How do you deal with a toddler who refuses to eat dinner?

Hi there, so I’ve seen a few mums have written in to get advice, so i thought i’d try it. Okay so I have a very willful two year old toddler who refuses to eat dinner every night, he has only been doing it for the past couple of weeks, before that he was a good eater. He also started daycare full time a few weeks ago so i’m not too sure if this may be why he has gone off eating at dinner. He eats all his other meals like he normally would, dinner is the only time he won’t and boy does he let us know. We have tried everything from making him separate meals to letting him out of his high chair and letting him sit at the dinning table with us and nothing helps, he will just scream and scream until be take his dinner away completely. After that he will want his bottle and then want to be put to bed. Any feed back would be much appreciated.

Posted by Jess 8.11.2012

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- - mom495134 said
  - 31 Oct 2023
    10:55 pm
He will eat when he’s hungry. I wouldn’t stress. Do a box of things he can have anytime , fruit yogurt eg.
- - BellaB said
  - 30 Oct 2020
    7:18 pm
Check when they’re feeding him at day care – he may simply be full. If he’s happy to go to bed with nothing, I wouldn’t worry too much. Kids do eat (eventually) if they’re hungry.
- - dannsbuild said
  - 28 Sep 2015
    10:51 pm
Great answers! There really interesting comments on this!
- - mom64323 said
  - 19 Jan 2015
    8:17 am
Don’t push – in my experience – first my sister and then my niece, it doesn’t help. Kids will never starve themselves and eventually will develop tastes for the food adults eat. In the mean time, finger foods they enjoy and try getting them involved in deciding what’s for dinner and cooking it!
- - BellaB said
  - 14 Apr 2014
    8:33 pm
Just make sure he’s getting a good balance of nutrients at other meals and he’ll be okay.
- - mle00 said
  - 31 Mar 2014
    6:06 pm
Toddlers refuse a lot of things simply because they can, experiment one day, tell him he HAS to eat a piece of chocolate, he’ll probably say no!
- - yyon4699 said
  - 29 Mar 2014
    8:00 pm
if he refusees, don’t force. He will eat when he is hungry enuf
- - meltingmoment said
  - 27 Oct 2013
    8:35 am
Could just be a phase that he is going through. I hope he is now eating for you.
- - kjgarner said
  - 26 Oct 2013
    8:55 pm
Sometimes they just do that ;/
- - snoopy said
  - 17 Oct 2013
    2:16 pm
I thought perhaps he could be teething.
- - kjgarner said
  - 30 Sep 2013
    11:30 pm
I hope you have found an answer to your problem
- - lynzstevo said
  - 28 Aug 2013
    8:49 am
basically, if hes hungry he’ll eat what you serve. He’s not going to starve himself. I hope things have improved since you’ve asked this.
- - a-edwards said
  - 26 Aug 2013
    9:02 pm
Don’t give him other options, let him know it’s dinner or nothing. From what I gather he knows and clearly has u making him a smorgasbord for dinner! U cant do that every night
- - lynzstevo said
  - 25 Aug 2013
    10:49 pm
My little boy refuses to eat when he is overtired. If he doesn’t eat he gets put to bed.
- - a-edwards said
  - 20 Aug 2013
    12:35 pm
U need to not let him have the bottle. My daughter wanted the bottle instead of food. Don’t allow it.
- - nicoleisback said
  - 08 Aug 2013
    3:26 pm
How have you gone since posting this question? I am sending my son to day care full time in about 3 months (he will be 11 months) and would love any tips on things you have done to help him settle in
- - lovi said
  - 30 Jun 2013
    1:33 pm
if he won’t sleep make sure you give him some quiet time
- - lovi said
  - 27 Jun 2013
    1:03 pm
Sounds like he is tired – try a nap an hr after he gets home …
- - smiles said
  - 31 May 2013
    7:55 pm
Make sure that Daycare is not giving him to many snacks as well.
- - smiles said
  - 26 May 2013
    9:55 pm
If he is in daycare full time maybe you need to find out when he is eating etc maybe he is not hungry because he eat a lot during the day or just before tea??