Learning to "wait"

spainy17 · May 2014

OK so I know our LO's are already in the beginning of the tantrum phase. I ignore most tantrums, calmly explain what is going on, or sing/etc. to distract. If it is something we need to do (i.e diaper change) I just whip through it and just get it done.

However i am lost at what to do with the hungry screeching. It can be me making the food and not getting it to her fast enough or if I am prepping it and she wants a certain food. I have tried to distract her during food prep or give her some food to tide her over but seriously. I use the same phrase "hold on" and show her that mom is getting her food ready but it just turns to a screech and I want her to learn how to wait and I know it is early but I don't want to be feeding the screeching behavior.

DCKate · May 2014

I hear you. DD will get antsy and crabby while I'm making meals, Nd it's hard to make dinner with a flailing and screeching kid on your leg.

I also don't want food to always be the answer, but I have a couple of suggestions.. First, could you offer a snack while you prep the meal? For example, I will put a few apple or pear slices in a small bowl for her to snack on and stay busy with. We also bought fridge magnets, and DD loves them. They are different kinds of animals, and I will ask her to find the cow, lion, etc. finally, I usually give her a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon to bang on. None of these keeps her busy for long, but it does keep her occupied long enough that I can get the food on her tray.

Hang in there!

brachysira · May 2014

One of M's first words was "hot" because we'd always tell her she had to wait before we could give her some because it was "hot." Now she points to food we have and says "hot." Usually I just let her watch Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I prepare lunch. If she's flipping out, I do like pps and put her in her high chair with some rinsed berries or puffs while I make lunch.

Wild_flower25 · May 2014

they dont' understand it until closer to 2 or 3 I think, so you just have to ignore it if you're doing everything you can. But I do know how frustrating it is. Sometimes I'll just put her in her chair with a bowl of applesauce and that keeps her occupied until the food is ready.

jobiann · May 2014

Thank goodness it's not just my LO. DS always throws tantrums at meal time, he has no patience to wait for me to finish making his food. Usually DH tries and run interference but if that doesn't work I just let DS go, I explain to him what I'm doing but I no longer pick him up. He just tries to get between me and the cabinets but I just keep making our food until I'm done and then we sit down and eat. Sometimes putting him in his chair with some fruit or some bread pieces works...but usually for only as long as it takes for him to eat that and then he continues to scream but even louder because now he is confined in his high chair!

ReeceFamily · May 2014

DD is transitioning to the toddler room at daycare - which has been difficult because of her separation anxiety from her infant room teachers. They were all excited the other day because she ate lunch in the toddler room and was banging on her tray impatiently for food, just like all the other toddlers! So they saw it as a sign of her growing and developing, LOL.