Need some advice. ..concerning my 2 year old...

polar5554

I need some help guys...

For the past 6 months (maybe longer)...my 2 year old daughter has been eating frozen chicken nuggets for at least 2 meals out of the day!! PLEASE DON'T JUDGE!!!

For every meal, we offer her exactly what we eat (nothing crazy by any means at all)...She cries and wants down and says "I want chicken nuggets"! She will eat an occasional waffle, maybe a bowl of cereal, but that's about it...No joke!!

I have done the "I'm not gonna give into you" thing...but when it comes time to put her to bed and she puts her head down on my shoulder and says "Mommy, my belly hurts", I cower and we head down to the kitchen for her to eat something that SHE likes.

I even got to a point thinking..."Maybe she will eat so many of these damn things, she will finally get sick of them"!!!!!

I have tried making my own baked chicken nuggets...She won't even eat those!!!!! I'm getting really frustrated here...

Any suggestions?

JennaM222

Tell her too many chicken nuggets will turn her into a chicken???

haha, Sorry, I have no advice ;( I am no mom yet.

Dizneylvr1971

How about some sort of reward system for when she does eat other foods? I will fully admit sometimes I bribe my 2.5 year old son to finish his plate by promising ice cream etc. It does usually work. It's not a long term fix, but it'll help get some other things into her. Best of luck. I fully understand how trying it can be!!

redefiningmyself

I worked in childcare for over 10 years, and I can tell you truthfully what is going on here is a battle of wills. She's learned that if she waits long enough you will cave and give her what she wants.

No doubt that when she looks at you with big sad eyes saying her belly hurts that you must feel like the worst mom in the world....but you need to tell yourself you are NOT hurting her by wanting her to eat healthy foods. Her belly is hurting because she is being stubborn by not eating what you have put in front of her - not because you're a bad mom. You have to remind yourself of this, because those sad eyes can reduce you to mush.

I promise you this...when she gets hungry enough, she WILL eat something besides chicken nuggets (so long as the nuggets aren't being offered.) If you took them totally out of the house and didn't buy any more for at least a month, she will eventually start to discover other foods that she likes.

Also, this may take a while, so you have to be strong and determined. Children sometimes need to try something new up to 20 times before they will accept it. So its a tough road but very very worth it.

You would be doing her a huge favour to NOT serve her chicken nuggets again. She's at an age where she is learning habits that will last a life time. Instilling good eating habits now will definitely help her through her whole life - even if she doesn't like it right now.

Stay strong girl. :flowerforyou:

GreenSkinnyJeans

Wait until night, stick the food you guys ate for dinner in front of her
And if her belly really hurts, she will crack and eat it.
My parents use to do this as well.
and let me tell you, I eventually ate LOL.

polar5554

How about some sort of reward system for when she does eat other foods? I will fully admit sometimes I bribe my 2.5 year old son to finish his plate by promising ice cream etc. It does usually work. It's not a long term fix, but it'll help get some other things into her. Best of luck. I fully understand how trying it can be!!

Funny you suggest that...the other night told her that if she ate a bite of her grilled chicken that mommy made, he would have a party for her with ballons....streamers...cake...and even a pony!!!! She wouldn't budge....

sweetsarahj

Oh geez, what a nightmare. Good luck to you

I am not a mom, but I am a former chef and do have a sugesstion.... perhaps getting her involved in the meal preperation would help. My experience with kids is that sometimes they can be scared of something becaue they don't understand it. I wonder if making it 'fun' somehow would help.

I just thought of that scene from "A Christmas Story" ..... "Show mummy how the piggys eat!"

LOL, good luck.

jdoggie

just add some extra fruits and veggies with the nuggets, she will get tired and want to switch it up. I think sometimes the more we make a big deal of it the worse it is. when you are in it is seems like forever, but she will be fine. Don't sweat it she will be absolutley fine... I have three boys and Five step daughters, It is just not worth the fight:) if she is healthy and happy, then you are doing an awsome job:) take care. wait until she wants peircings and tattoo"s.. lol

polar5554

I worked in childcare for over 10 years, and I can tell you truthfully what is going on here is a battle of wills. She's learned that if she waits long enough you will cave and give her what she wants.

No doubt that when she looks at you with big sad eyes saying her belly hurts that you must feel like the worst mom in the world....but you need to tell yourself you are NOT hurting her by wanting her to eat healthy foods. Her belly is hurting because she is being stubborn by not eating what you have put in front of her - not because you're a bad mom. You have to remind yourself of this, because those sad eyes can reduce you to mush.

I promise you this...when she gets hungry enough, she WILL eat something besides chicken nuggets (so long as the nuggets aren't being offered.) If you took them totally out of the house and didn't buy any more for at least a month, she will eventually start to discover other foods that she likes.

Also, this may take a while, so you have to be strong and determined. Children sometimes need to try something new up to 20 times before they will accept it. So its a tough road but very very worth it.

You would be doing her a huge favour to NOT serve her chicken nuggets again. She's at an age where she is learning habits that will last a life time. Instilling good eating habits now will definitely help her through her whole life - even if she doesn't like it right now.

Stay strong girl. :flowerforyou:

Thanks for this post!! I'm gonna try to be as strong as I can...

evelazquez78

It's definitely the age. I have a very picky-eating 4-year-old who eats chicken nuggets 4-5 days a week for at least one meal. I do have to be sneaky with getting other veggies and fruits into her, though. I brought this up to my pediatrican who said that it is totally normal for the age and that as long as they are growing normally and hitting all of their developmental milestones, not to worry. I know it feels "not normal" when they eat this way, but I think it's a fact of life for mommies of toddlers. Give her a multi vitamin and keep offering her the good stuff. As she gets older. most likely she'll start to want to try new things. This is just my experience...hope it helps to put your mind at ease. Good luck!

emsibun

As a mother of two - aged four and 6 - the only and best advice is the advice you already know - that you have to not give in to her.

It's hard, and you will feel like a horrible person, but it will be worth it. You are the adult, you are in charge - she needs to see that this is the case for any changes to happen.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

peggygt

I am the mother of four kids, all grown now, they all went through phases of certain things they would and would not eat, let them. Keep offering her other alternatives, but hey if she is eating let her keep eating, believe me she will grow out of it. When my youngest was 2 all she wanted was frozen waffles. Now she is 16 and she likes to try different foods. She will grow out of it. Stay calm. It's ok.

JulieBoBoo

I learned the hard way that giving in all the time will cause even more trouble later on. Unless she has sensory issues (in which case disregard everything I'm about to say but really? those are rare) then it's a matter of eat what we eat, at least try the stuff you don't like, and if you're hungry later you get fresh fruits or veggies or you go to bed hungry. You'll thank me when she's 8.

kaitimae

I worked in childcare for over 10 years, and I can tell you truthfully what is going on here is a battle of wills. She's learned that if she waits long enough you will cave and give her what she wants.

No doubt that when she looks at you with big sad eyes saying her belly hurts that you must feel like the worst mom in the world....but you need to tell yourself you are NOT hurting her by wanting her to eat healthy foods. Her belly is hurting because she is being stubborn by not eating what you have put in front of her - not because you're a bad mom. You have to remind yourself of this, because those sad eyes can reduce you to mush.

I promise you this...when she gets hungry enough, she WILL eat something besides chicken nuggets (so long as the nuggets aren't being offered.) If you took them totally out of the house and didn't buy any more for at least a month, she will eventually start to discover other foods that she likes.

Also, this may take a while, so you have to be strong and determined. Children sometimes need to try something new up to 20 times before they will accept it. So its a tough road but very very worth it.

You would be doing her a huge favour to NOT serve her chicken nuggets again. She's at an age where she is learning habits that will last a life time. Instilling good eating habits now will definitely help her through her whole life - even if she doesn't like it right now.

Stay strong girl. :flowerforyou:

I agree with this completely. You just have to tough it out and not cave. She knows how to get what she wants, and you give it to her every time! Of course that is all she is going to eat!

When she is hungry enough she will eat what you give her. I think getting rid of chicken nuggets completely is a great idea. Throw them out, and when she asks for them, tell her you don't have any. You will be telling the truth, and will have nothing to feel guilty about.

Yeah, she'll cry, and throw a fit, and guilt you as much as a 2 year old can... but YOU are the adult, and you need to act like it! She needs to know that you are the one running the show, not her. You can do it!

Visser1971

I agree with what 'redefiningyourself' is saying, but I also have a 3 year old who went through something similar. The more importance you put on changing the habit, the more she will stick to it. There may be a time that she eats nothing for dinner but I think your pediatrician can let you know the signs to watch out for if she is malnourished - it is likely a lot further away than you think.

There isn't really a 'win' in this situation, either you get food issues , or you get bad habits. I say hold your breath and make it a non-issue until she gets over it. You can try this by always offering something else on the plate next to the nuggets (again, without making a deal about it). Or as noted in the previous post, get rid of them all - like a band aid, right off! and then weather the storm for the one or two or three days.

Hope this helps! I know many authors have made a mint on this topic alone, so wish you luck and more importantly, patience!

Cheers, Christy

jfinnivan

I sounds cruel, but it won't hurt her to go to bed hungry. She may cry, but when she's hungry, she'll eat what you give her. If you make a big thing about how great this delicious food is (whatever you're trying to get her to eat), she might want some. She's learning how to manipulate you. It's what kids do, whether they realize it or not. We went through similar things with my two children. It always helped if we made a game out of it. Make the spoon into an airplane that flies into her mouth (with the appropriate airplane sounds)!

MichelleFirestone

I have a 3 1/2 yr old son and almost 2 yr old daughter. We have this battle every night. mostly with my daughter. our rule in the house, if you clean your whole plate you get a snack. If you don't, it goes in the fridge until you are hungry.

Now with my son, we used to give it to him for breakfast the next day. But my daugher is smarter. She sees everyone else having ice cream, and quickly eats her dinner so she can have some.

peteb79

I feel your pain, my daughter is 6 and is VERY picky!! So every night for dinner she always has the option of PB&J provided she tries the main course.. and she makes the PB&J herself.. of course this hasn't been working out as I had hoped... more often than not she ends up with PB&J because she doesn't like the new food, even though she does not put any effort into liking it. We have done the 'sit there until its gone' thing.. and I am not a fan.. That's how I grew up and it sure didn't work for me. She has two older siblings, 12 and 9 who are opposites and will eat just about anything.

Flyntiggr

I worked in childcare for over 10 years, and I can tell you truthfully what is going on here is a battle of wills. She's learned that if she waits long enough you will cave and give her what she wants.

No doubt that when she looks at you with big sad eyes saying her belly hurts that you must feel like the worst mom in the world....but you need to tell yourself you are NOT hurting her by wanting her to eat healthy foods. Her belly is hurting because she is being stubborn by not eating what you have put in front of her - not because you're a bad mom. You have to remind yourself of this, because those sad eyes can reduce you to mush.

I promise you this...when she gets hungry enough, she WILL eat something besides chicken nuggets (so long as the nuggets aren't being offered.) If you took them totally out of the house and didn't buy any more for at least a month, she will eventually start to discover other foods that she likes.

Also, this may take a while, so you have to be strong and determined. Children sometimes need to try something new up to 20 times before they will accept it. So its a tough road but very very worth it.

You would be doing her a huge favour to NOT serve her chicken nuggets again. She's at an age where she is learning habits that will last a life time. Instilling good eating habits now will definitely help her through her whole life - even if she doesn't like it right now.

Stay strong girl. :flowerforyou:

^^ This. My sister had issues with my niece transitioning to solid food, and actually had to take her to therapy to teach her how to eat. Now, your daughter doesn't seem to be quite so extreme, but it is about control. She wants the nuggies, so she has figured out how to get them. They are MUCH smarter than we ever give them credit. Take them out of the house for now. She'll eat eventually.

sillygoose1977

Tell her she can have the nuggets if she tries 3 bites of everything else you offer her. I know that's a lot for a 2 year old to process but it may get her liking something else. She will get over this pretty soon. Even toddlers get sick of eating the same thing all the time.

jrhstarlight

She is in complete and total control. You need to not give in and like someone else said you place her food she didn't eat in the fridge, when she says her belly hurts sit her at the table with her leftovers and she will eat or not. One night going to bed hungry won't kill her. By morning she will eat. Also I agree don't buy chicken nuggets for awhile. I was a stepmom for awhile and it worked for me

kat_renee

My daughter is 2 also, luckily she she does love fruit and green veggies, but for the most part her lunch and dinners usually consist of either, mac n cheese, hot dog, chicken nuggets, or ramen soup. I would say keep introducing her to new things and give her the option to eat what the rest of the family are eating, she may not accept it and go back to nuggets but at least she's eating something. A lot of toddlers go through this stage. Eventually she will start "exploring", but for now I wouldn't force her to eat what she doesn't want too. If it seems to be a big concern you can bring this up to your daughter's doctor. My friend's daughters were super picky, they grew out of it....for the most part...lol, and she would sneak spinach into the brownies, maybe you can find different recipes that your daughter will eat with some "healthy" items hidden inside. Hope this helps/makes you feel better.

nakabi

I agree with Redefiningmyself...tell her that she has to eat what everyone else is eating or else she doesn't need to eat anything. Believe me, if she is hungry enough, she will eat. It may take a day or so, but she won't starve I'm sure it's hard, but you have to stay strong

CatchMom11

I would use trickery!

Bake your own chicken nuggets and put them in a freezer bag INSIDE the box that the frozen nuggets came from. Then when she wants nuggets, all you have to do is reheat them. She'll think she's getting exactly what she wants.

Don't feel bad or be too hard on yourself, I've had two 2 year olds and no one said it was easy. It wasn't until my second one that I started to think outside the box a little bit more.

Good luck and let me know if it works!

hypotrochoid

Mine insists on chicken nuggets too. I tell her no, then I give her two other options- what the rest of the family is having or a peanut butter sandwich/macaroni and cheese/eggs... you get the idea. If she says chicken nuggets again, then I tell her "Okay, sweetie, here are your options. What we're having, a peanut butter sandwich, or nothing." She rarely picks the nothing and once the other option is on the plate she'll eat it without a problem.

She's testing you. Don't give in!

Ashleypeterson37

I went through this with my 2 year old recently but with cheez its. Constantly I was told, "mama, I want crackers" and they HAD to be those kind. Nothing else. If I made a meal, her crackers had to be a side. The cure? I stopped buying them. If she can't see them, she can't have them. It took about a week for her to get over the shock of it but now she acts as if she's never had them. It's just important that she doesn't try to fixate or attach herself solely onto some other type of food. She needs variety and that can only happen if you change things up. And as bad as it sounds, they WILL eat when they are hungry! A truly hungry child will not be picky.

Erykah3584

I know its tough!! My son went through a stage when all he wanted ALL day was milk! He would drink cup after cup after cup and not eat ANY food! He would refuse anything we offered him. Just wouldnt eat it. He would say that he was thirsty when I knew he was hungry. So I had to completely stop buying milk for a while. He would even go and look in the fridge for it. He cried for it but I told him that I didnt have money to buy more! lol So of course he was hungry and those days when we didnt have milk he was eating all day long!! Now he knows that if he doesnt eat food I will stop buying milk. He was 3 at the time. So good luck to you! I would stop buying them. :flowerforyou:

misscristie

I went through this with my daughter. First it was chicken nuggets, then fish sticks, then hot dogs. Eventually, she got over it. It's the age.

BBBgettingfit

I remember my parents being very hard-core about this issue with my younger sisters and myself. If we didn't eat what was being served that night, we could either go hungry (after the first two times, this almost never happened) or make ourselves a sandwich (PB&J is fairly easy to make and it was one of the things we were willing to eat then). My son is a pretty good eater, so I haven't had to put any of this into practice myself, but I know it worked when my parents did it. As my mom likes to tell me on the days my son only picks at his dinner, "don't worry; when he gets hungry, he'll eat." That being said, I have been known to offer string cheese and hard boiled eggs to my kiddo instead of whatever we are eating on days our meal is veggie-heavy (he's not a huge fan of the ol' veggies just yet) just to make sure there's something in his tummy before bed, so while the "stay tough" advice is sound in theory, I totally agree that in practice it's a lot harder than it sounds!

leilani♥

Sounds like my little piggy!! lol

ErrataCorrige

I went through the same thing with my daughter. Eventually every time I forced her to eat something new she would gag and throw up. She only ate macaroni and cheese. Forever (it felt like).

You can't force a 2 year old to eat something they don't want. But you can threaten a four year old with a time out! (You just have to wait until her brain can understand the concept of "if-then".) I had a cousin who only ate cottage cheese for every meal for three years, and now she is a surgeon!

Lol, don't sweat it. Your kid will outgrow it. Eventually you will find new things you can add in to the routine. The older she gets the easier it will be. You are NOT a bad mom because your kid is picky. You would only be a bad Mom if you didn't care about what she ate!

Now my daughter eats a bunch of things, and when we go to restaurant she only wants salads!!!!