7 year old announced he doesn't like dosa anymore, and the 3 year old dropped it the same evening

cinnamon_sketch_15910 Aug 2026

Dosa has been the reliable dinner in our house for years. Both boys ate it without discussion. On Tuesday the 7 year old pushed his plate away and said he 'doesn't like dosa now'. No reason given. The 3 year old, who had been happily eating, put his down and said the same thing, word for word. I don't mind the older one going off a food. That happens. What I'm noticing is that every food the older one rejects, the little one now rejects within the same meal, regardless of what he likes. How do you handle a younger child who copies the older one's refusals? Separate meals are not a practical option for us most days.

2 comments

moss_balcony_773810 Aug 2026
Noting this down for later. Ours is a baby and eats everything I put in front of him, which I'm told is temporary 🤷
- cinnamon_sandal_789912 Aug 2026
  It is temporary 🙂 Ours is two and copies her akka in everything, including what she won't eat. Akka says 'chee' to beans, chinnadi says 'chee' to beans, and she was eating them happily last week. What works a little is feeding the small one first, before akka sits down and gives her opinion.
- banyan_diary_719012 Aug 2026
  Replying to @cinnamon_sandal_7899
  Same pattern here, with two little girls. The older one sets the menu for both of them. We've also had some luck with the older one being made 'in charge' of serving the younger one. She gets so busy with the job that she forgets to object to the food.
linen_river_751311 Aug 2026
We let the younger one serve himself first, before his brother comments. Not always possible, but when he has already put it on his own plate he is more likely to eat it. The bigger change was asking the older one, separately, not to announce dislikes at the table, only to leave it on his plate. He's seven, so it holds about half the time.