts chucking the across the room.  It's frustrating to say the least.

LucyGoosey81

DS has eaten what we eat for the past 2 1/2 months.

faBriezy

hahaha to DS eating what we eat for dinner. Yeah, not my kid. Hes an insanely picky eater and he throws foods he doesnt like to the dog and cries. Add to that my DH gets home from work late, usually right around A's bedtime, so we usually eat after that. So DS eats his own dinner probably 5 nights a week but our dinner isnt even cooked at that time so its not like he has rejected our dinner and now I'm making him something new. On the nights where he eats with us, I will usually give him some of our dinner along with some fruit so he at least eats something.

tqsbride

DS was eating what we were eating up to 2 months ago and then suddenly refused our food.  Now, I end up making separate things--nothing major, just frozen veggies and skinless chicken nuggets or spaghetti.  Now he's getting picky about that. He's had spaghetti or some form of pasta every night for the past 5 nights.  Everything else gets thrown off of his tray.  I'm ready to tear my hair out.

wareto

We offer him whatever we're eating, wait a little, offer it again, but if he still doesn't want it, we give him something he'll eat-the old standbys are green beans, chicken nuggets, yogurt or a hot dog, nothing that takes alot of time. We often all wind up eating what he's eating-grilled cheese and such for everyone. He's a little on the small side so I certainly wouldn't just skip meals with him.

Madringal

What we have for dinner tonight is what DD has tomorrow.  Since I dont get home from work until 6ish, while I make dinner, DH feeds her last nights left overs.  So yeah, she only eats what we eat.  Breakfast is different since I never make breakfast, just cereal or yougart.  DD will eat a banana and yougart or maybe cottage cheese.

IckyThump

We give DS what we're eating, unless we're having take out or something really not good for him (that we probably shouldn't be eating either). Growing up with a super-picky brother has prepared me for dealing with DS when he decides not to eat. I completely follow that "eat what I make - no substitutions" rule. I'm already over making DS four separate meals and to see what, if anything, he eats. If he doesn't eat dinner, then I guess he'll eat a great breakfast!

I guess I'm just a mean mommy.

LoriFalce

IckyThump:

We give DS what we're eating, unless we're having take out or something really not good for him (that we probably shouldn't be eating either). Growing up with a super-picky brother has prepared me for dealing with DS when he decides not to eat. I completely follow that "eat what I make - no substitutions" rule. I'm already over making DS four separate meals and to see what, if anything, he eats. If he doesn't eat dinner, then I guess he'll eat a great breakfast!

I guess I'm just a mean mommy.

Agreed, Ick.

I make pretty diverse meals. I won't be a "clean your plate" mom. He won't have to eat everything served, but he's going to have to find something on the table to eat because there won't be anything else made.

The sandwich or cereal thing might seem okay...but I had a cousin that ate nothing but Fruity Pebbles until he was 15.

secuccaro

For the most part, yes, he eats what we eat.  Cereal, waffles, eggs for breakfast.  Lunch is at his DCP and he eats whatever they serve - soft tacos, pasta, meatballs, etc.  Dinner he eats chicken A LOT because he loves it and I always have it around.  Mac and cheese too.  He also always has cheese and crackers at dinner and yogurt and fruit as an afternoon snack.

It does help that he is pretty open to new things and he likes a lot of stuff.  Tonight I made sloppy joes and he ate the bun with some butter and I fed him the filling with a fork and he really liked it.