https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:57:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-discipline-at-mealtimes#post-1525758 Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:50:44 +0000 winniebee 1525758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I let my son choose where he wants to sit and try to talk to him and include him in conversation. And ignore him when he cries or yells. He cries through dinner at least once a week. He wants to get down and eat on the run. He's 22 months.</p> <p>Sounds like you have all the right ideas! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-discipline-at-mealtimes#post-1525699 Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:40:37 +0000 merriment 1525699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi there,<br /> I could really really use some advice. The past two weeks my sweet LO (25 months old) has turned into a screaming lunatic at mealtimes. She isn't interested in eating and she isn't interested in allowing DH and I to eat. She only wants to play with us.<br /> A few things we have tried (with limited success):<br /> 1. switching her from a high chair to a booster so she's more clearly at the table with us.<br /> 2. giving her more time between arrival home from daycare and the start of dinner (I admit it is a lot to ask her to sit in the car for a while on the drive home from day care and then ask her to sit down for a meal), so we have pushed dinner back by an extra 20 minutes or so to allow her additional playtime.</p> <p>But the yelling! Yesterday, she just stood next to my chair and screamed while DH and I tried to ignore her and eat. After about 15 minutes she calmed down and walked over to her play kitchen, but then she kept asking for us to play. By that time I had sucked down my meal and, she was calm, so I asked her to say "please" and then went to play with her.</p> <p>Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm so worried that I'm just completely messing this up and am going to wake up in six months or a year with a terrible, super spoiled crazy toddler.</p> <p>Also...any book recommendations would be helpful....I worry we aren't as consistent as we should be and I think we could use some guidance...</p> <p>Thanks so much!!!!! </p>