Awww isn't she cute and sweet?Don't be fooled. Although she is terribly cute, and can be incredibly sweet, behind that veneer the wheels are turning.
Vivian has a bad habit of asking for something to eat, eating a bite or two and saying she is all done. Then ten minutes later she is asking for something different to eat. It drives me nuts.
I'd rather let food go to waste (Well not exactly to waste since we feed the scraps to the animals, but that is expensive feed!) than to force the kids to eat when they aren't hungry. One thing I've done is to give her very small portions, but even then she doesn't finish it. The other, and much more effective approach has been to save her food. then when she asks again for something to eat, I pull out the food she did not finish. This does not meet with her approval most times. We've been battling this way for sometime now.
This morning she decided she was going to try to out smart me. She ate maybe two bites of her cereal. When I picked up the table, I set her bowl on the counter. It wasn't there long. Yes, the cereal was very soggy, but it isn't like the milk had turned or anything. Soggy cereal is gross I know, but we are trying to break a habit here. I went out to let the chickens out. When I returned, Vivian was dumping her cereal into the sink.
She had that "busted" look on her face for a brief minute. Then she smiled sweetly, and said, "I hungry." Oh yes, she knew exactly what she was doing. I simply responded, "Then you shouldn't have dumped your cereal." She had no argument, but simply walked away.
Cute? Yes she is. Sweet? Most certainly. But don't forget smart and tricky too!
DeBoy doesn't eat either. But he never says he's hungry. So I just give him some food periodically and he either eats it or he doesn't. I'd welcome something routine, even if was annoying. My niece used to do what Vivian does, and my sister-in-law re-served the same meal to her for I think 3 days in a row before she finally ate part of it.
ReplyDeleteThey are all smart and tricky, but so cute that many parents let them get away with it. Which is a whole other issue! Good for you for not giving in.
It is probably best Elise & Vivian don't spend more time together....they are a lot a like. Elise does the same thing with the food! BTW...this week-end Elise was talking about Vivian - she said, "you my friend that lives by Pac..." I thought that was cute.
ReplyDeleteOops....I meant to say, "you know, my friend that lives by Pac...". Sorry.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cutie 'though!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is just the same. It drives me nuts. She is forever opening the refrigerator to graze, yet rarely finishes what's on her plate. It's like eating is a hobby for her or something. I like to get her out of the house because she does this grazing much less. When she was two, we had to put a lock on the frig door, but she has figured out how to open now.
ReplyDeleteI have every faith you will figure out how to deal with this, S. It's very natural for kids to test the boundaries. Some are just more strong willed than others.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, I think we definitely could share stories!! Kids are great!!
ReplyDeleteMy Kaleb is the same way. I do the same thing..wrap up the leftovers and offer them again later. When he complains he wants something different I tell him I'd be so happy to get him something different, but it's a rule that I can't until this food has been eaten. Depending on how hungry he is..he either eats it or walks off with a frown. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm battling with the same. My latest (and rather effective) method is trying to distract the kids when they say they want some sweets/bread/bananas/cookies/etc. and make them interested in doing something for half an hour or so. Meanwhile I cook something wholesome for the whole family, by then it's 1 p.m. and time for a meal anyway, and they are really that hungry that they eat it all up. The most important thing for me, I've discovered, is not to try to buy some time by giving them something to snack but rather to discourage any eating whatsoever until lunchtime. For the last couple of weeks it has worked like magic, and my eldest son who never eats anything apart from rice and sweets has finally had some wholesome meals every day.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for sticking to your guns! They are tricky little people, aren't they?
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