The Hendry Correctional Centre for Wayward Children

Sean and I have become a little concerned over the volume of food our dear daughter fails to consume. For breakfast she has weetbix and generally does fairly well with that, then her lunch consists of a sandwich, a yogurt or cheese, and grapes or raisins. She usually eats half the sandwich! Supper is about a cup full of a wide variety of options from 'fun' foods to veggies! Whatever is on the menu takes between and hour and an hour and a half to finish and after half that time we end up feeding her! You can imagine the mild frustration as supper starts just after 5pm and finishes near bed time at 7! We have tried every trick we can think of to get her to focus better but to no avail.

SO.

Shannon now has a star chart. I have included on it things that she achieves fairly regularly like going to bed in her own bed rather than ours (!), and brushing her teeth before bed without being asked to (this activity is supervised), so that she can taste the success once in a while. Yesterday was day one. NO STAR FOR SUPPER. She did get the teeth, bed and this morning's breakfast ones, however, and is beginning to get the picture! I have roped in her teacher who will give shannon a butterfly stamp on her hand if she finishes her lunch which will then get her a star on her chart when she gets home. Amazing how important stars are to a 3 year old. Anyway, she also knows there are no treats unless she gets all her stars on first a daily (small treat) and then a weekly (bigger treat) basis.

I feel a bit like a tyranical dictator, everything Shannon does seems to have consequences in one way or another! Ah well, the theory is that strict parenting at this age develops well rounded, stable adults so here's hoping!

On a lighter note, this morning when we were getting breakfast ready, Shannon said she wasn't ready to eat just yet as she was still waiting for her supper to go down into her leg!