Completely Lost It At Meal Time Today! So Fed Up With Picky Eaters!!

[Country Kids]

Oh, okay...that explains alot then...

Here, the food program says I only need have the correct portions AVAILABLE (not necessarily on their plates) so that cuts down on waste right there. Also, I can have kids eat at all sorts of different paces and they are not required to all be doing it at the same time (just within the time frame of when I said lunch/snack would be).

I can also serve each and every kid a separate meal as long as each meal meets the required meal components. I can do left overs (Not food from others'plates) and oftendo on Fridays. But again, as long as the food meets the meal requirements.

The food program confuses me in that each state, area, community, sponser...whatever....seems to do things differently even though the food program is a Federally funded one.

I have often wondered why the rules are different! Especially the things the schools can serve and we can't, makes me made sometimes.

[Cat Herder]

This is what I've been wanting to but a few questions I have!

What do you do with the ones that won't eat the veggies? I have one that starts the minute I say lunch time carrying on because of veggies-they are even this way about fruit=

Do you serve the next thing or do you have them eat what is on their plate?

I don't play into it, at all. No eye contact if they are being obnoxious, no discussion. I serve each item, in order, for each kid, everytime.

If they don't eat most the first servings of everything (other than a KNOWN TRUE DISLIKE), they don't get seconds of anything.

I currently only have one child who will not eat green beans (gags, cries REAL tears, BUT used to try). He will rip your hand off for broccoli, turnip greens or brussel sprouts....so I make a bit of those on green bean days. They are better for him, anyway.

If it turns into a tantrum disrupting everyone else from eating...they just go to their napmat until they are ready to come back to the table. If they miss lunch, they miss lunch. It would be a RARE occurrence with snack following nap, anyway.

[Kim]

I'm on the food program too and only put a little on their plates at a time so I'm not wasting food. I guess it could be considered family style only the large container of whatever I'm serving stays on the counter- not within reach of germy little hands. If they want more I have more available and will serve it to them.
I also have a rule that nothing negative is to be said at the table. If you don't like something- fine, don't eat it but there is no need to say anything negative about the food on your plate because once one kid says it's gross they all think it's gross. It's a part of practicing polite table manners.

[christinaskids]

I have the opposite problem! Most of my kids seem to eat too much. The hubs was arguing with me that a four year old that was still complaining of hunger after eating two whole grilled cheese, fruit, and two serving of soup should have more. Haha. If the little ones are pucky, i swerve what im supposed to in teeny portions and if they dont eat, then they can wait til snack. If someone misbehaves or complains or says yuck, then they immediately get down and wait for the other kids to get done before they can eat. Always only happens once.