Bear at dinner time

[john5111]

The past few weeks LO has just been a Bear at dinner time.  He used to sit just fine in his high chair and was content feeding himself etc.  Weve tried having him sit in a booster type chair at the table with us too instead of the high chair and that doesn't seem to help either.  If we let him scream hell just scream and cry and not eat anything...if he will sit on our lap hell eat fine.  Any suggestions of what to do.. I dont like giving in to him but having him not eat anything isnt good either.

Im wondering if hes just overtired or if its just a phase or what.  Any one else going through this?

[RiseAndWine]

We are going through something similar. He used to eat so well and gobble up all his dinner no matter what we were having. Now, he will sit with us for 2 minutes then say "all done!" and try to get up. He won't eat at all. We make him sit with us until we're done and is disruptive and sometimes screaming but usually can be preoccupied by a toy or by us constantly redirecting him. But he still won't eat. Then when we finally allow him to get down he is no sooner out of the chair than he is asking for a snack.
He is now waking up overnight or early in the mornings complaining he's hungry and asking for milk or apples or goldfish or whatever. I know it's because he's not eating a good dinner but I have no idea how to solve it!

[allydncr]

RiseAndWine just described my night to a T. Although DD is usually ok to sit in the highchair while we eat, as long as she has her binky. All she wants is snacks lately. I just try to keep healthy stuff on hand and figure that it evens out over time - some days she eats more for one meal than another, etc.

[pumpkinpeanut]

We are in the exact same boat. They want to sit in our laps for every meal. Usually we distract them with the food and they will get in their booster seats... But sometimes we have an all-out meltdown. I really don't want to make meal times a fight so I usually give in. I don't let them walk around with bites of food - I feel like that is a lasting habit whereas I really can't see them being 3 or 4 years old and wanting to eat in my lap.

[pumpkinpeanut]

^ occasionally I bribe them into their chairs with the promise of a snack bar or raisins or crackers with the main meal.

[mamamd]

We have been dealing with this too. It's worse on weekdays after daycare so I think exhaustion is a factor and she also really wants to just play with us when she gets home but we have to move the evening along because there's just not that much extra time. I have noticed that she's more prone to tantrums when we have to rush her into doing something. Regardless, I usually have to "bribe" her a little to get her into the highchair...letting her pick her bowl, fork, help push the chair over to the table. Sometimes she's fine once she gets into her chair, sometimes it's fussing/crying intermittently throughout dinner. I do a lot of "do you want to eat your peas with the spoon or your fingers?" type of redirecting. Sometimes giving choices for her to focus on helps. Sometimes not and we just rush through dinner (mostly I rush, the freak-outs don't seem to bother DH much). She usually will eat at least a little and drink milk so she hasn't been waking up hungry. DH is a big proponent of "if she's hungry, she'll eat" so I try not to stress about it (too) much.

[pumpkinpeanut]

mamamd, that sounds EXACTLY like us.

[Deleted]

Yepp LO is also going through this phase. Or I really hope it is a phase. She will eat a little then throw everything else on the floor and want to go down and play. Immediately after dinner she is at the pantry door wanting a snack. So frustrating!

[kashy]

Sometimes G hates sitting in his chair so I will set him on one of the "big boy" chairs (aka normal table chair) with a cushion to raise him up a bit and he thinks it's the shit and will be happy to eat. He sits really well this way, but one of us is always beside him to make sure he doesn't fall off. Sometimes though he will only eat a bit here and there no matter where he is sitting. If he says enough or all done I just take his plate away or else he just starts to fling food all over the place.

In fact we discovered he sits well in a normal chair when we go to someone's house for dinner because he hates his own chair at other places for some reason. So we just plopped him on a chair and he sat nicely.

[3timemom]

LO has been doing this a little lately. I usually just push his chair away from the table and he stays there until I'm done. Sometimes I can get him to eat a little more after a short break. I notice it mostly when we have something he doesn't really care for or is extra messy and I the to help feed him. He is very independent and doesn't want help for anything. He has been eating applesauce with his fingers because he is to stubborn to let me help him with the spoon. I just strip him down and let him go to town then clean him up. Almost half his plate ends on the floor though.