Meal Time, When Kids Play And Won’t Eat

[daycare]

so what do you other DCP do when a child does not eat their food?

I have a dck who every meal plays instead of eats. Talks and talks to no end. I remind the child daily to eat so that they will get play time before our lessons start. However, this child does not listen and will continue to just mess around. I normally would allow for this child to sit at the table alone and try to finish food, but that has now become a game too.

so today i said whoever finished their breakfast will get free play, but meal time is now over and if you did not finish you did not earn play time before class. The "problem eater" started screaming and actually tried to fight me not to take their plate of food away. I made the child sit with the group but the child did not get to play toys.

Part of me felt like this might not have been the right way to go about this, but I feel stuck. Nothing that I do works with this child and today was the first time that I feel I was taken serious. I am sure the child is hungry, but I gave the child 40 minutes (which is way too long) to eat an orange and a bowl of oatmeal.

suggestions please.

[snowball]

I would let the child have the allotted meal time, and then take his food away.

For example if you give 30 or 40 minutes for lunch, I would let him have that time. Once lunch is over it is over. So his food gets taken away and move onto the next activity. I would not take away free play time, I would carry on with my day.

You are offering him food, if he is hungry he will eat it.

[daycare]

I would let the child have the allotted meal time, and then take his food away.

For example if you give 30 or 40 minutes for lunch, I would let him have that time. Once lunch is over it is over. So his food gets taken away and move onto the next activity. I would not take away free play time, I would carry on with my day.

You are offering him food, if he is hungry he will eat it.

I have tried this before just remove food after meal time has passed and move on, but this child could not care less. they would just choose NOT to eat. I thought ok the child will eat at the next meal, NOPE, and so the day goes on like this... not to mention, that the childs behavior goes out the window when meals are not eaten........ugh

[littlemissmuffet]

In my house, after 30 minutes all plates are taken away (I only have issues with one of my current kids being a slow eater from time to time) - meal time is over and we go on with our day per usual.

There is a rule of "no chatting" during meal times because it causes major distraction and also causes the kids to talk with their mouths full of food, which is rude.
We ask eachother how our food is, ask for seconds, and make basic small talk - but there's no actual conversations during meal times. Works for us.

[littlemissmuffet]

I have tried this before just remove food after meal time has passed and move on, but this child could not care less. they would just choose NOT to eat. I thought ok the child will eat at the next meal, NOPE, and so the day goes on like this... not to mention, that the childs behavior goes out the window when meals are not eaten........ugh

Then they don't eat. Let the parents know the situation.
A child will eat if they get hungry enough.
I give milk when they won't eat and off they go.

[snowball]

I have tried this before just remove food after meal time has passed and move on, but this child could not care less. they would just choose NOT to eat. I thought ok the child will eat at the next meal, NOPE, and so the day goes on like this... not to mention, that the childs behavior goes out the window when meals are not eaten........ugh

How long did you try it for?

[3kidzmama]

I've always gone by the old saying "they'll eat when they're hungry".

Does this kid get junk at home? Is he/she fairly new to you? Maybe these are factors. How old is this child?

[daycare]

How long did you try it for?

weeks.. to my amazement this child has gone all day without eating or drinking anything at all when in my care.. I have talked to the parentsabout how dangerous this is but they dont give a hoot... they just say oh well they can eat when they get home...

the child has been here for over a year and the issue with this and other areas are getting worse by the week....

[laundrymom]

I don't focus on the behavior. I make them two plates with half serving on each, sit them first, each time I walk by I give them a scoop of something from the other plate. Then they think they are winning their game, they get some food, and no one is fighting.

[snbauser]

Here they are given a couple of warnings and then the plate is removed and they are removed from the table. There is no "rewards" or "punishments" after the fact. Simple cause and effect. If you are playing then you aren't hungry. And if you aren't hungry then you can move on. As long as the child isn't malnourished, then it's not worth the battle. If his parents don't see it as an issue then I wouldn't worry about it.

[daycare]

Here they are given a couple of warnings and then the plate is removed and they are removed from the table. There is no "rewards" or "punishments" after the fact. Simple cause and effect. If you are playing then you aren't hungry. And if you aren't hungry then you can move on. As long as the child isn't malnourished, then it's not worth the battle. If his parents don't see it as an issue then I wouldn't worry about it.

I guess this is where I cant just disregard this situation just because the parents dont care, because I do. I dont think that there is anything healthy about a child going all day without food or drink..

I try my best to make meal time fun for the kids by serving food I know they will eat, food that relates to out themes, and often read stories for them during meals.... I do give warnings that meal time will be over in 2 min and etc.

I dont make a big deal out of it, but when it comes down to this situation it gets me so crazed. we have weather that gets over 110 here in a few months and if this goes on, then I am really going to have issues, becuase the child will end up in the hospital from dehydration... the parents will care then right and it will be my fault..

this issue has been going on for months and is only getting worse and worse.. I dont know what to do with this child, because like I said this child has and will go all day with out consuming any food or liquids and I am not ok with this......

[Lilbutterflie]

I guess this is where I cant just disregard this situation just because the parents dont care, because I do. I dont think that there is anything healthy about a child going all day without food or drink..

I try my best to make meal time fun for the kids by serving food I know they will eat, food that relates to out themes, and often read stories for them during meals.... I do give warnings that meal time will be over in 2 min and etc.

I dont make a big deal out of it, but when it comes down to this situation it gets me so crazed. we have weather that gets over 110 here in a few months and if this goes on, then I am really going to have issues, becuase the child will end up in the hospital from dehydration... the parents will care then right and it will be my fault..

this issue has been going on for months and is only getting worse and worse.. I dont know what to do with this child, because like I said this child has and will go all day with out consuming any food or liquids and I am not ok with this......

As long as you are providing times throughout the day to eat and drink, it will NOT be your fault if this child becomes malnourished or dehydrated. You can't MAKE them eat or drink. If you are worried that you will start being blamed for malnourishment or dehydration; just start documenting.

For ex: if you send home a daily report (if you don't, maybe now is the time to start), write down the eating times and what was offered. Write down if the child ate or not. Save a copy of the report. Now you'll have something that will prove you are not the cause of ill health to this child.

Continue your communication with the parents and document each conversation. Ask them what the child is eating at home and how much. Ask what the child's favorite meal is, favorite snack, favorite drink, etc...

[squareone]

Here they are given a couple of warnings and then the plate is removed and they are removed from the table. There is no "rewards" or "punishments" after the fact. Simple cause and effect. If you are playing then you aren't hungry. And if you aren't hungry then you can move on. As long as the child isn't malnourished, then it's not worth the battle. If his parents don't see it as an issue then I wouldn't worry about it.

This what I do.

[WImom]

Here they are given a couple of warnings and then the plate is removed and they are removed from the table. There is no "rewards" or "punishments" after the fact. Simple cause and effect. If you are playing then you aren't hungry. And if you aren't hungry then you can move on. As long as the child isn't malnourished, then it's not worth the battle. If his parents don't see it as an issue then I wouldn't worry about it.

THis is what I do too.

[countrymom]

can you move him in the corner away from everyone and let him eat by himself. Like in your eating area, have a special area just for him. I found that sometimes I have to remove the child and they will eat.
Now, I started clamping down on food. I don't force anyone (like shovel it in their mouthes) but they do sit there till they are done. I don't care if they eat half their meals, but they have to eat and try all the food. I also found that kids play this game---don't eat main meal, but always room for snack. I don't do this anymore. The kids know that we eat and we don't mess around. I haven't had a problem with eat except alot of my kids don't eat fruit, but I think its because they don't get it at home.
I do care about what kids eat, because I believe that if they don't eat, they become horrible monsters. Also, most of my dck's eat junk at dinner that I would never serve what they eat here.
So stick to your guns, if he sits there for an hour, let him sit there, I sometimes sit there too and eat my lunch (my daycare room and dinning room are next to each other) I think he's so use to getting away with it, that he doesn't care anymore.