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My daughter refuses to eat anything that isn't Mac and cheese or fries!!! She screams and throws food and will go without eating!! What do I do???

Erica - posted on 08/09/2011 ( 1 mom has responded )

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Jane - posted on 08/09/2011

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Sounds as if the toddler tantrums are in full swing. It actually won't hurt her to go without eating - kids her age can do just fine on a lot less food than we realize. She will eventually eat something.



However, to keep the dinner table a pleasant, stress-free zone, I would go ahead and feed her mac and cheese. I would model eating all sorts of other foods with obvious enjoyment in front of her. Once she gets over the "I am in control" phase she will get curious about the things you are enjoying and want to try them.



However, if she ever decides to throw her mac and cheese. then tell her that dinner is over, take her plate away, and set her down on the floor while the rest of the family enjoys their varied diet.



Once she does expand her palate, don't overload her plate. Tell her she can always have more if she wants. In our house the rule was if someone else puts the food on your plate you just need to eat two bites (the second one is to be sure you don't like it). But if you put the food on your own plate you need to eat it all. This was a way to teach our kids to control portion size and not waste food.



Good luck! We have lots of fun family stories about the weird food fixations we all had when we were toddlers. This can be a great one to remind your daughter of when she announces as a teen that she is going to be a Vegan.

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