Sherilyn would normally take between 1-3 hours to finish her meals. During breakfast, she would sit at the dining table and take her own sweet time to eat her food, play with her food, play with her toys, climb up and down the chairs and hop from one chair to another, drop her food, spill her drinks, etc. and dilly dally for hours until it’s time for lunch. I don’t even have to clean her up for she will ‘transit’ from breakfast to lunch. The same thing happens during dinner. Sometimes she would eat from 7pm till 10pm until the dining table is cleared and everyone else has taken their shower and she would still be there chewing her food and ‘fatt ngau tau’ (daydreaming). I get really stressed up during meal times because of her. No amount of coaxing would make her eat her food sometimes. Â
The other day, she was still storing her food in her mouth after more than an hour. It was already almost 9pm and she was pacing the house up and down. She went from room to room and then stood at the kitchen balcony to look at people swimming at the pool. To encourage her to eat her food, I brought a stool to the kitchen and asked her to sit there and eat. When I said that, her face lit up and she quickly brought her plate of cold food and sat there to eat and watched people swimming!
See how happy my brat is… but Sherilyn being Sherilyn, she dropped her food all over the kitchen floor but at least she finally finished her food at almost 9:30pm. Sigh….. Sherilyn oh Sherilyn…. mummy just wishes you’ll eat as enthusiastically as your cheh cheh.
No. of times viewed = 182
hehe… sher oh sher, why u making mommy tension only… u so cute la! but at least she finished her food 🙂
Try and limit any moving around at meal times which can be distracting. No TV till the meal is done(unless of course u need the TV on to occupy them while u are busy). Give a time limit, such as using an alarm clock or when the hand of the clock moves to whatever number(show her the number), then no more food, which also means NO treats or cookies or sugary drinks and maybe throw in no TV, etc. Maybe when she learns that there is a consequence for her actions, then she’ll reconsider. And please don’t feel guilty if she doesn’t finish her meal…kids will NEVER knowingly starve themselves. Trust me..I’ve had this argument enough times with my own mum! The only concession I make if they won’t eat is a glass of milk(no cereal even) before they go to bed. If she realizes going to bed hungry is no fun, then she’ll maybe work on eating at dinner! Yes, tough love works. And yes, kids are sent to earth to try mums!
Good luck!!
Same goes to my nephew, previously he will “stored” the food in his mouth. Whatever we did he still the same. After he went to kindy, his meal time cut down from 3 to 1 or 1 1/2 hours. Now he won’t “stored” his food but still take time to finish his meal. If he coming to my house, I’m always be the bad person coaxing, scolding him to finish faster.
Well, as long as she finishes her food… 🙂
hehe she does look very happy next to your aircon condenser unit!
wah..u are a very patient mom. Me… after 1 hour, I’ll throw the food away..and the kid too.
WAKAKAKAKAAKAKAKAKAKAAKAKAKAKAKAKA!
thats very long hours for her to finish her dinner. so after her dinner, she doesnt drink milk anymore b4 going to bed lor?
Wen…. Oh, Sher still drinks her milk b4 going to bed. She’s a milk lover!
Thats what i suffering too, being need to feed in that 1.5-2.5 hours…dinner time can finish at 10pm as well..
I think this is one of the most vital info for me. And i am glad reading your article. But should remark on few general things, The site style is ideal, the articles is really nice : D. Good job, cheers