Anybody for Breakfast?

I'm not a breakfast eater. I've never really been a breakfast eater. I don't feel actual hunger very often and when I do, it certainly isn't before at least 11am. Which at one time was still morning, now with two kids that's like mid to late day, depending on when we get up.

Anyways, I struggle with the consumption of food. Not only because I worry about calories etc, but because I really don't enjoy eating. I make sure I eat the rest of the day but the breakfast meal usually gets skipped for me. If I have to eat something (and Starbucks isn't an option, because everybody loves Starbucks, don't you?hint) a banana is the best I can do.

Anyways, I've always done my best to not pass on my dislike for breakfast on my children. It is the most important meal of the day (so I'm told) and I make sure they have some. If they decide when they are 16 that they don't want to consume it anymore, then that's up to them. But at 2 (3 in less than a month, ah!) and 10 months they are required by household law to eat it!

My Audrey is always up for a meal, although now she refuses baby food. Because in her Non verbal communicative way she's saying "I can do it BY MYSELF!" a phrase I'm totally getting sick of. Anyways, I don't have to worry that she'll eat, she's a good eater.

Bethany on the other hand is a different story. While we face the challenges every parent faces with trying new food, Beth has always eaten well. She loves veggies and fruit, doesn't beg for sugary treats (except a love of chocolate that her father has fostered) and will generally eat what she's given. Except at breakfast.

She hates to eat it. I mean seriously hates to eat it. I don't know if it's because she doesn't want it or if it's because she's just gotten up and wants to play after 8 hours in bed but either way, I dread mornings. It's a battle that I hate fighting and it's something I've hesitated to blog about.

We deal with tough kid moments like every other kid, there are temper tantrums, tears and screaming (and sometimes, so does her Momma), but those occasions aren't an everyday thing. I would say 89% of the time she's an excellent little girl. Good manners, sweet, loving and kind. She remembers to pray for anyone and sometimes everyone who's sick. She will remind me through out the day to think of someone else, by asking to pray for them or do something for them. Without being just a gloss over it parent, she really is a good kid.

Until it comes to eating breakfast. Every morning we approach breakfast with matched trepidation. She's afraid I'm gonna make her sit at the blasted kitchen table and I'm afraid she's going to do what she inevitably does.

She beings to WAIL, loud and whiny. Not very often does the wailing produce tears but once in awhile. She'll plead for her Daddy to come home from work, tell me she's mad at me, she doesn't like it, she has to pee, "I'm not gonna eat it", she'll shove her bowl away, she'll try to launch herself backward from the table. It's like the battle of the century. Every. Single. Day. All I want is for her to "Eat your breakfast already!"

(I don't have a picture of Bethany wailing, but this one of Audrey makes me laugh.  She was crying because I said "No Audrey. You can't eat the newspaper"  In about 30 seconds from then she was smiling again.  Kids.)

We've tried everything I can think of, I let her chose her breakfast, I don't let her chose. She helps make it, we set the table together. We've tried Cheerios, and Alphabets (because she loves the Letter B), special toast (whole wheat toast with jam) and regular toast, yogurt, oatmeal, hot cereal and eggs (she HATES eggs). Nothing works. I am at a loss. We even tried making homemade Popsicles with a yogurt smoothie so that she was getting the nutrition in a "treat" form. Two licks and the inevitable "I don't like it!" started. I know that's not true, it's all about getting her way.

See

The odd time she'll eat without complaint or will drink a part of a smoothie. But I don't know what to do to make it better. If I don't make her eat she's begging for a snack my 9am. "Not ok, you need to eat your breakfast kid!"

I fear that one day I'm going to lose my temper completely (each morning usually consists of me "changing" some laundry very aggressively to avoid the absolute wail of a scream, that only a frustrated mother can make. I refuse to be that mad at her) and dump her bowl of Cheerios on her head. "There you don't like it? Try that!"

Anybody else with breakfastly challenged children? Any words of earth shattering wisdom? Please share! I'm in a desperate state to start our usually good days of nicely!