Dinner to bedtime battles--HELP

Okay, it has taken me a little while to put this puzzle together, but I'm beginning to see a pattern here, and it is turning into a vicious cycle!

The girls have always been hit-or-miss eaters at dinner time. Well, here lately, it has gotten to where they just won't eat any dinner, then when it's time for bed, you guessed it--they are staaarrving! :gah: AND thirsty....AND gotta go potty, Mommy!....oh, and my favorite, "I just need to give my Mommy and Daddy some lovin's!" (this is a ploy of Zoe's to finegle her way in to sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's bed).

So we have two issues to deal with--1) eating dinner; and 2) bedtime struggles.

I don't want them to go hungry, but I hate giving them something to eat so late and right before laying down for the night! What do I do to handle this?? Any suggestions much appreciated!

Have a blessed day, everyone!

 

What time do you eat dinner and what time is bed? I would save their dinner for a little while each night and then if they complain of being hungry later on you can bring it back out. Then I would decide on a set amount of time before bed where it is still acceptable to you for them to eat and make them aware that it is their last chance for eating. So if they go to bed at say 8pm and you start your bedtime routine at 7.30 then I would say that 7.20 is their last chance to eat something. Then at that time (regardless of what or how much they ate at dinner) I would say to them something like "In 10 minutes it is going to be time to brush your teeth and put pyjamas on. If you would like something to eat you need to come and eat it now. Once we have brushed teeth you cannot have anything else to eat." You could even set a timer for the 10 minutes to make it extra clear. If they say no they don't want anything then I'd check again after 5 minutes ("You only have 5 minutes left until teeth brushing time, if you want a snack you need to come and have it now. Do you want one?") but then that would be it, once the timer had gone off I would not give them any food. What I offered them would depend on how they had eaten at dinner-if they hadn't really eaten much then I would keep the snack fairly plain/boring so that you don't end up with them skipping dinner just to get a snack later, maybe just a slice of toast-if they ate well at dinner or at least made a good effort to try things then I would give them more choice in the snack. You might end up with a few days of them still trying to get food out of you right at bedtime, but once they realise that you really mean it they should start eating the snack if they're truly hungry.

Good luck!

 

Thank you!!!