Fortitude
I wasn’t sure of the meaning of this word so I looked it up in the dictionary:
“strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage”
Zoë has had melon after her tea for the last couple of weeks and now I am noticing that she only eats about half of her tea so that she can get to eat her melon. Last night, she sat in her highchair for about 20 minutes very quietly but didn’t eat any of her tea. Then she pushed it away and said she was finished. As she was so quiet I thought perhaps she wasn’t feeling very well, so I thought that I wouldn’t push her to eat it. It was Macaroni Cheese which is one of her favourites.
However as soon as she got down she asked for melon. I knew I had to be strong and tell her no as she hadn’t eaten any of her tea. She went on and on asking for melon or a yoghurt, but I stayed strong and explained to her that she couldn’t have either of these treats as she hadn’t eaten her tea. She got quite upset but I had to stand my ground on this otherwise she will continue to stop eating her tea and only eat her puddings.
So in the end she had nothing for tea at all. She carried on asking for melon until bedtime but I didn’t give in to her. I felt horrible putting her to bed when she had had no evening meal.
This morning she has eaten 3 pieces of her toast and has announced that she doesn’t want anymore. So again, I have explained that she can’t have anything else until lunchtime. I am very particular about children’s eating habits and I want to make sure Zoë eats a well balanced diet
without wasting lots of food.
We will have to see how the day unfolds.
“strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage”
Zoë has had melon after her tea for the last couple of weeks and now I am noticing that she only eats about half of her tea so that she can get to eat her melon. Last night, she sat in her highchair for about 20 minutes very quietly but didn’t eat any of her tea. Then she pushed it away and said she was finished. As she was so quiet I thought perhaps she wasn’t feeling very well, so I thought that I wouldn’t push her to eat it. It was Macaroni Cheese which is one of her favourites.
However as soon as she got down she asked for melon. I knew I had to be strong and tell her no as she hadn’t eaten any of her tea. She went on and on asking for melon or a yoghurt, but I stayed strong and explained to her that she couldn’t have either of these treats as she hadn’t eaten her tea. She got quite upset but I had to stand my ground on this otherwise she will continue to stop eating her tea and only eat her puddings.
So in the end she had nothing for tea at all. She carried on asking for melon until bedtime but I didn’t give in to her. I felt horrible putting her to bed when she had had no evening meal.
This morning she has eaten 3 pieces of her toast and has announced that she doesn’t want anymore. So again, I have explained that she can’t have anything else until lunchtime. I am very particular about children’s eating habits and I want to make sure Zoë eats a well balanced diet
without wasting lots of food.
We will have to see how the day unfolds.
6 comments:
I am so glad you managed to stick to your principles and not give in to her, it will be the best in the long run and she will begin to realise that she need to eat all here main course before eating pudding.
Like that photograph too looks as though she was enjoying the toast.
Beautiful photo.
Im afraid i always give pudding even if the child doesnt eat his dinner, its always a healthy pudding(if they eat all their dinner they get a treat)
Ive always had problems with food myself and just cant force a child to eat!!
Its probably the wrong way to do things though:(
Trials of parenthood, but you are doing the right thing. If she keeps asking for pudding not having eaten her dinner, re offer the dinner, if she is truly hungry she will eat and then have the treat. No normal child will starve themselves. Stay strong!
You stick to it Claire having worked in a pre school and school for 11 years they all try this at some stage. She is as you say defining her boundaries and you must stick to what you feel is right.
You are showing real fortitude Claire.
Goodluck in the mission you have set yourself, I can remember the same trials and tribulations with my girls!
Yep another who has been there and got the tshirt. It's a toughie. I usually gave them pud as long as they had eaten a reasonable amount of dinner.
Post a Comment