Dinnertime and Lane have always been a stressful combination. The child takes bird sized bites and tends to jabber his jaws a bit too much, causing dinnertime to go on...and on...and on. I previously mentioned that when dinner is ready, we now start a timer for 30 minutes. This is the length of time Lane gets to finish his meal. Though this time limit is helping, Dave and I are constantly telling him to focus, take a bite, sit right, etc. It makes dinnertime very stressful and chaotic.
Lane also tries to pull the potty trick. He will say he has to go REALLY bad, which then turns into a tantrum when we refuse to let him go. (our rule is that once you are at the table, you are there until you are done). Last night, this was the exact scenario that played out. Lane was nibbling away until Dave asked him to turn his chair correctly. It started with little whines, then moved to I have to go potty, and finally climaxed when he was put in timeout. The thing is, is that Dave and I both know that Lane truly does not have to go to the bathroom. When we tell him of this knowledge, it completely sets him off and we begin the cycle of timeout.
Maybe we should start making him go potty before dinner, causing him no more excuses. I have also contemplated the idea of no longer bickering at him to eat his dinner, in the hopes that eventually he will get a clue. But then there is the mom side of me who thinks that he will be hungry and that it's my job to make sure he gets enough to eat. HELP!! Please tell me that some other parents out there are either experiencing my same struggles or have been in my situation before.
Lets hope tonight brings with it a better outcome.
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