Eat. Or Else.
We've reached THAT phase.
The phase in which we beg and bribe Toddler to eat just a morsel or two of food at breakfast, lunch and dinner. But, he's much too busy for a nourishment pit-stop. There are toys to be played with and messes to be made.
Me, on the other hand, could eat a 72 ounce steak as a light snack these days.
In yet another, albeit unsuccessful, attempt to try to outsmart him, I've started getting all cutesie on his food.
To no avail (this being the after shot).
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Both our girls had a phase too, where we finally ended up just letting them graze at the table whenever they whizzed by. It was pretty much the only way they'd eat anything substantial. Unless it could be eaten using a toothpick as a utensil ~ that worked wonders. Made them sit still and concentrate for quite a while, too!!
I only had one nibbler out of five . . . number five. Drove me NUTS!!! I'm a health nut who loves to eat. We both survived with cutesy coaxing and an occasional threat (bad, I know). I finally realized that she ate more when she saw what went into it. Voila! The kid became a cook at a very young age. Maybe you need to promote him to sous chef. Might work for a few more bites. ; )
You can come be my mom. I would love to eat that!
I'D eat that - it looks delicious!!!
We are going through this too. What gets me is then she is hungry in the middle of the night because she didn't have time to eat during the day...kids! gotta love them.
I remember that phase. I think they live on a tablespoon of food per day for about a year. Then they just start eating again.
Rememder this day because when he get older, they will eat you out of house and home. You will be asking if he has a hollow leg.
I glad you are feeling better and are able to eat again.
What a joyous age that is!
It drives me crazy too. Sometimes we still go through this with my tow and a half year old.
That looks delicious by the way, can I have some?
I would so eat that. Trust me. One day, like Jenn said, he will eat you out of house and home!
sounds like my kid...and I made the heart shape pancakes too. He just mushed them up to make it LOOK like he ate some.
Thankfully it is just a phase! Meanwhile you carry on with your light snacks! Take care. :)
Ah, I want someone to make me heart shaped sandwiches.
Want some unsolicited advice? I have found that kids who won't eat a lot in one sitting do better if they are given fewer choices in smaller amounts, several times a day.
Just my experience, take it for it is worth. :)
Oh, how cute!! I recommend ranch dressing. Alexis would dip absolutely EVERYTHING in ranch dressing and now the child will eat anything - and still likes her side of ranch - tee hee! Cool photo!
Take care and I'll see you soon - Kellan
How about I BBQ the steak for you and you can bring the entire clan over to my place.
You can put your feet up, too!
DEAL?
Oh, what a fun phase.
That plate sure looks yummy to me:)
Those heart-shaped pancakes are too cute!
Pass me that plate; I'd be more than happy to eat every last bite.
We have been there, done that! Hang in there, it will get better. :)
Oh my goodness do you have my empathy. My youngest is just like that. Good luck!
Both of mine are grazers....I use those same plates (are they from Target?)
I just leave it out at kid level. If it will get dry , I put it in a little container he can open.
In any case, they won't starve. They will eat eventually.
Awesome shot though....love the heart shaped pbj.
Maybe you should make pancakes in the shape of tractors or monster trucks.
I know you probably know this, but kids won't starve themselves. He'll eat when he's ready.
In the meantime...enjoy that 72 oz snack.
we are at that phase ... arggh - just when I had a plan ....very cute pics
Looks like he ate a little of the banana at least!
I still have several that are out of the toddler stage that don't eat...can you say frustration at meal times? I'm sure you understand....or are beginning to at least. :)
At least he ate a little bit of banana, right? Or did you take that bite? ; )
My toddler is kinda this way too, so I feel ya!
Yeah, good luck with that!
My 7-year-old who has always adored spinach has recently decided its horrible. It only gets better!
The bright side for you is that cutesy is to no avail, so why bother?
It all looks so yummy! My girls we be all over the heart sandwiches! You can come be mommy to my kids anytime! :) I think they'd prefer your pretty meals over mine! :)
Oh how can't anyone eat that? I'm with Chris, try monster trucks! :)
Ah, yes. My toddler is pretty much on a liquid diet these days,too. But I would have INHALED those heart pancakes! They look awesome!
Heck, can you come make that for my monkeys? Pretty please? They'll eat it!
And you had me at the 72 ounce steak quip!
Oh - well you don't have to convince ME to eat that! Nummmmm. Who doesn't love blueberries?! What a strange kid. :-)
I'd eat that! Wish someone would make my food look all pretty like that! :)
We do the same thing. Lots of shapes. WE make dinosaur sandwiches and pig pancakes. Good luck!
My girl doesn't eat much for breakfast, but eats like a horse the rest of the day. I'd love some heart pancakes though.
Well my kids are super jealous (Isaac and Gracie are both hanging over my shoulder drooling over your picture)of The Toddler's breakfast. If they get cold cereal AND toast in the morning they are feeling dang lucky!!
I love those heart shapped pancakes and all those beautiful little plates! Totally lost on a toddler. My son is no better at 8 years old. He thinks eating is a nuisance or something! At least you have an excuse for eating the leftovers ;).
Happy PSF.
our prediatrician told us that no toddler will starve themselves. Just keep offering healthy foods and he'll eat what he needs.
oh man...that looks great! I'd totally eat it. Did you? tee hee
We have those same trays! :)
And this sounds all too familiar - my second daughter is my picky one, even to this day. No matter how cutesie I get, I get pretty much the same results - unless it's PB&J or mostaciolli. Pancakes she will eat though - love the heart shapes! :)
It's amazing how little they can eat but still have so much energy isn't it?
I would totally eat that. Minus the banana, you need to get a little cuter with that. :P
Wow! That's almost too pretty to eat.
Almost :)
That would be gone is 2 seconds.
That breakfast rocks! Heart-shaped pancakes? Not one, but two, kinds of fruit? Cute plate and flatware? What's not to love?
Oh, right. He's two.
I'm totally there with you. I'm lucky if my son eats a total of three tablespoons of food a day.
Terrible to think a toddler can hold you hostage like this over food! Your meal looked delicious.
Unfortunately, all children seem to punish their parents this way. Just a phase.
Harrison, on the other hand, would LOVE those heart shaped sandwiches! Plus blueberries -absolute Heaven.
How could he resist those hearts? I'd love that breakfast!
PS No Mr Linky again today, could you sign me in please? I thought I'd fixed it with an update of Java, but it's disappeared again. thanks x
http://workingmumonverge.blogspot.com/2009/02/photostory-friday-hairdressers.html
Ugh, my kids are horrible eaters these days. I hate this phase!!
That is such a gorgeous breakfast...I don't know how anyone could not be enticed to inhale it!
I think your son and mine are virtual twins (or something like that). I'm getting to dread mealtimes.
I hope you like my Empanadas!
What a cute plate and yummy looking pancakes lol.
I hope his picky eating doesn't last long. We have two kiddos who are fairly picky eaters.
Try this recipe book: "Deceptively Delicious". It works WONDERS.
OMGosh, I could have written that. My kids are the same way. None of them (NONE) eat. Its always a struggle. Now that my oldest is turning 7 I think he's finally getting the hang of a good meal but man it is a huge fight.each.and.every.meal.
LOL...oh do I know how you feel! It does get better, just so you know. I think we were pretty lucky that our son was such a chunk as a baby because he needed all the extra fat during his not eating toddler phase. Now he is a lean, mean five year old that ate a whole tilapia filet last night. See...they do start to eat again. We still have to cajole the other urchin though. So...frustrating!
What an adorable breakfast! I'll come eat it! No one ever makes me heart shaped pancakes!
Good luck with the cutsie. I've never had much luck with that one either. When the little one decides not to eat, I just give up and wait. Eventually hunger does win out. It just never seems to happen when you want it too. But then all the nutritionists say snacking is a good thing. ;)
awwww cute breakfast!!! We are starting to get to the picky toddler stage. It happens randomly, and I'm not a fan!
Good, I'm not the only one who has a tough time getting her kids to eat. I love your creativity!
We went through that phase, too!
Thanks for hosting. Have a great weekend.
Well, you get an A+ for effort. I'd eat it! It looks really yummy about now. Berries and Banana's are my favorite!
Well it looks good to me!
My boys would love the turtle dishes.
i love the dishes, target?
the food looks tasty, i think. i believe that we are headed towards that exact phase around here too...
That looks like a tasty meal to me!
Oh, how I remember that stage. They wouldn't eat what I carefully prepared, but eventually, I'd find a trail of cheerios.
I'm still finding trails, btw, because as everyone has said, later on, you can't feed them enough!
Not cool! I would SO eat that breakfast.... looks yummy!
My kids don't eat much either.
They have those plates at my parents' though, LOL
Cade goes in and out of that phase all the time and he's 7.
My kids will be right over.
I give you a 10 for presentation though. ;)
Mine have gone through grazing phases as well.
WOW! That's looks yummy to me. I would have gobbled it up.
Uhg. My son was the same. I still have no idea how he manage to reach the age of five with the limited amount of nourishment he had! I wish you were my mommy though - that plate of food looks scrumptious!
My son too. Only he wouldn't have eaten any of the 'nana'! We have those plates too!
-Syd
Hmmph, you may have just inspired me to try this with my girls. Did you just use a cookie cutter? Very clever.
and how much of this did you snack on??
This is my first time doing Photo Story Friday, and I just wanted to say thanks for hosting! =)
~Kate
"Which Proverbs 14:1 Woman?"
http://proverbs14-1.blogspot.com
I love the heart shaped pancakes! I'd eat 'em.
Aw man. I loved doing the cutesy food thing. For his fifth birthday, I carved the number five out of a roll of pepperoni.
And I just love the little trays. What service!
The eating (or lack thereof) is enough to make a mama mental.
I read somewhere that toddler/preschool kids love to dip. So if you divide up little bits of food into small parcels, like placed in an empty ice cube tray, with accompanying dips (yogurt, hummus, whatever) they are more likely to be excited about the food. Of course, I never tried it, prefering to bang my head against the wall. But it sounded good in theory. ;)
oh man, now I'm hungry. I would be the size of a cow if my toddler didn't eat a plate like that every day (because I'd have to do it for her).
fun PSF. That steak sounds really good, maybe I should go to bed before I eat the entire pantry.
We have those same plates! Target, right? I had to buy them because my son is a freak about food touching or mixing. I also have to do all these creative things (draw faces with ketchup) to get him to eat. It gets so tiresome. My husband says "Don't worry. He'll eat if he's hungry" but I find that so hard to do.
Good luck!
Heart shaped pancakes??? Who could resist that? He'll come around. :)
WOW that is the AFTER shot?? I wouldn't be able to resist those ;)
Sorry I am arriving so late!! I thought I left a comment when I said Linky, but I failed to do so!
I love those plates, we have them too. I thought the little spaces would encourage my 3 year old to eat. Uh, No, it didn't work. loL!! Izzy is a terribly picky eater too. She can go days with nothing but an apple or something. She rarely eats meat and hate all veggies except brocilli. lol! I don't worry so much anymore. She eats when she is hungry and shes growing okay. Doctors insist that a child will not starve themselves, so we go with her flow. I hope you have better luck in the future, but if not, we are all in this together. lol!
*hugs* Hope you are feeling great!
I've been in that stage ever since my oldest stopped eating baby food. :sigh: Hoping he grows out of it, before mama goes insane. :)
Give him ten years, he'll then be eating you out of house and home. Sigh.
Oh look. A hundred people said that before me. Note to self; read comments before posting. :)
Mmmmm....looks like a delicious breakfast!! I wouldn't have any problems eating that up!!
ahhh..the artistic,nesting pregnancy stage...
Can I come over and eat at your house? I won't have any leftovers.
Glad to hear that you are eating well again. I'm sure you have many steaks to catch up on!
P.S. Hopefully the nibbler phase will pass. It usually does. Really. I promise.
We've been going through this phase for about three years!
You do cute food really well, by the way.
I've always been told this
"We control the Quality, they control the Quantity".
Love those hearts. Yum!
D'awww, I want a breakfast like that! Love the plate too!
Our youngest is still in thsi phase!!
blessings,
kari & kijsa