OK, so I have been jumping through hoops again with my son at meal time. Things are getting worse. I have been preparing 5 or 6 courses for lunch and dinner hoping he will eat something, anything. Unfortunately, the results have been poor. The scorecard from dinner last night: my 20-month old son refused to even try a bite of the eggs, slapped the spoon-full of peas onto the floor, and hucked the watermelon across the room. He finally landed on a few handfuls of puffs and some rice. As a friend told me, “he is not going to starve – sometimes you just have to say that’s it, the kitchen is closed.” In light of my recent frustration, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I was fortunate to read Lisa Belkin’s Motherlode blog post about Setting Mealtime Rules. If you need assistance on limit setting, this one is for the ages. Thanks to Matt for steering me this way.
To ensure the reader gets the full picture, here is a repost of Belkin’s enlightening entry in it’s complete form:
Kate Buckley is a stay-at-home mother of two “raucous” sons (the adjective is hers) who live in Adelaide Hills, Australia. She has a blog, “Eating the Daisies,” which she began after the family moved from the city to the suburbs and the boys kept trying to munch on the flowers.
Apparently there has been much discussion of eating at her house lately, because yesterday she posted the “Meal Policy at Buckley’s Bed & Breakfast.” The memorandum reads as follows:
To: Offspring
From: Management
Re: Meal Policy
Lately there seems to be some confusion regarding the Meal Policy at Buckley’s Bed & Breakfast.
For your clarification, we have reprinted it below.
You will note that there is a new section on ‘Snacks’. This was added after careful consideration and zero consultation.
All changes are effective immediately.
Meal Policy
• There will be one common dinner provided for all lodgers each night.
• You will eat it.
• We do not care if you do not like tomatoes.
• If you finish everything on your plate, you will get dessert.
• If, after tasting the dinner you cannot choke it down, you may (a) make yourself some toast or (b) try your luck at the neighbor’s; either way, dessert is off the cards.
• There will be no food or drink (other than water) issued once you have brushed your teeth; therefore, we would recommend eating a second serve — tomatoes or no tomatoes — at dinner time.
• Snacks will be available throughout the day.
• ‘Snacks’ are defined as: fruit, nuts and carrot sticks.
• If you really are starving, you will eat them.
Signed,
The Management
p.s. Management loves you. xoxoxo
What is the meal policy at your house?
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