today is a complete disaster food wise

[angelbabies]

i thought today i would encourage dd (3yrs) to eat porridge for breakfast - breakfast is not a successful time regards eating as she nibbles at toast or i have to feed her cereal - only eats kelloggs mutligrain shapes( probab about 5 spoons of it), has a bit of fruit sometimes but always wants milk. but she has started eating yoghurt after about 18 months.

so today i put porridge in front of her and encouraged her to try it but she'd just stick the very tip of her finger in and taste it and say thats nice but she hardly had any on her finger . i tried one spoon touched her lips and she gagged like she was going to be sick. so made toast - nibbled it then left it. had a yoghurt and milk. but then i did the you're not getting anything till lunch

but she fell asleep in the car coming back from shops and has been asleep for the last 2 hours she doesn't have a nap in day usually.

so now i feel awful that i "starved" her and what if she's sick and that is why she has slept.

was i too harsh regards breakfast or should i be trying to get her to eat sometjing more substantial and filling like porridge (to which i can add friut and therefore even more of a better start to the day) - i'm worried about when she goes to nursery on an barely filled tummy.

should i persevere with the eat that or you get nothing till lunch approach?

what should i do? i'm going back to full time work just before dd goes to school nursery when dh will be a sahd (that don't work does it as an abbrev maybe it shoudl be a sahf?) so i want to improve things - lunch and tea she's great.

(btw ds 10.5 months is an excellent breakfast eater but the fiasco this morning meant he didn't eat properly either but he made up for it at lunchso i feel even worse)

[rachaelmae]

dont feel bad stick to your guns, if it was either of mine if they didnt want porridge that would be it till lunch. She will learn, if shes poorly she wont eat anyways so dont stress.

Be consistent and dont give in, that always makes it harder in the long run!

[iwantone]

I agree with RM. Sounds like she is just being a bit stubborn if she is actually telling you she likes it. Stand your ground. x

[angelbabies]

thanks i thought you might say stick to my guns.

she was perfectly fine - just wanted a nap woke up all smiles. unfortunately she missed lunch but i had already planned a small easter tea party for her and my 17yr old neice so she scoffed triangle sandwichs, cucumber sticks and cake etc.

i am going to keep trying i was just a bit concerned i was being harsh. thanks for the reassurance. i think porridge may help her be a bit more regular as she has "pooing" issues so worth the tears in ther short term.

[rachaelmae]

another thought.. when Jessimaes constipated she barely eats anything... once shes regular she eats loads more and more variety!

[cole]

Stick with it hun. I have been there with Georgia and it is hard but sooooo worth it. Georgia use to live of a nibble of this and nibble of that and I gave her so many choices of what to have. Once I gave her one option and eat it or nothing she soon started eating. I know she went to bed hungry quite a few times. Now she is a brilliant eater. She will try everything and enjoys eating now. Sometimes she tries it on and one of use feeds her her dinner and she will finish it.

I also let her help me get dinner ready, Wash vegs, get things out of cupboards, lay the table etc

Good luck xxxxxxx