https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 14:36:37 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436640 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 13:02:09 +0000 Anagram 1436640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel like this thread needs all the child's ages, because I *think* some people who have posted have under 1's and some people have over 2's, so there's a big age gap.</p> <p>Anyway, my child refuses dinner all the time. But she's 7 months and isn't really into solids yet. ;-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436634 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 13:00:57 +0000 looch 1436634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I try not to panic because I know my son eats most of his calories during the day with a good breakfast, snack, lunch and afternoon snack.</p> <p>He's 3, but has been this way since 18 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436627 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 13:00:09 +0000 NovBaby1112 1436627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't worry about it too much. LO refuses her dinner a lot and starts throwing stuff on the floor, I usually just take her plate away and then give her a yogurt- which I know she will eat. One day she threw almost all her breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the floor. I figured she was probably not feeling good or teething so I didn't force it. I am def not going to make another meal to see if she will eat that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436610 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:57:18 +0000 regberadaisy 1436610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is almost 22 months and for months now if she refuses or picks at her dinner then that's it. Unless she whines for food later on then I might peel a fruit for her. But usually she just doesn't want to eat for whatever reason. The next morning she'll usually eat a huge breakfast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436569 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:52:45 +0000 Mamaof2 1436569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I guess I am a sucker - haha</p> <p>Before age 3 I would offer oatmeal or cereal before bed if they refused dinner 0 but after age 3 all bets are off - dinner is the next thing they eat before bed. If they refuse it then that's that. Usually my 5 yr old will refuse dinner then eat it 15 mins before bedtime JUST so he can have a snack food too </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436535 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:46:08 +0000 Smurfette 1436535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Blue: I was shocked when she wouldn't eat the pasta, usually that her favorite. It was a different kind but still. I was trying to avoid it cause she is eating so much lately. I know she was hungry cause I couldn't feed her the applesauce fast enough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436528 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:44:06 +0000 blackbird 1436528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't worry about doing it with an infant. I think toddlers push those boundaries and that's when I'll firm up with the whole "eat what you're given" mentality. I put like, 5 different things on E's plate and sometimes she doesn't eat well and I give her some yogurt or a chicken puree I know she likes. And sometimes she just isn't hungry, because she'll still refuse that. They have their moments, just like adults do. And we have had some meals where she eats a handful of something and then only wants some milk. </p> <p>I do find that while she might fight food in the beginning, if DH and I are eating something, she gets more interested in it because it's ours and I can often share what's on my plate with her, which she will happily eat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436521 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:41:20 +0000 MsLipGloss 1436521@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Blue: Same. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I will try a few different things, and if it doesn't work, I let it go.</p> <p>ETA: My LO is 17 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436510 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:39:14 +0000 hilsy85 1436510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This happens to us a few times a week...I'll usually offer the meal I made, and if he refuses it, Ill offer again in a little bit, and then offer fruit, but that's it. If he doesn't want those things, he doesn't eat anything else. I don't worry if he does it for 1 meal, since I've heard you should look at the week of meals instead of just 1 day's worth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436507 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:38:44 +0000 loveisstrange 1436507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I usually try to put something on her plate (usually cheese and fruit) that I KNOW she will eat, so at least she's eating something. Other than that, we don't give her anything else. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436505 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:38:41 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1436505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At this point, I just try a couple different things, and if they still don't eat well, I just let it go. If they're tired or crabby, they just don't eat well, and I don't think I can fault them for that but I'm not going to give them 83 choices either. When (not if, because I'm SURE we'll hit this stage eventually) they start refusing foods more consistently and they don't seem overly tired, etc., then we'll start being more adamant about eating what's put in front of you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436500 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:37:12 +0000 MamaMoose 1436500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Right around the time she turned 14 months. She always eats at least something... but she has started throwing food on the floor and so now as soon as she does her food gets taken away and dinner is over. And If she doesn't eat what she has, so be it. But in our case... she doesn't do it regularly so I know it's not going to hurt her to have a short meal every now and then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436499 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:37:07 +0000 Synchronicity 1436499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have a whole lot of experience with this - I have no kids of my own (yet!!), and the children I nanny eat VERY well. I'm mostly commenting to follow, as I was just having this conversation with a friend the other day. Growing up, I ate what everyone else was eating, or I didn't eat anything. There was nooooo way my parents were making separate meals for any of us (4 kids), so we all ate what we were told, and none of us grew into picky eaters. To this day we all eat very well. </p> <p>Why does it seem so much more common now for kids to be labeled as picky? Kids who will eat nothing but KD, hot dogs and chicken strips? I honestly don't get it. I know it may be easier said than done, but my plan is for my future kids to eat what we are eating, or nothing, as I was raised. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436494 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:35:51 +0000 Rubies 1436494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If D1 is being picky and being difficult for no apparent reason, I won't make her anything else except to offer her yogurt (which she loves). But that's it. I really do believe that if she's hungry she'll eat and sometimes I find that she's just not hungry for dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436487 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:34:30 +0000 cheert16 1436487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lil B did this last night. I ended up just giving him some yogurt (his favorite food that he would eat for every meal/snack if he could) so he would have something in his tummy before bed. No helpful advice- but I am in the same boat! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436484 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:34:13 +0000 Weagle 1436484@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When she started doing it on a regular basis. I know by 18 months she was capable of doing it in a manipulative way. She did it earlier, but I can't remember how much earlier. I just know that we stopped playing the game by 18 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-when-lo-wont-eat-dinner#post-1436477 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:31:53 +0000 Smurfette 1436477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>R fell asleep on the way home, so she was cranky when she woke up. I just made her a PB&amp;J sandwich, strawberries, and cheese for dinner. Well she didn't like that. She ate the cheese and then cried. So I heated up some pasta (which she always loves) well she didn't eat that. I ended up feeding her some applesauce cause I wanted her to eat something. </p> <p>But when do you stop giving in and teach them that they need to eat what they have? </p>