Question
I just finished rereading the section in The Well-Behaved Child on food issues as well as the Q&A on the same subject here on the web-site. Unfortunately, I'm still not sure how to deal with the following situation. Our daughter just turned 5. She has never been a big eater, but is active and healthy. She typically eats whatever I prep for lunch and dinner but breakfast is a different story. My breakfast consists of egg whites w/ kale and spinach and a small bowl of oatmeal. As such, the kids get a whole egg omelet w/ minced kale and spinach, a little cheese, and sometimes turkey bacon. I split it between her and her 20 month old brother. I also provide oatmeal. She does fine eating the oatmeal but often refuses to eat the egg. Yesterday, despite my consistent teachings about not complaining about food prepared and served to her, she complained that she didn't want it because it wasn't served on a plate, that it was too "drippy," that it didn't stay on her fork, etc. I told her ok to go and play and when she got hungry later her eggs would be in the refrigerator for her to eat. At which time she started crying and carrying on with yet more complaints and "reasons" for why she didn't want the eggs. When lunch time came around, I served her the eggs. No dice--they went uneaten. Dinner time, the eggs again. She asked for juice at different times during the day, but I only provided water, though she did drink the almond milk her dad gave her before I served breakfast. This morning at 7 am breakfast I served her the eggs. It's now 11 am and she hasn't eaten anything but I did give her 1/2 c of almond milk when she first got up. My question, am I going overboard? Should I only be giving her the uneaten eggs for breakfast until she eats them or do I stay the course as I've described. I know she's hungry because she has asked about having other things to eat. My response is simply "sure you can have some XYZ, as soon as you eat your eggs." To which she just walks away.
