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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>S/O Picky Eaters Thread...If No One Eats Lunch
SilverSabre25 08:51 AM 01-18-2011
do you make something else? Pretty much no one is touching lunch today (they're all hungry, but just not eating what I made) and I'm feeling guilty that they'll all continue to be hungry until 3:30ish. My DD ate, but that's not unusual...the other two are 14 months and aren't eating...I'm not going to make something else but I'm feeling like I'm in the wrong for that.
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DaycareMomma 08:55 AM 01-18-2011
I would not feel bad if they are not eating. You are offering it to them. They have the choice to eat it or not.
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kendallina 08:59 AM 01-18-2011
If it's something that they don't usually have, then I might make something else (after I try multiple attempts to get them to eat). If it's something that they normally eat and they're just following a leader or something, then I wouldn't make anything else.

I just had this for snack the other day. The kids all made English muffin pizzas. They had a blast making them and they all tried them, but only one child ate a decent amount of it and no one else did. THey were all looking at me, like, "uhh...now what?" So I got out some oranges. It's a lot easier to prepare a second snack then a lunch, though.
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MommyMuffin 09:04 AM 01-18-2011
for my young toddler...who is a very picky eater. If he doesnt like what is for lunch I will give him a little something else..applesauce, cherrios but only after a decent amount of time to try the other foods. I'm so happy my 18m old likes my tator tot hotdish..yes!!
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MARSTELAC 09:13 AM 01-18-2011
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
do you make something else? Pretty much no one is touching lunch today (they're all hungry, but just not eating what I made) and I'm feeling guilty that they'll all continue to be hungry until 3:30ish. My DD ate, but that's not unusual...the other two are 14 months and aren't eating...I'm not going to make something else but I'm feeling like I'm in the wrong for that.
I refuse to make something else. I have a terrible time with lunch. I am switching to NO morning snack on Feb 1. Letters are going home today. I am only getting reimbursed for 3 of the 4 meal/snack services each day and think if I cut out morning snack then I might have a better chance of them eating their lunch! I will let you all know how that goes! I don't have the money to make a second lunch for those little picky eaters. I also find that the picky ones eat lots of junk food at home
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jen 09:26 AM 01-18-2011
I usually have between 3 to 5 different items on thier plate, I figure they are bound to like something. If not, then snack is at 3pm...
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JenNJ 09:45 AM 01-18-2011
No. But my dc kids in general are good eaters. I usually have at least 3-4 different items to eat at lunch and I make sure that everyone likes something. On the odd day that someone refuses to eat, I will give them fruit and yogurt after everyone else has finished so they aren't starving, but I do not prepare different meals for different kids (my own included).
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Live and Learn 09:50 AM 01-18-2011
It is their own choice to eat or not.
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
Just say "so sad, too bad!"
offer a heathy non sugary snack at the normal snack time and get on with the day.
Good luck.
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countrymom 10:23 AM 01-18-2011
I wouldn't offer anything, BUT is so normal for kids to have off days. So just because they won't eat today, doesn't mean that tommorrow they won't eat, heck they may eat double.
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lil angels 10:27 AM 01-18-2011
Nope they can eat what I made if they are very small I would give them a few crackers just so they at least nap well for me otherwise snack is at 3:30. I don't do the morning snack either we do breakfast at about 8:15 and lunch is about 11 and everyone seems to eat pretty well.
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DCMomOf3 10:37 AM 01-18-2011
I only make one thing each day for lunch and the things on my menu don't repeat in at least a month so they always get something different each day. They are used to the variety, and even if they weren't, they at least eat the sides so they don't starve. If they choose to eat only apricots and bread, that's up to them
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Blackcat31 01:09 PM 01-18-2011
Originally Posted by Live and Learn:
It is their own choice to eat or not.
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
Just say "so sad, too bad!"
offer a heathy non sugary snack at the normal snack time and get on with the day.
Good luck.
This is great!!

I also involve the kids in menu planning so they get to choose some of the meals we are having. It helps because I learn what things they like and I also think it gives them some responsibility and choices in what is served.

Of course, we have to have the whole "NO McDonald's is NOT a choice" discussion. I usually offer up a few pre-approved choices to get the ball rolling.
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Preschool/daycare teacher 02:04 PM 01-18-2011
I wouldn't feel bad, unless you're serving all foods that you knew the kids wouldn't like before you even made it, but I HIGHLY doubt you would do that to them or waste food like that Our group has actually been throwing fits lately over the food served and it's food that they wouldn't have minded before. They start crying and loudly complaining, "I don't want that! I don't like it!" Even if we explain that they don't have to eat it, but we have to offer it, it doesn't help anything. So I'm thinking children just go through stages of "don't like it" and the others are following the leader. They eat just fine at snack times so I'm not worried about them getting too hungry. After lunch is nap time. then immediately snack, so they don't have much of a chance to be hungry, even if all they eat everyday is the two snacks.
Marstelac, do let us know how it goes eliminating snack. We would like to, since they eat breakfast, snack, and lunch so close together anyway(breakfast at 8, snack at 10, lunch at 11:30), but we're required to have two snacks along with the two meals for the hours we are open. So will you just change breakfast to a little later or lunch a little earlier?
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countrymom 02:18 PM 01-18-2011
I tried to elimante snack last week and they kept asking for snack (I have kids who go to school every other day and they have snack time too) so we eat br. at 830am and snack is roughly at 1030am (today we didn't have any because we went to the library) and lunch at 12pm (sometimes a bit later) and they ate all their food. I found that at snack I cut down on snacks, like a small yogurt and thats it. the kids play hard so I understand that they would get hungry. so try cutting down the protions at snack.
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Lianne 02:47 PM 01-18-2011
At 14mos I would likely toss some toast and a banana on their tray just so they had something in their stomachs. However, if not eating became a regular thing I'd stop.
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Tags:lunch, picky eater
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