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We'll give them what they like but make them alternate. So if we're giving them purees and they don't want to eat veggies we'll pull out the yogurt and alternate bites. If they refuse to eat the veggies they don't get any more yogurt. Once they're a little older and get it more and we can communicate better with them better we won't give them the foods that they want until after they eat the foods that we want them to eat. I'll obviously run this by the pediatrician, but I read somewhere that little kids don't need very much food on a daily basis (just a couple of ounces, I think). Not that you shouldn't feed your kids more then that, but that if they're stubborn and won't eat as long as they've had a little bit to eat that day they're good and you don't have to give in just for the sake of getting more food into them. Based on the horrible eating habits that I had as a child (and still have today, to an extent) it's important to me that my kids learn early on that we won't be held hostage to their tantrums. It won't be a fight or a big deal, just "okay, you don't want to eat this, I guess you're done for the night" and clear away the plates.
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