Breakfast Soup

There were many times a couple of years ago that Nadia would refuse to eat her dinner, and we'd serve it to her again at breakfast. Sometimes she'd still refuse and not end up eating it until lunch. She'd never go a full 24 hours before she'd give in and eat the food. We haven't done that very often with Ian because if I feed him and offer him some reward for each bite (the reward might be one piece of dry cereal of half of a small pretzel), then we can usually get him to eat his dinner within about two hours. Paul has been pushing Ian to feed himself dinner more often. He already feeds himself his breakfast and lunch every day. I make him feed himself dinner when we're eating something he likes, but I often feed him dinner (at least every other bite) when we're eating something he doesn't like. Last week Paul required Ian to feed himself the rigatoni and meatballs. He didn't eat it for dinner or breakfast the next day and finally ate it at lunch.

On Monday night I served them baked potato soup and cheddar biscuits for dinner. Nadia ate her biscuit right away, and Ian ate most of his biscuit, and that was it. Nadia took a bite of the soup and gagged. Ian never tried it. They were both served potato soup for breakfast. Not exactly the time of day I'd like to be eating soup, but they knew when they refused to eat it at night that was what would happen. Paul hadn't come down for breakfast yet when Ian was eating, and I decided to compromise and feed him every other bite. I figured if I got the first bite down him that he'd discover he liked it, and that's exactly what happened, except he didn't like the bacon in it. I removed the bacon and he finished the soup pretty quickly and then had a bowl of cereal. Nadia also didn't like the bacon so I removed the bacon from her bowl, and what motivated her to eat was I told her she couldn't play with the other children in Bible study yesterday morning if she didn't eat. I told her she'd have to stay with me. I gave her some raisins (to me raisins and potato soup are disgusting together but whatever works), and she finished her soup just before we left.

On Monday afternoon while we were at the playground Nadia asked what we were having for dinner, and both kids started fussing and whining about the fact I was serving baked potato soup even though I don't think either child ever remembered having it before. This is fairly typical. Sometimes it's just Ian who starts whining as Nadia does enjoy a wider variety of foods. Nadia will fuss about the vegetables even though when she's actually served them she usually does pretty well with eating them these days. There are moments as a mom when you realize you have had enough and there has to be some improvement with a particular behavior, and that's what happened with me on Monday night. I told the kids that until they start eating a wider variety of foods without complaining or crying, we aren't going to be eating any pizza, waffles, French toast, pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, or fish sticks. Nadia will still have some easy nights since she does enjoy tuna noodle, spaghetti, lasagna, ham, pierogies, and cheeseburgers, and Ian doesn't like any of those foods yet. I am trying to make a really long list of different main dishes to serve, and my plan is to make each of them at least one time over the next three months. By the end of the weekend I want to have a menu plan in place for the whole month of October.

I'm hoping we'll discover some other foods that they both like. Hopefully in time they will learn to like a few more anyhow. I started a new sticker chart just for dinner for both of them. When one of them has earned six stickers, we will have pizza for dinner the next night. If the other child hasn't earned six stickers yet, he/she will be served something else while the rest of us eat pizza. In order to implement this new plan I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought some foods I don't typically buy such as ham and chicken tenders. I have never bought chicken nuggets, strips, or tenders before at a grocery store. We have trouble with Ian at fast food places because he doesn't care for burger or nuggets. Last night I served the kids chicken tenders, while Paul and I finished the baked potato soup. Nadia did well last night and earned her first sticker. Ian had chicken tenders for breakfast this morning. It turned out that giving him honey to dip them in was what got him going. I served them the same meal tonight (with pierogies) while Paul and I had bbq chicken. Ironically Ian did a great job and earned a sticker, and Nadia will be eating chicken tenders for breakfast tomorrow. Go figure. Because I will be on bedrest for 24 hours starting tomorrow at noon and then will be doing yard sale shopping on Saturday as well as attending a parenting seminar at church, I did more cooking than usual today. I made Rachel Ray's tuna melt pie, Bisquick's ham and Swiss impossible pie, and an apple crisp with apples from our tree. Hopefully they can both earn a sticker tomorrow night when they eat either the ham or the tuna pie. Oliver is such a great eater. Maybe just maybe he'll stay this way??? I would be extremely grateful! That boy shovels green peas and green beans in his mouth like there's no tomorrow.