Okay, so for the first time in my parenting career, I just followed through with something.
So why do I feel like shit?
Tater has never had a problem with eating until recently.
Lately, all the kid does is walk around saying "I'm Starrrrvvving...."
So, I fix him something to eat, he takes one bite, and decides he doesn't want it.
So frusturating.
Then, ten minutes later, hes' "Starrrrrvinng" again.
Ahhhhh!
So, tonight, about 2 hours before dinner, I told him we were going to start a new family rule.
You can pick what you have for dinner but you have to eat it. All of it.
If you don't eat your dinner, all of it, you have to go to bed.
So, dinner time comes. He chooses a Kid Cuisine meal out of the freezer, which is fine with me.
Easy dinner night.
It is chicken nuggets, fries, chocolate pudding and corn. Yum, right?
No.
He eats one chicken nugget. And doesn't touch the rest.
He's done.
Oh, no. He's not.
I sit him down at the table.
Eat your dinner, I say, or you will have to go to bed, and miss a Christmas Movie.
Ten times. We do this. I counted.
He refuses to eat any more.
I scoop him up, put him in his bed, and kiss him goodnight.
I tell him I love him, and we already talked about the new dinner rule.
He cries hysterically.
About 15 minutes later, I go back to his room.
I sit at the foot of his bed and talk to him.
Two choices, go to bed, or come back to the kitchen and eat his dinner, then watch a movie.
He says he would rather go to bed than eat corn.
WTF? You are the one that CHOSE to eat that.
Sigh.
So he goes to bed.
And misses a Christmas movie.
I feel bad.
I really wanted him to come out and say "Okay, I will eat the corn now."
And I feel like shit.
Did I do the right thing?
Normally I would have just let him come back out and watch a movie anyway.
And probably eat some cookies.
This time I didn't cave.
The first time ever, I didn't cave.
I thought I would feel better.
Instead I feel like bitch mom.
Part of me feels like I should have made him something else to eat.
But then again, he CHOSE that meal in the first place.
I thought following through would feel better.
Now I'm watching The Grinch. Alone.
Parenting, you suck.
I am sorry. Hugs. I think you made the right choice. Really he made the choice for you. You just feel like you made the choice because ultimately you knew HE had to pick. It's a long way untilbreakfast and hopefully he'll figure this out. I am actually going through this with my toddler. It's all food I know he likes. He's just showing me he's old enough to make his own decisions. My husband on the other hand thinks he doesn't know and it isn't fair to not let him have snacks later. Especially not make him wait until breakfast. Yes, I feel bad, but learning most lessons isn't done the fun way, right? I think you are doing a great job by letting Tater pick what path he takes. Then he doesn't sulk in bed thinking his mom sucks. He picked this. Hopefully it's just a phase our boys are going through. Hang in there hon.
ReplyDeleteChelle
PS I have a certain family member who to this day makes their daughter a seperate meal than the rest of the family because she (who is in high school) trained her that she'd make her something else. Just think if The Bean grows up to want you to do the same thing. You'll be making three different meals every night. So maybe don't start that. Just my opinion. ;)