I have 2 dck's, siblings that come here and the first thing out of their mouths is:

I dont know what to play with.

Whats for snack? is it something I like?

I dont know what to play with now!

Whats for lunch? Is it something I like.

Everyday, all day. Its driving me nuts and I just feel really irritated today.

I cannot wait for September when they all go to grade one.

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How old is each child?

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Dcb is 6, Dcg is 4. Mostly from the boy do I hear this.

I swear all they do is play video games at home.

They just dont know how to play.

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I dont know what to play with.

Go play toys

Whats for snack?

Go play toys.


is it something I like?

Go play toys

I dont know what to play with now!

Go play toys

Whats for lunch?

Go play toys

Is it something I like.

Go play toys



Rinse and repeat

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Go play toys really does work! That's what I do now and all the kids have started saying it to each other lol

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I swear to you nannyde that is what I tell them.

He will still find a way to ask the same question a different way.

This is the kids where the little girl refuses to talk to me, and when she does it's rude.

They only like certain food, certain toilet paper, certain everything.

I am really losing my patience with them. They tell me my house smells, my food stinks, ect, ect.

Today I made speghetti without ground beef cause he doesnt like ground beef.

He sits down to eat and says whats this? A peice of tomato. I dont like tomatoes.

Kill me now.

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And what a waste of good food.

Now they all refuse to eat it.

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for the food, I would literally put two bites worth on their plates.

"I dont like this"

"oh, well (taking plate away), that's too bad (sympathetic look), "You may be excused then. Please grab a book and sit on the couch until lunch is over".

neeeextt....

snack time....same thing

lunch the next day, serve the same da** thing!

"Hey, I said I don't like this.."

Oh, well (taking plate away), that's too bad (blank look).....you may be excused then.

You only have to offer it, and have enough available. If they don't eat it, then that't their choice. A few days of everyone walking away with a grumbling tummy will make them think twice the next day. Also...saying ewwwww or yuuuuck will get you excused around here.

When mom comes in the door, and they immediately say "I'm HUNGRY', you say "oh, I sure wish you would have tried that yummy spaghetti we had for lunch today!". Do you post your menus? I have a dry-erase board that I put mine on daily (because I don't plan in advance), that says "today's specials' like a restaurant.

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Quite a few of my Preschoolers think they don't like something when they come to my Preschool.
They are misinformed. I gently let them know that they LOVE XYZ . Love it, I tell you.

One from lunch today:
"I don't like crust."
" Oh YES! Crust! We LOVE crust at Preschool!"


I don't get much fussing. All of mine are ages 3 (newly 3) to 5 (nearly 6).

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I dont post menus, I dont really have a place to put it at my front door.

When I did this at my old house the parents would make comments like oh look your having such and such for lunch.

Then they would look at me and say good luck trying to get them to eat it.

It's not all my DCKs, just these two. I have mentioned this to the parents and they just say sorry they are picky.

Even when I am making dinner for my family, these two DCKs comment on how disgusting it smells.

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"That smells!"
"At daycare, we say THAT SMELLS DELICIOUS! "

"That stinks!"
"At daycare, we say OH YUMMY! "

"That smells GROSS!"
"At daycare, we say THAT SMELLS GREAT! "

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Friend they just got your number. They know how to niggle ya and they gotcha good.

Stop talking to them about food. Don't mention it to the parents.

When they say something smells gross tell them "EXCELLENT... go play toys" They don't like tomatoes "you rock " now get up and go play toys.

You need to dedicate every breath in your body to get those kids to GO PLAY TOYS. They are just engaging you and they can feeeelllll with every que you give them that they gotcha. They are INSISTING that you DO them. When you DO them make sure it is GO PLAY TOYS.

Now you have to learn the art of "go play toys"

You start with "go play toys"
then you go to "go play toys"
then you go to "go play toys"
then go to "go play toys"
then go to "go play toys "

They need to be off entertaining themselves and not worrying a minute about what you are cooking for supper. It's none of their beeswax. They are engaging you SO much that it's obvious they don't GET how to play with other little KIDS with TOYS. The bests gift you can give them that will help them in their school and their relationships with other kids is the gift of free play with KIDS and as little adult as supervised play requires.

Gift em.

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I love this advice. I have 3 dcks that DON'T know how to play. And they want my involvement in everything. I've been using that line a lot lately after seeing it here. At first I felt guilty, but I realize it's not me trying to ignore them, it's (trying) to teach a lesson. It's so sad that kids don't know how to play and use their imaginations!

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You start with "go play toys"
then you go to "go play toys"
then you go to "go play toys"
then go to "go play toys"
then go to "go play toys "



It does work. In that order.

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I've never thought about the fact that none of the daycare kids ever ask about what is for snack, Lunch, etc. They may have when they first started, and my answer was likely...I don't know yet, we'll have to wait and see. I usually plan what we are having for lunch at breakfast, and snack planning happens during naptime. When they don't get an answer, I guess they learn to stop asking!

And the only one I have any problems getting to eat the food I serve (think heavy on the veggies and fruits and natural) are my own. Go figure.

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I LIKE your style!

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If you had a nickel for every time someone here uses "go play toys", I'm sure you would make a bundle! excellent concept, easy to understand, easy to execute.

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