Skipping breakfast

monlyn9

Would you let your almost 3yo skip breakfast? This morning DS got up and we watched some tv in my bed while waiting for DD to wake up. He had a cup of milk during that time but when DD got up, DS did not want to sit and eat. DD is now done eating and they are both off playing happily. Would you force him to eat or let it go. He has in the past said he didn't want breakfast but ended up sitting at the table and eating when the time came without argument. I don't want to start a pattern.

superaunt

mine is not much of a breakfast eater (on weekends, at least) but i do make sure to sit her down for something- cereal, yogurt, pancakes. it's not usually till after she's been up for several hours though, but like you, i don't want to start a habit of skipping breakfast since i do feel it's an important meal.

dragon_chica

You may want to skip that morning milk.  Milk is very filling so that could be why he's refusing breakfast.

brewcitybride

I always offer a healthy breakfast, and my 3 yo usually eats something (a greek yogurt or a banana and milk, etc.) But, I don't force her to eat anything because that doesn't work with her. If she doesn't want breakfast, which is rare, she'll eat a big morning snack or lunch, or both. Toddlers don't actually need as much food as most people think they do - their growth starts to slow down a bit from when they were babies, and their tummies are still pretty small. I wouldn't worry unless my 3 yo didn't want to eat anything all day long. But I would still offer a healthy breakfast, in your case...

lite-bright

I'd let it go. Some days are different than others in terms of eating, and a onetime occurrence doesn't = starting a pattern. My pedi said that as long as my kids are getting one decent meal a day, not to be surprised if they eat lightly otherwise. Another eating advice thing I follow is that I get to choose what is served; my kids choose whether to eat it and how much. 

It's a stage that lasts awhile. When DD2 hardly touches her breakfast, she usually makes up for it during her mid-morning snack or at lunch. If she drinks milk, she generally eats less. I think that forcing a kid to eat when they aren't hungry puts them out of touch with their own sense of hunger, and that's no good. Most kids will regulate their own calorie intake pretty sensibly if they're allowed, within reason, to follow their own hunger cues and offered good food to choose from.