I find dinner time with my toddler to be just about as enjoyable as getting my teeth scraped at the dentist.(Actually,a trip to the dentist might be more fun–I get to lie back in a nice chair,close my eyes,and there aren't any babies or toddlers pulling at my leg.)

My fellow parents of toddlers probably don't need me to describe the pain that is mealtime with a 2 year old.Meals are rejected,food is thrown,and the whining (for crackers or noodles or whatever) reaches epic proportions.最糟糕的是，despite the fact that I know better,我最终不可避免地要和那个孩子进行权力斗争。

"Just one more bite… one tiny bite and you can have a special treat… just one more leeeetle bite." I might as well get up and go bang my head against a brick wall.It would probably be a lot less painful,同样有效。

A few months ago,I found myself holding the little demon in my lap,desperately trying to coax her into eating three pieces of couscous off my fork.不，not three bites.Three pieces.There we were,来回地，struggling not over those tiny little pods,但在谁拥有权力的问题上，who was getting the attention,and ultimately,who was the dumbass.（那样，当然，就在那时，我决定一切都要改变。

And things have changed.这是妈妈的晚餐新规定（根据艾琳·萨特的规定）Child of Mine–a fabulous book onfeeding babiesand toddlers!).

1。不说话

You don't talk about dinnertime.Seriously.The minute you open your mouth and indicate the slightest bit of interest in whether or not the toddler eats,you lose.At that point she knows she's got you,她会竭尽所能摧毁你。While still not eating.当那个咬伤脚踝的小家伙反复说她不会吃东西的时候，你最好的回答是，“好吧。”然后，no matter how much it hurts,bite your tongue.

2.Keep Offering

继续提供新的食物，but always make sure there is something on the table the kid will eat.让小家伙选择他想要的，然后回到规则1。Last night the baby and I ate avocado,blueberries,奶酪，tortillas,面条，andhummus.孩子吃面条和蓝莓，你所见过的鹰嘴豆最细小的一口（一直在一次又一次地提醒我她不会，in fact,吃奶酪，avocado,or tortillas).

三。No bargaining

Don't bargain over bites and don't hold dessert hostage.如果你这样做，mealtime will stop being about sharing food together and learning how to makehealthy eating choices.It will become just another power struggle with your toddler,which,根据定义，你会输的。Offer your dinner,offer dessert (which at our house is fruit or yogurt,或者，on the rare occasion we go out,it might be ice cream or a cookie),and let that little tyrant eat what she wants.

4.没有准备

你在这顿饭里投入的精力/时间/精力越多，the more likely it is that it will be rejected.Kids know when you care,and they use it against you.所以我们吃了很多奎萨迪拉，frozen veggies,素食汉堡and whole wheat pasta with different sauces that were made and frozen ahead of time.一周至少两次，当我把冰箱里所有的东西随意地放在一起吃饭的时候，我们还会吃“冰箱晚餐”。Cottage cheese,veggies,toast,cold cuts,不管怎样，它都会被放进婴儿塑料盘子的小部分，她可以选择自己想要什么。

5.是的，遵守规则

别误以为这是晚餐时间的免费活动——我们有规定。我的孩子知道如何坐在桌子旁；我们不在沙发上或地板上吃饭。She knows not to play with the plate or throw her food,她知道我们不玩玩具during dinner.When she doesn't want to eat,she does have to sit at the table for a few minutes at dinnertime,and then she can go play.

In addition,I've found a few other tricks that seem to help with my girls.I try not to let them get too tired,我很重视比赛music晚餐时；这使女孩们在吃饭时不会感到无聊。

只是说清楚，and honest,I don't always follow my own rules.I try,但我的犹太母亲禁不住要“鼓励”我女儿尝尝她的花椰菜。我很后悔，即使我的话从我嘴里冒出来，because it never helps.But I'm getting better,and mealtimes are a lot less painful.I might even prefer them to the dentist now.

Be sure to check out ourrecipes database对于你的孩子可能吃或不吃的大量食物。