Dinner Time

Dinner time is such a trial at the moment.  It used to be easy, pretty much whatever I put in front of Jack he would eat, but something happened at three and suddenly he became very picky.

A wise woman I know once said that she just makes sure that she puts good healthy choices in front of them and if they don't eat then she knows she did the best she could.  I agree wholeheartedly with that but the problem then becomes that the children wake before the crack of dawn (3.30am - 4.00am) hungry!!

So what is the answer, I feel I am at the cross roads that face all parents, do I only offer the safe choices? do I let them wake? do I let them eat whatever they feel like? Or do I bribe or cajole them to eat the healthy options until they become familiar enough that they are the easy option?

All in all the last few weeks have been a trial between the hours of 5.30pm and 7.00pm and my brain has no more ideas. I have tried all of the above ideas even the bribing which is something I never thought that I would do.

A girlfriend of mine recently made a decision to give her child something to help them all get some sleep.  She said to me that I would never have done that, and I said to her with all honesty that I had never been where she is and I know enough to never think I know what I am capable of doing until I am in that position.

So what next, more bribes and threats? letting the small amount of foods they are interested in dwindle further? the early mornings and breast feeding throughout the night to fill tummies is really starting to wear all of us all down.

 I guess this is just a blogging vent, a quiet place to tell the cosmos that if they have any ideas now is the time to plant them so we can find a more peaceful space about this stuff.

In the meantime, I might ask Andrew to come up with new ideas for night eating ....... If only he could grow boobs! But hang on then I would have to get up early so that's not gonna work either.