Sherilyn did it again. She spilled drinks again yesterday and I was extra mad with her coz it was not just plain water, it was soy bean milk…. sticky soy bean milk…. all on the table, the chair, the floor and on her clothes. She always spills drinks and drops food everywhere on the floor just when kakak and I are the busiest.
Yesterday she took 3 painful hours to eat a slice of bread for lunch. She also wanted to drink baby’s soy bean milk and demanded that she drank it directly from the bottle. Did I tell you that Sher has a fetish with mineral water bottles? I have another story to tell as regards Sher and her mineral water bottles. Anyway, back to yesterday. As I did not want to have another power struggle with her, I let her drink the soy bean milk directly from the mineral water bottle. Before I went into the bathroom to shower Alycia, I told her that I wanted to see the bread and soy bean milk finished as she had been sitting at the dining table from 12:30pm until 3:30pm! When I came out, my maid told me that Sher was playing with the soy bean milk in the bottle and had spilled the entire bottle of milk everywhere. I gave her a good spank on her hand. Tell me would your blood boil too? This happens everyday at every single meal!
If not for the wooden tray beneath her food and drinks, there would even be a bigger mess.
The soy bean milk on the chair and floor. Her shorts was also soaked with the milk.
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3 hours ? you are very persistent. I would have given up on Amber and let her skip her meals already. luckily your dining chair leather huh ?
Some children are just naturally clumsy. It isn’t a deliberate act just to annoy you. Patience,and hope she will grow out of it soon.
Meantime, I do sympathise with you that she’s taking 2/3 hours to finish a meal. This ain’t natural. Why not do some web research on how to tackle this problem.
3 hours?? I already keep the food!
Oh dear… soya milk. I’d go raving mad! I never allow them any drinks during meals. If they want, they have to finish their meals first, then only drink. I think old-fashioned chinese do that (my mom used to do that to me). Apparently, it interferes with their appetite. That goes for soup too…only once they finish everything. Which means they have to eat fast or the soup would get really cold (and cold soup is really yucky!).
I guess, if she’s taking so long to eat….better to just have a timer…and after 1 hour, clear the table. I doubt she’ll starve. No junk food for snacks..just fruit or something healthy. I suppose restrict the lunch/snack/dinner times…so, she doesn’t fill her tummy up too much? If she finishes within an hour, put up a star princess poster (where she can stick some stars on it)…and if she earns enough stars, she’ll get something?
I don’t know….I guess I’m really strict with my kids when it comes to mealtimes. No mucking about coz I have no one else to help me.
Nope…I don’t have that star poster. I just have a very very angry face.
WAKAKAKAAKKAAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAK!
hehehehe…mott’s comment made me laugh. she’s real funny lah and her suggestion is good 🙂 no, i don’t have a star poster too but i have a rotan. does sher sit still at the dining table for 3 hours or would she walk everywhere? i understand your frustration because she’s not afraid of your scolding or the cane. If you were to clear the plate each time she doesn’t finish her meal, you think she would be afraid that she has nothing to eat and hence, eat a lil’ faster?
I wonder if she will tell u that she’s hungry, if the food is kept away after everyone is done? And no snack no milk no junk allowed until everyone’s meal time. 😛
sigh… kids & food… i duno la… haaaaaaaaih! and u siap can take pic some more! hahahaha… 🙂
I got a new tactic for my girl. Feeding her doll (Dora The Explorer). I would tell her Dora had finished a spoonfull rice, faster finish yours. It can hurry up her a bit but she still take time to finish her meal.
how abt kakak help with the feeding?
This sounds mean, but perhaps starvation may help speed up the feeding time? As for her clumsiness, I don’t think she is deliberately being clumsy. In fact, perhaps by giving her so much attention, perhaps it has been making her EVEN more nervous?
I may sound bad, but I think she did it on purpose 😛 One cannot be clumsy in every meal and they way she takes up so much time to eat is either she dun like what she eat or not hungry.. . What Mott say is exactly what hubby advise me to do also. He always tell me that it’s ok for the child to starve, then will appreciate food more 🙂 We sound very strict yaaa?
got a tag for u
http://thotsntales.com/?p=1416
I think she sounds so much like Marcus when he was Sher’s age. Takes forever to finish up his food too, and most of the time, I really cannot tahan and ended up smacking him.
Previously, with my son, I too did not allow him to leave the table till he finish, however long it takes. But it became so NORMAL it became a habit that gave me more stress than it benefited him. With very assertive and domineering children, it is simply just a battle of wills. Who will surrender first, me or mummy? In this case, Sherilyn has gained control b’cos she knows finishing food is more important for mummy than for her.
You need to regain control. Don’t obsess abt her not getting enough food. Kids will ask or look for food when really really hungry. As suggested, if she hasn’t finished after 1 hour , clear the table. Penalty – no special drink, dessert or any fav snacks afterwards, and no granting her any special requests e.g. play with fav toy etc. Later, before bedtime, just offer her milk/milo/horlicks/oats (nothing special). If she refuses, just leave it. If she’s hungry, she will feel hunger pangs. You have to persist with this even if you think she is starving. Remember, kids know how to ask for food when hungry. NORMALISE this pattern so she doesn’t manipulate her way by controlling you. Like someone said, shouldn’t give this type of behaviour too much attention.
Eventually she will realise that that not finishing food quickly is not beneficial to her.
This worked for my son after two LONG weeks. He got plenty of praises and we granted requests for special treats whenever he finished his meals quickly. First week, he threw terrible tantrums that lasted over an hour. We just hardened our hearts and ignored him. Though it was difficult, we had to OUTLAST him, so he now knows he cannot manipulate us in this matter.
ini sherilyn, must use baby’s anti spill cup liao. funny comments up there! however i m not strict with qiqi too. wanna eat, just eat, if don want, get lost from our table. i hate to force her sit there when she refuse. anyway when she is hungry later, she will start looking for food. normally i will not keep any dish for her. hungry, go eat bread! oh yes, she is one who cannot drink while eating too. choke too easily 🙁
samuel oso used to had his meal for 2hours on average with us feeding him! i cant imagine if he eats on his own. after he turns 4 he started to improve… probably ur sherilyn will improve herself soon