Ask Dr. Mona

I know how quickly picky eating can become the thing you think about before every meal. You start wondering what he will eat, whether you should make something else, and whether relying on the same few foods is making the problem worse.

First, yogurt, beans, and crackers are all foods, so they count. I would not take away the foods he reliably eats. Having something familiar on the plate can actually make it easier for him to sit at the table without feeling overwhelmed.

At the same time, you can keep introducing other foods in small, low-pressure ways. He may not eat them right away, and that is okay. Just looking at it, poking it, or letting it sit on the plate without a meltdown counts as progress.

A few things to try:

• Offer one familiar food alongside a small amount of something else the family is eating. This could be one blueberry, a small piece of chicken, or a single broccoli floret. It does not need to be a full serving.

• Keep your language simple and neutral. You can say, “You do not have to eat it. It can stay on your plate.”

• Let him interact with food outside of meals too. He can help wash vegetables, stir ingredients, pick out fruit at the store, or place food on the table.

• Try not to immediately make an entirely different meal if he refuses what is served. You can include a food he usually eats while still keeping the overall meal the same for the family.

I know it is easier said than done, but try to take the pressure off yourself too. You do not need to convince him to eat something new at every meal. Your job is to keep offering food in a calm and consistent way. His comfort with different foods can build slowly over time.

It is worth checking in with your pediatrician if his list of accepted foods keeps shrinking, he regularly gags or struggles with certain textures, meals feel very distressing for him, or you have concerns about his growth or energy level. Sometimes a feeding specialist can give families more individualized support.

For more scripts, strategies, and realistic guidance for reducing mealtime stress, check out the PedsDocTalk Picky Eating Playbook.

You may also find these podcast episodes helpful:

Bedtime stalling can wear you down fast, especially when the resistance starts before you have even gotten upstairs. You mention bedtime, your toddler gets upset, and suddenly the whole evening feels like a negotiation.

For a lot of toddlers, the transition is the hardest part. They are playing, they know the day is winding down, and they do not want to stop what they are doing. Keeping the routine simple and predictable can help reduce some of the back-and-forth.

A few things to try:

• Give a clear heads-up before bedtime starts. You can say, “We have five more minutes to play, and then we are going upstairs to get ready for bed.” A visual timer can be helpful for toddlers older than 2. Let him press the button if he wants to be involved.

• Keep the routine short and familiar. Bath, brush teeth, books, bed is enough. The more consistent the order is, the less room there is for bedtime to stretch into a long list of requests.

• Offer choices within the routine. Bedtime is still happening, but he can have a say in the smaller details: “Do you want to walk or hop like a bunny?” “Blue pajamas or green pajamas?” “Do you want to pick the book, or should I?”

• Keep your response brief when the stalling starts. If he asks for another drink or one more book after the routine is done, you can say, “We already had water. It is time for bed.” You may have to repeat yourself several times.

• Look at the sleep schedule too. If bedtime is taking a very long time every night and he truly does not seem tired, it may be worth looking at when his nap ends and whether bedtime needs a small adjustment.

This may take repetition, especially if bedtime has already become a nightly cycle. Pick a routine and a few simple phrases you can realistically stick with. The more predictable your response becomes, the less room there is for the bedtime battle to grow.

If bedtime has become a nightly battle in your house, watch this PedsDocTalk YouTube video for more ideas. I share a real clip of Ryaan stalling before bed and show how we work through the moment without turning it into a bigger power struggle.

The PedsDocTalk Toddlers and Tantrums course also covers bedtime battles, stalling, and other everyday toddler scenarios with practical scripts you can use at home.

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