Battle of wills

Today Kitty & Blondie & I are having a battle of wills. I am really struggling with getting these two kids (especially Kitty) to eat dinner lately. If it is something that they don't like they would rather just go without dessert or even go to bed instead of eat the dinner. Last night we were having leftovers from a chicken & rice dish that I made on Sunday. On Sunday both of them ate their rice so I didn't think we would have any problems with having it again on Monday. In fact, when Kitty climbed up into her chair on Monday for dinner and saw that we were having the rice again she said, "Yum! Rice!" She didn't touch a grain of it though and neither did Blondie. After the usual threatenings of no dessert & going to bed immediately didn't faze them at all I told them both that they would have to sit at the table until it was eaten. After more than an hour of sitting at the table I finally sent them up to bed and told them that they would have to eat the rice the next day before they could eat anything else.

This morning Blondie came downstairs and said that she wanted breakfast. I told her that before she could have any breakfast she would have to eat her rice from last night. She ended up going back to her room and Kitty stayed in her room as well most of the morning because they didn't want to eat their rice. I was able to shower early this morning so we had time to attempt a trip to the grocery store. Usually after a trip to the store I will give the kids a snack to eat on the way home. So once we got back out to the car the girls asked for a snack - they were not happy to hear that they couldn't have one because they had to eat their rice first...

After we got home and I fed Baby K I heated up the rice for both girls for lunch and set it at the table for them. They both chose once again to go to bed instead of eating it. Lunch was very quiet for me...

Finally after M&M and Luke came home from school they both decided to try eating their rice once again. After much coaxing and cheering on I finally got Kitty to eat some of hers! She was so excited and proud of herself afterwards! Blondie was a little more difficult but she finally ate enough to make me happy and then they were both able to eat some crackers! Success finally!

I wish I could say that they have learned a lesson now and will eat what I ask when I ask it of them, but I'm sure that would be too good to be true...