My kids won't eat breakfast!

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13

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  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
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    What's the natural consequence here? They go hungry later because they didn't eat breakfast... Sounds like after a couple of days of this, they'll want what you've bought. As a parent, I've learned to choose my battles wisely. I let the natural consequences do a lot of the work for me.

    They're going to eat at some point. I respect that my children know when they're not hungry. I wouldn't force them to eat. If they weren't going to have anything else later, then yeah - I'd make sure they're going to eat something, But breakfast - you know they're going to have the opportunity to get some from the school. If they still choose not to, then they will surely be hungry by lunch time. And then they have dinner and snacks.
  • reneelee
    reneelee Posts: 877 Member
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    Had the same problem so I would by vanilla carnation instant breakfast and blend it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My daughter has never had a weight problem, but she claims I tried to make her fat by adding ice cream to her breakfast drink. I stand firm in saying the girl never finished any thing if she drank a quarter of the drink she was doing good.

    I would have thought my mom was trying to make me fat, too if she was making me have ICE CREAM for breakfast! I'm sorry, but that's just absurd!

    I'm just evil :) ! LOL!
  • bprague
    bprague Posts: 564 Member
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    When I was younger I felt sick and nauseous that early in the morning. I would say send them off with a baggie of granola or something so they can eat when they feel hungry.
  • angievaughn
    angievaughn Posts: 655 Member
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    HELP...My kids won't eat breakfast! I buy cereal, yogurt, breakfast bars, fruit, pop tarts EVERYTHING and they just don't want anything. I did get them to drink a yogurt drink but other then that they say "no, I am just not hungry mom!"...any ideas?!

    You're the parent. Make them eat. Stop babying them.

    Take something away or discipline them if you have to.

    Wondering if he has children???
  • writtenINthestars
    writtenINthestars Posts: 1,933 Member
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    Then they don't eat. After being starving before lunch for a few days, they'll figure it out.. =)
  • tlems
    tlems Posts: 104 Member
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    The only reason my daughter eats breakfast is because I refuse to add to the improperly fed, poorly rested mass of children poor teachers have to deal with every day.

    BTW her favorite breakfast is organic peanut butter on multi-grain toast with red pepper flakes (her invention), a glass of almond milk and a multi-vitamin. All my years of forcing her to eat a healthy breakfast has resulted in her knowing what makes a balanced start to her day.

    LOVE the reason and her favoriite breakfast!

    Lots of people are questioning the need for breakfast and forcing them to eat when they don't want to - it is proven that children have less energy and perform more poorly in school when they are not properly fed and hydrated. Breakfast IS important - for HUMANS - skipping breakfast has been linked to the development of obesity. You know we call it breakfast because we're literally breaking a fast - they've been sleeping all night, if they don't eat until lunch time that they can go up to 18hours without nourishment. Their bodies and brains are growing and developing, they need the nutrition!

    And - my personal experience - when I used to allow my daughter to skip breakfast, she ate poorly at lunch and came home in a fowl mood. I dreaded after school time. Then I started enforcing breakfast and eating a healthy snack when she gets off the bus - life is SO much easier now. Her demeanor has completly changed, and yes, I do believe it's all because she is better nourished.

    ALL OF THE ABOVE!
  • TripleJ3
    TripleJ3 Posts: 945 Member
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    While I would make sure they ate something, I wouldn't turn it into a war over food.

    It could be a little of anything. Not typical breakfast food either. Warm up some leftover whole wheat pasta with a sprinkle of cheese. Peanut butter on a tortilla with sliced banana. A vegetable they like or piece of fruit. A handful of nuts.

    I'd rather them eat half a sandwich or lunch/dinner foods than poptarts or sugary cereals anyway.

    Good luck and keep trying. Take them to the store and have them pick something out.
  • crittytn
    crittytn Posts: 34
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    Fighting with your kids over food or making disciplinary action over food with your kids can only lead to an unhealthy relationship with food. I think it's an absurd notion to punish your kids when it comes to meals and food. Absolutely setting them up for issues later in life, IMHO. And this is coming from a very disciplinary-oriented mother of three. There are some things to fight about and have punishments over, but food is not one of them.

    That being said, it's possible to explain to your children in an age appropriate manner WHY they should be eating breakfast (brain food) and have a calm discussion/negotiation over how to incorporate breakfast into their lives. What would they eat that you could approve of? Could you all agree that they should eat breakfast every school day, but weekends and holidays, they choose whether to eat it themselves? You've gotten great suggestions from people who don't like breakfast and what they could tolerate, so start there. You can turn this into a great opportunity to have a healthy conversation with your children about nutrition and how to take care of their bodies. This can give them a foundation of education to last them into adulthood.
  • LainMac
    LainMac Posts: 412 Member
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    Some folks have suggested that OP send her kids to school with food to eat later. In my kids' schools, that isn't a doable thing. There are preset times to snack and to lunch which may be too late in the day to prevent a snarky low blood sugar child. I agree with one of the other posters that I don't want to be the parent who inflicts that child on a teacher.

    Besides which, the older the kids get, like middle school, they aren't allowed to snack in the classroom as well as fellow snarky middle schoolers who tease other kids for eating "healthy". (I'm sorry to say, but GoKurt offends me.) In middle school and high school, lunch is often less than 20 minutes and is when kids get to socialize, so food eating isn't as important.

    My kids get their least healthy food for lunch (crackers/cookie) because I know since it is "forbidden fruit" they will actually eat it. They often have their biggest meal for breakfast.
  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
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    I don't really understand what the big hoopla is over not eating breakfast. If they are healthy and eat their veggies and such through out the day - I, personally, wouldn't worry about it. I know I got to be over weight by eating when I wasn't really hungry, so I will not be forcing my son to eat when he isn't hungry. Forcing them to eat or be punished (like a PP suggested) sounds like a great way to set them up for eating issues later in life. I don't think there should be punishment OR reward around food. Food is food. Not hungry - then don't eat. BUT I don't think they should not be eating breakfast and then eating garbage later.
    ^^^^^ THIS

    and THIS VVVVV
    "Make them eat?" I don't understand this. Most of us are here to lose weight.. why force your child to eat if they simply aren't hungry? The hunger/full mechanism is lost when people eat when they aren't hungry or over eat. Those kids probably know their true hunger level better than we do.

    On another note, I do understand the importance of breakfast. It provides fuel for the day and is very important for their growing brains and bodies especially before school. I think the yogurt is a good idea, if they are hungry and they like it they will eat it. Have you tried the yogurt packets - Gogurt or something? You could give it to them to have if they get hungry later in the morning. Cheese sticks, whole wheat crackers, etc. Someone suggested smoothies, kids love smoothies - not really a to-go option but might work at home.

    Good luck.

    Totally agree with both of these. I think a lot of the weight problems in this country come from being forced to eat when we weren't hungry as kids. We are born with the ability to tell when we are hungry

    What time are they eating dinner? Or do they get a heavy snack late at night? That could have something to do with them not being hungry for breakfast.
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
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    My gf gets physically sick if she eats to early, actually vomited last time I took her to an early breakfast. Not everyones body is designed for it. That being said, even if they have a morning snack before lunch, its good to have to get them going. As the poster above me said, you may have to make it a form of punishment if you have to many problems
  • krysydawn
    krysydawn Posts: 231 Member
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    Try doing some hot oatmeal with fruit. Have them help you with one of those awesome Crock pot oatmeal dishes (it cooks over night) and then see if they want it.

    Also... please ignore the posters saying "make them eat".. that is the most ridiculous thing ever. Most of us adults were forced to clean our plates and look just where that got us.

    Don't worry too much about it. If they are not hungry, they are not hungry. Good luck.
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
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    My youngest is 11..and she always has breakfast..its my oldest who is 15..would rather usethe time spent eating breakfast to actually take more time to get ready..so now..I make her breakfast..toast and nutella..which she eats in the car on the way to school.
  • BrandNewMia
    BrandNewMia Posts: 461
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    If I waited until I was hungry to eat, I wouldn't eat until 4pm and I would binge the rest of the day. That's what I used to do, and I weighed 260lbs.

    Now I eat when I'm not hungry - all the time. And I've lost nearly 70lbs doing it. I gave my body the nutrition and fuel it needed, and I'm in much better shape because of it.
  • Natzmom
    Natzmom Posts: 15 Member
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    I have this problem, too, and the only thing I can get my daughter to drink in the morning is a shake. She is 5'2" and 87 lbs soaking wet, so I don't worry about the fat issue. She's a picky eater, so I just try to introduce different things for her to try. I freeze yogurt tubes and she'll sometimes eat that on the way to school . I also pack granola bars so she can sneak a bite before lunch. Good luck - it's frustrating!!!

    P. S. Try not to make breakfast a battle. If they get hungry at school, then they know they will have to eat something in the morning to keep that from happening.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    People don't need to eat "breakfast" , what a waste of internet space this thread is.
  • VixenArgentum
    VixenArgentum Posts: 91 Member
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    When I was a child, eating breakfast made me physically ill. I would vomit--no joke. I didn't gain the ability to eat breakfast until a couple years ago...and I'm 26. So to the people that say force them to eat...NO! It's cruel.

    What worked better for me was a breakfast that I could take with me, like a bag of cereal that I could take little by little from.

    I was able to "drink breakfast" however. Carnation instant breakfasts were the only thing I could keep down.
  • laele75
    laele75 Posts: 283 Member
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    Okay, for all the people who are telling you to make them eat breakfast. DO NOT LISTEN. As a parent of a child who has no natural appetite and doesn't see food as a priority, I can tell you from a decade of experience you will just make it worse by trying to force them. As someone above said, if they eat well the rest of the day, it's not an issue. Trying to force your child to eat will only make them turn it into a battle. A battle you don't want to have.

    They will drink yogurt or smoothies? Great, then that's what they get. You're stressing yourself and them over nothing. You do not want this battle. Trust me.
  • JskC1893
    JskC1893 Posts: 156 Member
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    I've seen a few people say it, and I'm not an expert by any means, but it seems like it could be a bit damaging to punish a child for not eating o_o.
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
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    To all those who force your kids to eat and punish them if they don't :

    My mom was the same way. I would beg her not to make me finish my plate, but no I had to eat all my food. If I didn't, I wasn't allowed to go out and play, watch TV, ect. I ended up obese with a horrible relationship with food. BUT I am sure none of your kids will have any ill effects from being forced to eat when they don't want too. Oh and and punishing them for not eating wouldn't cause any problems for them later in life...

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