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Whether it's at the office or from within your home, after a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is endure a long, drawn-out mealtime with your toddlers, who suddenly refuse to eat a single thing.
It's also not an ideal way to start the day, battling during breakfast to see whose will fades faster.
It doesn't matter that you've made these meals with love.
It doesn't matter that the ingredients cost money or took effort to prepare.
All that matters is whether it ends up in your toddlers' tummies or falling to the floor.
When all else fails, try this
If you've tried your usual tricks (and our usual tricks) for getting your twins to eat and they're just not taking the bait, give this one a whirl.
Tell them it's not for them.
That it's Mommy's or Daddy's food and they're not allowed to have it.
That you're just putting it on their plate while you finish putting something back in the fridge and that you can't wait to take a bite when you get back.
That they better not eat it because it will make them big and strong like Daddy and Mommy.
With these few prompts, their food will be gone faster than the pre-sale tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour.
Anytime they take a bite, act shocked that they could do such a thing, exclaim their name in fake-frustration, and tell them, "Oh, my gosh! You took a bite?! No! That's not for you, it's for Mommy!"
They'll eat more as they stare you right in the eye.
Here's where you really start to lay it on thick. Tell them you're hungry and you're going to have a bite. Just a little one.
They'll finish off their serving with glee, while laughing at their trickery.
And you'll be laughing at how easy meal times just got again.
When this trick fails
The odd time, this trick will backfire. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's alarming to lose a sure-fire way to get your finicky toddler to finally chow down.
In this case, try to encourage them to eat by offering up their favorite utensils, bowls, or plates because, as we all know, that makes food taste better.
Our twins will eat or drink anything they've been denying mere moments ago if it's suddenly served up alongside their favorite cutlery or sippy cup.
A trick so magical it works for other scenarios
Negotiating with toddlers can be tricky and exhausting, so it's worth mentioning that the "don't do (insert whatever task you would like your toddler to complete) trick also works in other situations.
Want them to come say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa? Tell them they better not come to the door to see them put on their shoes.
Want them to put on their jackets and shoes, so you can get on your way? Tell them they better not get ready to go outside.
Using this trick to flip the direction of dinnertime or any of the other things we try to get done in a day has made everything so much easier because they do it with ease, and they're absolutely thrilled to do it as quickly as they can.
Do you have any tricks you use to get your toddlers to eat or complete other tasks when they put up a fight? Why does it work? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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