Younger one won't eat lunch unless his sister is at the table, and she gets home two hours after him

mint_puzzle_474615 Jul 2026

Preschool lets our son out at 12.30 and he's home by 1. His sister is in class 1 and gets back at 3. On his own he picks at his plate and wanders off. Put her next to him and he eats the whole thing, mostly by copying her. My partner is home this year and has tried both: lunch at 1, where most of it comes back, or holding it till 3, by which time he has had two biscuits and a banana because he's starving. Neither works. Do we move his lunch to 3 with her, or keep 1 pm and stop expecting him to finish?

1 comment

peach_tiffin_291415 Jul 2026
What about splitting it? A proper small plate at 1, just curd rice or dal rice, and then his 'real' lunch at 3 with his sister, whatever she's having. My daughter eats far better with company too, so I understand the pull. It sounds less like he's refusing food and more like he's refusing to eat alone, which is quite sweet really.
- teal_compass_215515 Jul 2026
  Two small meals is where we landed too. Our little one will eat anything if her brother is at the table, and he's 16, so a shared lunch only happens on Sundays 😄 On weekdays she gets a small early plate and a second round at 4.