Meal Time Question

[Raidra]

Colwyn has been able to tell us he's full for quite some time. At first, I thought it was fantastic that he could communicate with us so well, but now I'm not so sure.

He usually tells us he's full several times throughout the meal, but can usually be cajoled into eating some more. I think "Full" has taken on the new meaning of "Let me get down" instead of "My stomach is full to bursting." So, I always have a hard time deciding when he's really full. It's usually when he refuses for more than a minute to eat anything else. I wash him up, let him get down, and we go off to play.

Then, anywhere from 5-20 minutes later, he tells me he's hungry again. I'm assuming this means he wasn't *really* full and is now really hungry again. So, would you feed him again, or tell him that he just had his breakfast and has to wait a little bit?

I don't want to get into the habit of letting him get down from the table and having to give him food again 5 minutes later, you know? But I feel bad telling him no, he can't eat right away.

[lisams]

DD also tells us she's "full" which usually means "get me the heck out of this chair because I spy something really fun I want to play with!" When she says she's full and I don't think she is I remind her that she doesn't get to eat until snack time and that it is a l-o-n-g time away. If she still says she's full I let her out (assuming she's eaten some of her meal) and if she asks for a snack soon after I tell her she has to wait until snack time (which is usally about 2 hours after a meal). I usually make it a little earlier because I don't want her to go that long being hungry (recipe for tantrums around here), but I do make sure she has to wait a little bit. Her new trick is telling us she really has to go potty halfway through a meal just to try and escape!

Lisa

[Hallie_D]

LOL! DS is doing the exact same thing. Now when he says he has to go "pee pee" DH says, "You can hold it until we are finished eating." So DS quickly figured out that he can say, "I have to go poop!" and we let him down right away.

When we are having dinner we don't let DS get down until we are all finished (except to go to the bathroom!) even if he says he is full and refuses to eat any more. When he then asks for more food 10 minutes after the meal, we tell him dinner is over. Since he naps right after lunch, it isn't as much of an issue. After breakfast we make him wait until snack time.