What Would You Do???

[momma2girls]

Like Nan, I don't really care whether or not a child eats the food he/she is offered. I know it may sound kind of mean, but it's really not. The children are given the food and they can choose to eat it or refuse it, but if they refuse it, then no more food is offered until the next meal or snack time. I don't get attached to the outcome. If a child refuses to eat, then it's their tummies that will be rumbling when the other kids have full tummies. It's a lesson in making choices and dealing with the consequences.

I have learned the same way, I really don't care, if they sit and stare at the food, I just let all know, you are really going to be hungry, if you do not eat anything. My daycare children always eat everything right up. On the other hand when I do daycare fillins, is a different story. I know one daycare provider only feeds the little boy stuff he will eat, same thing over and over. I will not do that, and never will. Yuck!! Who wants to have mac. and cheese and sand. chicken nuggets over and over!!!!! I have a monthly menu, and I do not serve anything that isn't good, or I wouldn't serve myself.

[PositvityRuLes]

Love it!

"chowmation with dedication" ::

[professionalmom]

I usually don't have problems getting kids to eat. Often they tell me that I'm the best cook in the whole world and would keep eating until they are sick, if I let them. But I did have one VERY picky eater. I tried at least 30 different main dishes with him (based on my monthly menu) and he refused to even try a LICK of any of it. All he would ever eat were PB&J or bananas (per mom's advice). Well, I wasn't about to serve him that everyday. But he would come at 7:30am and be here until 10:30pm or later = 15 hr days. So, if he keeps refusing all day and hasn't eaten anything by 6pm - 7pm, I would break down and make a PB&J. I cringed at doing that, but I just COULDN'T let him go all day without something. The mom was the one that kept making a huge deal out of it everyday though. So, I think he was doing it because he was getting mom's attention for it.
I'm all for the "you eat what I serve or you don't eat" rule. But at what point do you break down and give in? Like I said, I tried to be tough, but 15 hrs with no food was too extreme for me.