Parenting: 3-Year-Olds Community

Who does the cooking? I do

What time do you eat dinner? When DH gets home. Usually around 6

Do you eat as a family? Yes, I always wait for him no matter how late he's going to be. If it's too late I'll feed DD

What's generally on your menu? It differs, but we almost always have something with chicken

What's your rules for the dinner table? You need to sit and eat. No playing or goofing around. If you can't do that then you need to leave the table. You also have to try a bite of everything

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? She always gets something on her plate that she does like. If she tries everything then she can get more of what she likes. If she just flat out refuses to eat then she doesn't get anything else

Who does the cooking? Me. DH has no cooking skills beyond fixing a frozen pizza.

What time do you eat dinner? DD's saying she's hungry before we even hit the driveway, so usually I try to fix something fast for her and get her meal ready by 5:30-6:00, but during farm season DH and I often eat as late as 9:00.

Do you eat as a family? Depends on the time of year - during farm season, generally No. During the winter, yes.

What's generally on your menu? a fairly wide variety, but based on some form of meat and potato or meat and pasta.

What's your rules for the dinner table? ?? Stay in your seat until everyone is finished, must at least try a bite of everything but if you don't like then you can skip the rest of that item, clean your plate to get dessert (a fun size snickers, a dum dum sucker, etc).

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? Well, I try to encourage DD to eat it, sometimes resorting to bribery (take a bite of meat, get a peanut - her favorite bribe), but I eventually give up and just tell her that she'll just have to be hungry until the next meal time, no snacks or dessert. I figure she won't starve and by the next meal she'll definetly eat. If it's a meal that DH and I still really like and want to continue to have, then the next time I fix it I'll adjust the seasoning on her portion, or add cheese, or at least make sure there is one thing on the plate that she likes in addition to the meal.

Who does the cooking? These days, unfortunately it's mostly me because I'm home and DH doesn't get to leave until 5:00. He hates that though because he loves to cook too and we miss cooking together. He'll cook on the weekends though, or we do it together.

What time do you eat dinner? I try to shoot for 6:00.

Do you eat as a family? Yes, absolutely. There are some days when DH will get home super late so I'll sit down with the kids if I am just too hungry to wait. If I know he'll be home a little late (like by 6:30 or 6:45) then I'll try to hold the kids off so we can eat together.

What's generally on your menu? Everything! We make up a menu a week in advance and we try to include a beef, pork, chicken, fish and pasta dish, and either homemade pizza, a takeout/eat out treat or leftovers.

What's your rules for the dinner table? We have no rules yet for DS, but for DD she has to "eat in a circle" for her meal--this is our new thing to make her eat each of her options. So far, eh, not so great. She's our struggling eater. Our absolute requirement is at least 2 bites of everything, and if she's not going to finish she gets down because otherwise she'll just play with her food and make a mess.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner?I'm guilty of giving her "toddler food" lately--we're getting back into making them eat our dinner starting this week, so it hasn't been too bad so far. I will alter it slightly if I think they won't eat it--like last night we had pasta with fresh tomatoes and spinach andI know DD HATES tomatoes so we took some of the pasta plain and just added butter and cheese for DD and DS and then gave them fruit with it.

Who does the cooking? I do the cooking

What time do you eat dinner? DD and I eat around 7 and my SO eats when he gets home from work around 8:00. We used to wait for him but it wasnt working with DD and getting her to bed on time.

Do you eat as a family? My SO works late so no.

What's generally on your menu? I plan my meals to have seafood, beef, pork, chicken, and a meatless dinner.

What's your rules for the dinner table? We have to sit down and the tv is off.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? I dont force her to eat if she doesnt like then oh well. I am pretty lucky she isnt a picky kid so she eats whatever I make. If she really doesnt like it and is hungry I will make her a P&B sandwich.

Who does the cooking? usually me, but DH will do some prep since he gets home before we do

What time do you eat dinner? 5:30-6pm

Do you eat as a family? we try to but sometimes it's just me and DD

What's generally on your menu? normal food stuff

What's your rules for the dinner table? no getting up and down unless it's to go to the potty, try a bite of everything. We are starting to try and get her to stay seated until everyone is done.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? I always make sure there is one component of the meal that she likes. If it is something she's tried and just won't eat (like chili) I will make her nuggets or something else.

Who does the cooking? Me, me, me. DH is not a cook that is for sure.

What time do you eat dinner? We try to eat between 6 - 6:30, most nights we are sucessful but there is the occasional night where dinner is a little later.

Do you eat as a family? Yes absolutely, at the table together every night. Even all of those months that DH was working out of town and it was just DD and I all week we still ate at the dining room table every night.

What's generally on your menu? It varies really. Most nights we have a meat, side dish and veggie or pasta, salad and bread. Through the week there is usually one day of chicken patties with french fries and a veggie or hot dogs and mac n cheese but hey it's still dinner and it isn't fast food. And I am really big on breakfast for dinner too.

What's your rules for the dinner table? Must try a bite of everything on your plate, I really try to get her to finish at least one item completely, I usually don't make her stay at the table until we are done but she does need to ask if she can be excused she usually says "Can I please have excused?" to cute!!

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? I usually don't have to much of a problem with her, she loves chicken and pork so those nights I know I am good. She does not like beef unless it is ground meat in something so on the nights that I make a beef dish I usually make her grilled cheese and then she eats whatever else we are having like side dishes and veggie. Like I said as long as she tries it I don't complain and there is always something on her plate that she will eat unless she is really in a mood or tired and just being difficult then I simply ask her to excuse herself from the table.

Who does the cooking? DH handles breakfast, but dinner is all me.

What time do you eat dinner? We're early birds. We usually eat no later than 5:30

Do you eat as a family? Yes, as a family at the table. Even on the evenings DH is in school the kids and I sit down together to eat.

What's generally on your menu? Meat, veggies, and maybe a starch.

What's your rules for the dinner table? We pray, we eat, we talk, and everyone stays seated until we all are done.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? I try not to make mealtime a battle. If they truly don't like it I will offer yogurt and fruit as an alternative. I also save uneaten meals and offer it later if DS asks for a snack or dessert.

Who does the cooking? me

What time do you eat dinner? 6:15

Do you eat as a family? yes

What's generally on your menu? spaghetti & MB, beef stew, grilled chicken, soup & grilled cheese, Mexican

What's your rules for the dinner table? finish your cup of milk, do not get up from the table while you still have food

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner?make them eat it anyway

Who does the cooking? Usually me despite the fact that DH is home all day with the kids and I work full-time outside the home.

What time do you eat dinner? Around 6p

Do you eat as a family? Usually

What's generally on your menu? Easy stuff. I don't really like to cook so if it can be cooked in the microwave or heated in the oven, I'm good.

What's your rules for the dinner table? Don't really have rules. We usually eat at the coffee table and are trying to teach our almost 1 year old not to grab our plates.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? Right now, make them something else.

Who does the cooking? Me.

What time do you eat dinner? As soon as DH walks in the door. Usually 5:50.

Do you eat as a family? Always.

What's generally on your menu? We have a breakfast night, a pizza night, a meat night, a pasta night and a leftover night. No processed crap.

What's your rules for the dinner table? The kids must try everything on their plate. When they are done eating, they have to ask to be excused and then they have to leave the dining room until everyone is finished. Oh, and they must be finished chewing before they can leaave the table.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? I typically try to include 1 sure-fire hit. I've learned that the less I try to push food on them, the better they eat. If they don't eat much at dinner because they don't like it and then ask for a snack later, the snack has to be fruit, cheese or cut up veggies. If they don't eat dinner because they're not hungry and ask for a snack later, they must first eat their dinner and then they can have a healthy snack.

Who does the cooking? Me

What time do you eat dinner? Between 5:30-6pm. DD2 acts like she's a starving child if its any later than that

Do you eat as a family? Yes

What's generally on your menu? every dinner has a veggie, no exception and sometimes a fruit

What's your rules for the dinner table? I can't think of any set rules that we have to keep in force....yet

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? I know that my kids don't like taco nights, so I fix them something else. But if they complain about something that they have eaten and liked before just because they do't want to eat, then they don't eat. However they do not get desert or anything else before bedtime as I explain they had their chance to eat their dinner and they didn't want to

Who does the cooking? Mostly me but DH will usually do 1 meal on a weekend and when he is layed off in the winter e does more cooking (he is a great cook)

What time do you eat dinner? around 6:30

Do you eat as a family? IF DH is home from work if not DS and I eat without him, but someone always sits with DS to eat a meal.

What's generally on your menu? It varies alot, I try to incorperate everything, meat veggie, fruit potatoes.

What's your rules for the dinner table? You have to at least try your food. When you are finished leave the table I don't want you playing while I eat,
Latly he has wanted to sit at his own little table that sits next to ours so I have let him.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? that isn't normally a problem with a DS he is a very good eater. If he absolutly Hates it after trying it he can have an apple or banana. I will not make him his own meal.

Who does the cooking? depends but I would say mostly DH b/c he gets home first & I pick up the DC.

What time do you eat dinner? 5:30-6pm

Do you eat as a family? yes unless DH is working

What's generally on your menu? tacos, meatloaf, spaghetti, fish, bbq ribs, deer steak, pork chops, chicken(shake & bake or in mushroom soup), hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, roast beef, beef stroganoff, lasagna, ham, turkey, homemade pizza, chicken nuggets, meatball subs

What's your rules for the dinner table? chew with your mouth closed, try everything on your plate, feet off the table, use manners, clear your own plate, use your utnsils

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? usually it's the meat they won't eat but we also have veggies & fruit or bread that they do eat. they have to take a couple of bites of the meat to get more of the other stuff. the funny thing is DS is the one to usually complain about what's for dinner but then surprises me by eating what he didn't want.

jlc78 posted: Who does the cooking? Mostly me- DH cooks 1-2 nights a week. He is a better cook but finds it stressful and I find it relaxing.

What time do you eat dinner? 7-7:30P

Do you eat as a family? yes- if DD will sit still to eat

What's generally on your menu? A meat, a starch and a vegetable. Much more basic stuff since the kids were born because if we make stuff unsuitable for kids, we have to make two things!

What's your rules for the dinner table? Right now we are working on getting DD to sit at the table the entire time she is eating. She likes to wander, but won't sit in a high chair any more. Oh, and we watch PTI during dinner on weeknights.

What do you do when your kids don't like dinner? If we are making something our kids don't normally like- like chicken livers or couscous, we'll make them something different. Otherwise they can just eat what they like.