Food Challenge 2008

We're doing it again... we're having food battles with Robbie. He refuses to even touch meals that he once use to drool over, it's so frustrating.

After sitting down with Colin we've come to an agreement that Robbie eats too much of what he wants in the morning/afternoon and then has a full enough belly to refuse dinner (unless it's got some kind of bread in it). He understands the negotiation process, if you take a bite of this then we'll give you a piece of cheese, or fruit or whatever else know he likes. The mornings are a little bit easier than the evenings as he's just woken up and he's in a good mood. So for the time being he doesn't get anything that he normally eats: breads, breaded chicken, etc. He use to love pasta but now cringes every time he sees it... why?!? Either way, I'm cutting down on his snacks and enforcing more meals and he'll eventually cave. I don't want him to be like me.

Everything else we've worked with him on (manners, coming when called, doing as we ask, etc) has worked wonders, we have one week of strict discipline and then he catches on that this is the way this house works. He's a complete angel... as long as it's not around a meal time. When he looks at the plate and starts crying he immediately puts himself in a time out, I don't like that he does that... he shouldn't punish himself because he's scared of trying something new. We try and give positive reinforcement but it's mind over matter for him. You can tell he's hungry and wants to try it (for the reward) but he just can't break that barrier.... yet.