Sounds like our house. It's hard not to worry. I find myself using the lure of dessert as an incentive. I don't know if that's the healthiest thing, but the "dessert" is always healthy, some blueberries for example. Or her gummy vitamin.
The thought occurs to me, try something so "out there", so foreign, that the kid will run back to the meatloaf out of relief! ;D Baba ganoush, or moo goo gai pan (which really isn't all that exotic, but you get the idea). And then who knows, our children may surprise us and turn out to love hummus and paneer palak!
If my kids don't like what I serve, they are allowed to prepare their own meals. At 7 she can prepare simple dishes like spaghetti, salad, sandwich, tuna salad, etc..
This teaches them self sufficiency, life skills, the ability to assert their own needs, and keeps food disorders at bay.
Eating disorders can often be about control. Withholding food, forcing kids to eat, and removing food options can foster unhealthy relationships with eating and leave a kid powerless. In the right circumstances, its ripe fodder for such disorders.
I understand that much. I was mainly asking how having kids make their own food accomplishes that. I agree that it's a great way to promote self sufficiency. I've never heard it specifically referenced as a way to prevent disorders. I'm not at all disagreeing with you, just trying to understand. I don't know a lot about this type of thing as my kids are really young, but I can see that option helping or hurting depending on the situation.
Why not keep her food from dinner on the table and when she gets hungry later she can eat more of it (or put it in the fridge if it's going to be too long). Or serve her half as much as you normally do and put half in another container that you save for later.
What is it she likes to eat when she doesn't eat her dinner? Does she ask for junk food or is she eating fruit or other healthy snacks?
Not allowing junk is one thing. Not being a short order cook is reasonable. Rules like "you must take at least one bite of each thing on the plate" or "you must stay at the table until others are done" are a decent compromise but trying to get a child to finish the plate in front of them or be unable to eat for the rest of the day is unhealthy both physically and emotionally.
This is what we do with my 7 year old son, who will randomly decide he suddenly doesn't like broccoli, or fish, or lasagna, or whatever else he doesn't feel like eating, heh. But then he will want 'dessert' or 'a snack' 10 minutes later. We have saved his dinner a time or two when he's told us he is full after one bite of food. Our aim is to just get him to eat a reasonable amount of varied dinner foods before anything else. It usually works. We try not to battle over it; just, these are the rules, you have to eat some of everything, no fighting, and we will save it for later if you're not hungry right now. We don't force him to eat things he's tried and consistently hated.
I pack her lunch, its usually half a pbj, carrots, fruit and crackers. So I know she has a big lunch, for breakfast she isn't too hungry, so its usually just toast and milk. She says she's hungry until she sits down and sees what dinner we're having for dinner. I try not to get frustrated at the table, but it would be nice to make so meals that aren't pasta based or a burrito!
I wonder how often you know from previous experience that you are serving foods that you know that she is not going to eat. I have a friend that serves tofu once a week knowing that her family won't eat it. I always wondered why?
Well, that would be a waste of my time and not get us anywhere! We try out new foods, she doesn't like all of her favorites all the time, it seems her preferences are always changing...
Most seven year olds are picky. within reason and balanced nutrition I always gave my kids what they liked, my oldest disliked cooked veggies but would eat most raw, all three wouldn't eat cabbbage but they like Brocciloli as two examples.
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The thought occurs to me, try something so "out there", so foreign, that the kid will run back to the meatloaf out of relief! ;D Baba ganoush, or moo goo gai pan (which really isn't all that exotic, but you get the idea). And then who knows, our children may surprise us and turn out to love hummus and paneer palak!
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This teaches them self sufficiency, life skills, the ability to assert their own needs, and keeps food disorders at bay.
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What is it she likes to eat when she doesn't eat her dinner? Does she ask for junk food or is she eating fruit or other healthy snacks?
Not allowing junk is one thing. Not being a short order cook is reasonable. Rules like "you must take at least one bite of each thing on the plate" or "you must stay at the table until others are done" are a decent compromise but trying to get a child to finish the plate in front of them or be unable to eat for the rest of the day is unhealthy both physically and emotionally.
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She says she's hungry until she sits down and sees what dinner we're having for dinner. I try not to get frustrated at the table, but it would be nice to make so meals that aren't pasta based or a burrito!
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