Is it ok to let your toddler choose their meals?

I don't see why not, as long as the meal isn't french fries, cookies and candy. I have a 3 1/2 yo son and a 20 month old daughter and i let my son choose breakfast and lunch too. I give him 2 choices for him to pick one out. I choose dinner or sometimes when lunch is a good meal I chose I let him pick dinner. While the selection is limited he eats all his food because that's what he chose. It save the trouble of throwing food out and having to force him to eat. My daughter gets to pick a choice too (from the 2). I don't see anything wrong with it as you said they eat alot more often than us adults, we do seat together at meals even if husband and I are eating something else the kids are welcome to try it.

There is choosing and choosing. Letting a toddler name whatever she wants to eat, that would not be a good idea. You're not a short order cook, and she can't have ice cream for lunch every time she wants. But I think it's fine to sometimes give a toddler two or three options: would you like cereal or eggs?

Of course once she makes a choice from the available options, that's what she's getting. No picking at that cereal and then asking for blueberry pancakes 5 minutes later.

As long as you're not letting your 2-year-old turn you into a short order cook, then I think it's fine to let her start making some choices on her own. Presuming she's not eating Fruity Pebbles for breakfast and lunch every single day! Some meals definitely need to be "this is what we're having and all you're going to get," though. Toddlers and kids don't fully understand the importance of eating healthy, so parents have to be in charge of what goes on the plate.

The problem with letting toddlers choose what they want to eat is that very young children will choose the same things time and time again. My daughter, 20 months, often forgets what different foods taste like and will often refuse a food she loved just a few weeks ago because she doesn't remember it.

My daughter was screaming her head off about being served apple slices for a snack, refusing to try them. I know she likes them but I hadn't bought apples in a while. I rubbed a slice against her teeth and lips. When she tasted it she immediately shut up and started eating them, remembering, oh yeah I really like apples!

I think its okay to let her choose one of the items she's going to eat for her meal, or to offer a choice between 2 items, but you should still be serving new and different foods all the time, not just at supper time. Adults get set in their ways when it comes to supper foods as well, serving the same 3 kinds of meat and the same 4 vegetables. Kids forget what they like and get set in their ways. If I let my daughter choose what she wanted to eat, all she would eat for every meal is bananas.

well .... in a parenting class I took once the best style went something like this.

well, honey, no you don't have to eat this particular lunch item I'm serving you....you can get down and go play if you want.....but you need to know this. There will be no more meals/food served until our next meal - and that would be - dinner. You choose. Want to get down and play? Or eat the lunch I'm serving you? Your choice, honey.

As long as she still eats what you make for dinner, I think it's fine. I let my son choose breakfast, and sometimes lunch (which he often has twice). Then we eat dinner as a family. If he refuses to eat dinner (not really an issue anymore, but it was when my MIL lived with us) then he gets it the next day for lunch.

Nope

YOU are the parents , YOU need to chose the meals. If she does not want them then she has to go hungry. Don't make separate meals. She has to eat what every one else is eating

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