Hello!

Hi there, so I’ve seen a few mums have written in to get advice, so i thought i’d try it. Okay so I have a very willful two year old toddler who refuses to eat dinner every night, he has only been doing it for the past couple of weeks, before that he was a good eater.   He also started daycare full time a few weeks ago so i’m not too sure if this may be why he has gone off eating at dinner. He eats all his other meals like he normally would, dinner is the only time he won’t and boy does he let us know.   We have tried everything from making him separate meals to letting him out of his high chair and letting him sit at the dinning table with us and nothing helps, he will just scream and scream until be take his dinner away completely. After that he will want his bottle and then want to be put to bed. Any feed back would be much appreciated.

Posted by Jess 8.11.2012


Want more real mum questions sent to you?

You'll need to check this email to complete your signup.
  • He will eat when he’s hungry. I wouldn’t stress. Do a box of things he can have anytime , fruit yogurt eg.


  • Check when they’re feeding him at day care – he may simply be full. If he’s happy to go to bed with nothing, I wouldn’t worry too much. Kids do eat (eventually) if they’re hungry.


  • Great answers! There really interesting comments on this!


  • Don’t push – in my experience – first my sister and then my niece, it doesn’t help. Kids will never starve themselves and eventually will develop tastes for the food adults eat. In the mean time, finger foods they enjoy and try getting them involved in deciding what’s for dinner and cooking it!


  • Just make sure he’s getting a good balance of nutrients at other meals and he’ll be okay.


  • Toddlers refuse a lot of things simply because they can, experiment one day, tell him he HAS to eat a piece of chocolate, he’ll probably say no!


  • if he refusees, don’t force. He will eat when he is hungry enuf


  • Could just be a phase that he is going through. I hope he is now eating for you.


  • Sometimes they just do that ;/


  • I thought perhaps he could be teething.


  • I hope you have found an answer to your problem


  • basically, if hes hungry he’ll eat what you serve. He’s not going to starve himself. I hope things have improved since you’ve asked this.


  • Don’t give him other options, let him know it’s dinner or nothing. From what I gather he knows and clearly has u making him a smorgasbord for dinner! U cant do that every night


  • My little boy refuses to eat when he is overtired. If he doesn’t eat he gets put to bed.


  • U need to not let him have the bottle. My daughter wanted the bottle instead of food. Don’t allow it.


Post your reply
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your answer and join MoM:

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join