WWYD - when DC starts to beg for your food?

[kaylinsmommy2]

Maybe we shouldn't eat dinner as a family anymore! ;) Last night, DD ate the same dinner as DH and me - just veggies and meat cut up a bit, plus rice. She finished up her rice (and nothing else) and pointed at the rice on my plate and grunted/whined. What do I say? Should I just give it to her (and chance her not eating any veggies/meat) or should I not share (and chance her trowing a fit and then maybe not eating anything for dinner at all)?

Last time I posted about not wanting to give her a cookie during breakfast and everyone said to just put the cookie box away and tell her she can't have cookies right now. But now it's dinner and there's rice in front of her (on my plate, though).

Thanks!
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

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[mapg]

I read somewhere that kids know how much of something they need, and while it may seem like they aren't eating enough variety, if you look at it over the course of a week, they've gotten what they need. I tried to make the choices healthy and let them decide what they wanted. Neither of my kids were big meat eaters, but they liked veggies, so I never really pushed. And at ten and almost 4, neither is picky in comparison to most kids I know. Cookies at breakfast is different than wanting more of one thing than another... I think it is great you eat as a family, keep it up.
Good luck,
MA

[bluestar2]

DC used to do this before they learned to say "more RIIICCCEEE!!!!" LOL. I would encourage them to eat some meat or veggies by eating some myself and making a big fuss about how good it is, but if they insist on rice, then I will give them a bit more, preferably from the pot rather than my plate. I've found that some meals they will eat everything, some only one food or the other, so I don't stress too much about it. I serve mostly healthy foods so I know whatever it is they're eating a ton of is good for them and luckily they are great eaters. DD will eat just about anything I give her. We do, however, eat the same meal so they don't think what we're eating is better than what they are eating. I don't break out the fruits they love so much until after they eat dinner and are supposedly full. They've eaten like four tangerines after they were "full" LOL.

[g-mama]

We serve many meals where one or both of our boys will eat only one of the items. I don't sweat it because I can't make them eat what they don't want and if they're willing to eat something I've put out, I'm happy about that. So yes, there have been meals where the kids eat only rice or only mashed potatoes, for example.

Like a pp said, I'd prefer to give them more from the pot than off my plate. I've gotten very tired of sharing everything I eat with them and have begun to realize it's my right to eat my own food - lol!


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
and a *THIRD BOY* coming in December '05

[kaylinsmommy2]

Right - I thought that if I served the same food for everyone, then DD wouldn't beg for my food. But apparently that isn't so. :) I can't wait for her to be able to say the word "riiiicccceee". I'm sure I'll hear it a lot. Oh well. Good thing your kids like fruit. What a great thign to have for dessert!

Good point about giving DD more from the pot and not my plate - she should learn that she can't always eat off of my plate. :)
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

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[kaylinsmommy2]

Wouldn't it be nice if my food were just my own? And my bathroom time was for only one person? And that I could take a shower without anyone yelling on the other side of the door? Hee hee. Someday I'll have my life back. I guess until then, I might lose some of this baby weight sharing my food? :)

But you're right. I'll give her food out of the pot next time. And I'll just let DD eat all rice for dinner. Which is weird, since I always did not want to eat the rice when I was a kid - it's so plain!
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

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[kaylinsmommy2]

Thanks for the encouragement. It sounds like it worked out well for you to get your kids to be healthy eaters. Next time I'll just let her eat as much rice as she wants, since it's relatively healthy.
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

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[bcky2]

ok, the part about the bathroom made me think of something from thanksgiving. my mom went into the bathroom and my older ds kept asking me where grandma went. i finally said that she is in the bathroom and to go ahead and bang on the door, she is used to it :) my poor mom, she still cant go to the bathroom alone.

as for the food issue. whatever my boys will eat out of a meal is fine with me, just as long as it is all healthy. i then sit there and eat the items that they wont touch and make a huge deal out of how good it is and that usually makes them eat a little of it ;)

[karolyp]

Could you try mixing the veggies/meat in her rice?

I say this bc my DD is a yogurt addict and I find myself mixing all kinds of stuff in her yogurt just so she can eat it. Whatever works right?

[kedss]

yeah, bathroom for one! sounds like a dream. :)
Like PPs have said, I would give her more rice, but suggest she try the other things too. If she doesn't she doesn't, she will make up for the other food later in the week. :)

my DS loves rice too! Esp the stick rice from chinese restaurants!

[kaylinsmommy2]

We at rice again last night, and I did try this - to mix her veggies and food into her rice (so it looked like fried rice). Now it just took longer for her to eat diner since she had to pick out single grains of rice to eat separtely! :) She must REALLY like rice to work that hard! I'm not sure I'd even work that hard for chocolate. LOL
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

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[nfowife]

From Ellyn Satter's (Child of Mine) website:
How to Parent Your Toddler with Respect to Feeding

* With feeding as with everything else, your toddler needs structure and limits.
* Have 3 meals a day at set times. Give sit-down snacks at set times.
* Do not short-order cook.
* Have family meals. Sit with her and eat your own food. Talk and Listen. Be good company.
* Say no when she begs for food or drinks between eating times, except for water.
* Dish out 1 or 2 tablespoons of each food. Let her have more of any food if she wants.
* Let her serve herself and eat her way—fast or slow, much or little, 1 or 2 foods.
* Turn off the TV so you can enjoy being together

[kaylinsmommy2]

Thanks, that's really helpful. I've been meaning to read that book - it's on my library list for months! :(

I thought I had also read from a previous thread, that, if you have a picky eater, you can give them a little bit of what they like to eat, but then also offer other items and encourage them to try some of the other foods, too. It wasn't clear if I should give more of the items that she does like or just let her only eat the food she likes. We have healthy foods for dinner, so it's not like I'm too worried.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!! I really appreciate it
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

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[amp]

Personally, when our kid wants more rice, or something that's not totally junk/sugar (I realize it's a starch turing to sugar though), we tend to let him have more. I know he eats lots of fruit and his variety and food interest/intake varies from day to day, so I don't sweat it that much if he wants more of something we are eating as a family. Does that mean he won't eat his veggies....he won't eat them anyway, and I guess I know that I'm at least offering it. And it's not like I'm giving him ice cream instead of fruit, right? I tend to trust that his belly is hungry and to let him have more of the food we're eating.