If you’re a parent, you know how crucial it is for your little one to have a good meal to support their growth. However, dinnertime with toddlers can feel like a battlefield. My friend Lisa’s daughter seems to go on a hunger strike every afternoon, refusing to eat until the next day. Despite the well-meaning advice from friends and family to simply serve a meal your child enjoys, it’s not always that straightforward. Remembering my own childhood, I can relate; my brother would often doze off at the dinner table rather than take a bite!
So, here is a lighthearted guide on how to navigate feeding your toddler dinner in 18 simple steps:
- Prepare a meal you know your toddler will approve of—think buttered noodles (without any sauce!), chicken (but it better not look like chicken!), and peas (which must not touch anything else on the plate!).
- At the last moment, you decide to sneak a tiny piece of salad onto their plate, hoping to expand their culinary horizons.
- Place the meal in front of your toddler and instantly regret the salad decision, praying to the toddler deities (Dora, Daniel Tiger, and Elmo) that they won’t notice it!
- Of course, they notice the salad.
- Cue an emotional outburst. You now have two choices: A) Abandon the whole dinner plan and save your sanity. B) Stand your ground and teach your little one that saying things like “Yucky! Gross! Call Grandma!” is not appropriate.
- You decide to take the high road, feeling the pressure from those who expect a responsible parenting approach. After all, you don’t want your child to grow up thinking they can dictate dinner just because of a little salad!
- As you hold firm, expect several time-outs for your toddler in the next 45 minutes. But hey, guess what? It’s now time for the rest of the family to eat!
- You try to relish your meal amid the echoes of their sobs—painful to hear yet perhaps a sign they’re learning something valuable.
- You tell yourself this each night, hoping it’s true.
- As everyone else finishes their dinner, they clean up, do laundry, and enjoy some relaxation, while you’re still battling at the table.
- Finally, your toddler declares they’re full and suddenly desire dessert. How charming!
- You glance at their plate and notice they’ve consumed precisely zero bites of food.
- You find yourself saying, “You need three bites and a taste of the salad before dessert.” Sometimes you just open your mouth and out comes the voice of your mother.
- Your toddler, not quite grasping counting, shouts back, “No, five bites!”
- Your older child pipes up with, “But you know, five is more than…” and you give them that look—the one that says their screen time hangs in the balance.
- The family collectively avoids eye contact with the toddler, who refuses to eat while being watched, much like a shy giraffe.
- Miraculously, they manage to eat five bites (and even sample the salad!) all alone at the table three hours after everyone else has finished.
- And perhaps, just perhaps, they might earn a treat because you know that oatmeal is in those cookies and those calories might just keep them energized for another day!
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In summary, feeding a toddler can be a challenging yet amusing experience. By following these steps, you can navigate the dinnertime drama and hopefully encourage healthy eating habits along the way.