Bad mommy in the house. At least that's how I feel whenever my toddler Vito refuses to eat. Today he fell asleep on the carpet without dinner.
We're trying to wean him from the bottle (he's almost 3!) so this week, we decided to give him milk in his sippy cup (we'll handle weaning him from the sippy cup next year). Vito's a lazy eater. He'd rather drink milk. Since the yayas left, we've actually seen progress—Vito sits at the table with us and so he eats now. He likes it that he has his own place at the table (the yaya used to follow him around with a spoon and bowl). He likes that he can see the food in their respective bowls and dishes and pick what he'll eat. He likes that he uses his own spoon and fork. So Vince and I really think it's great we have no yayas since Vito's become independent and he's eating!
So we figured that since his eating habits have improved dramatically, it was time to let go of the bottle. Oh, but when we started the no-bottle rule, it's been hell. Complete and utter hell. He refuses to eat if we refuse to give him milk in the bottle. The result is a hungry Vito. No milk and no food. As parents, we are horrified. Fellow parents and even yayas tell us, "Okay lang yan. Magugutom din yan." Meaning Vito will cave in eventually. But, dear God, it is not easy to stand firm when you know your child is hungry!
We don't know what to do. Vince and I were talking earlier, when the kids were already in bed. We discussed giving in. It's only been two days actually. Will Vito give up the bottle? Will he start eating again? Did he inherit his parents' bullheadedness? Because right now we are in a deadlock and neither side wants to give in. Oh wait. Vince and I want to give in. We just want our baby to eat really. Maybe we'll do this bottle-weaning another time.
We're trying to wean him from the bottle (he's almost 3!) so this week, we decided to give him milk in his sippy cup (we'll handle weaning him from the sippy cup next year). Vito's a lazy eater. He'd rather drink milk. Since the yayas left, we've actually seen progress—Vito sits at the table with us and so he eats now. He likes it that he has his own place at the table (the yaya used to follow him around with a spoon and bowl). He likes that he can see the food in their respective bowls and dishes and pick what he'll eat. He likes that he uses his own spoon and fork. So Vince and I really think it's great we have no yayas since Vito's become independent and he's eating!
So we figured that since his eating habits have improved dramatically, it was time to let go of the bottle. Oh, but when we started the no-bottle rule, it's been hell. Complete and utter hell. He refuses to eat if we refuse to give him milk in the bottle. The result is a hungry Vito. No milk and no food. As parents, we are horrified. Fellow parents and even yayas tell us, "Okay lang yan. Magugutom din yan." Meaning Vito will cave in eventually. But, dear God, it is not easy to stand firm when you know your child is hungry!
We don't know what to do. Vince and I were talking earlier, when the kids were already in bed. We discussed giving in. It's only been two days actually. Will Vito give up the bottle? Will he start eating again? Did he inherit his parents' bullheadedness? Because right now we are in a deadlock and neither side wants to give in. Oh wait. Vince and I want to give in. We just want our baby to eat really. Maybe we'll do this bottle-weaning another time.
