Parenting

Dinner time WOES!

I hate dinner time here. 

I get out of work by 3:30-4ish, and by the time I get home with Reese it is 4:30. DH doesn't get in until 7, which means I make dinner for Reese and we eat together.  DH eats when he comes home usually.

I try to make the dinners quick and easy and healthyish. (pre-roasted chicken, soup, pork chops, etc---things that don't take a lot of time).

However as soon as Reese sets foot in the house, she is hungry and wants to eat. (and of course dinner isn't ready yet). If I give her a snack, she BARELY touches her dinner. If I skip the snack and have dinner ready at 4:30 (which never happens) she eats her dinner.

For example tonight we got in at 4:30. She wanted to eat. Dinner wouldn't be ready until about 515/530. It was cream of zucchini soup, pork chops and stuffing. (pork chops and stuffing are one of her top 5 meals). I gave her a snack of milk, strawberries and carrots. She barely touched dinner.

She usually won't eat before bed again either (doesn't want too). We try to make her drink a full cup of milk at least. But she will wake up around 5am-6am STARVING. 

I am at a loss. Any ideas? 
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My daughter is my hero.
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Re: Dinner time WOES!

  • Can you pack a little snack and ask your daycare provider to give it to her around 2:30/3?
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  • We were running into some similar issues. I found that certain snacks are light enough to keep them hungry. Pickles are a good one for that.

    As far as dinner goes, I try to crockpot as much as possible. Skinnytaste has several good recipes. That way if the snack just isn't going to work, dinner is ready. 
    Twin girls ~ 2011
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  • Can you pack a little snack and ask your daycare provider to give it to her around 2:30/3?
    My kid is seriously a hobbit. For example today she had: graham crackers with almond butter & jam on it (at 5:30am), mini bagel with butter at 7am, oatmeal at the baby-sitters, waffle as a snack around 10am, a bowl of chicken noodle soup for lunch, an apple as an afternoon snack. Came home had about 10 strawberries and a bowl of baby carrots as a snack then had a few bites of dinner. 
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    My daughter is my hero.
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  • @katnhiding @twolittledogs

    We do the light snack, fruit or raw veggies and even eating that will make her not hungry for dinner. 

    *sighs*
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    My daughter is my hero.
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  • My little guy flips out while I'm making dinner, too. I almost never give him a snack, I just let him cry at my feet with promises that food is coming soon. (I'm such a meanie.) And he still doesn't eat a lot at dinner. Breakfast and lunch that kid can pack the food away, but by dinner, he has a really small (but insistent appetite). Could that be the case with her as well?
  • I'll try to lessen the carrots and strawberries. ;) And see if that helps. Also try more leftovers for her. 

    We try not to have her eat in the car, so I don't like snacks in the car on the way home. 
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    My daughter is my hero.
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  • Not sure what time bedtime is but could you do a light snack when you get home and then push dinner until 6ish. My DD is similar but fortunately doesn't wake up hungry when she doesn't eat. She usually needs 2hours from when she ate last to eat dinner. If that isn't an option I find frozen peas and corn are the best predinner snack for her. Because they are frozen she eats slower.
    DD Nov 2010 ~ DS June 2012
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