Ideas for breakfast?

[Anonymous]

Our girls are 7 & 5. They are a challenge when it comes to breakfast. The 7 will sometimes eat cereal with milk. Not consistently. The 5 won't eat it with milk. They are very tepid about eggs. They love bacon and could eat it until the cows come home. They like fruit and anything sweet (the usual suspects: pancakes, syrup, doughnuts, etc.) They will sometimes eat bagels. Sometimes they will eat cream of wheat. Sometimes smoothies...

Here's the thing: one time eating something and then it is normally over. They won't eat it again.

I've tried being creative without much success. I've tried the cute names.

Any suggestions? Can you tell I'm frustrated?

[Anonymous]

instant oatmeal? toast with jam or cinnamon sugar?

[Anonymous]

yogurt with fruit and granola...with honey.

[Anonymous]

I'm a mean mommy. Two choices and if they don't like it, they have to wait until the next meal. Eventually they will learn to deal. (unless your children are among the few with serious failure to thrive issues)

In our house it is bagel or cereal and a piece of fruit. DC can choose PB or cream cheese, milk or dry cereal, what fruit.

At the age of your children, I was making my own breakfast and lunch and my mom got some extra sleep before she had to go to school (she was a full time student). Stop pampering them! They need rules to live by and it is your job to provide them.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty mean too - - on weekdays it is a choice of cereal, yogurt, eggs, homemade bread or fruit with the caveat that they cannot have two sweetened or carb foods (ie no yogurt smoothie and cereal).

On the weekends I will make egg stratas, bagels, waffles, cinnamon rolls etc. and they can have that or an egg. I don't let them have cereal on the weekends. For snacks generally it is a piece of cheese or fruit if they are hungry or don't eat the meal that is served. My kids are 10 - 3 years old.

[Anonymous]

I am mean as well. I will prepare one thing for the twins(pancakes& bacon, cereal, eggs&bacon). They get to pick which fruit. I also give them a choice of OJ or milk. I see no reason to give into the demands.

[Anonymous]

Agree that you should be a little more of a hardass. Offer 2 choices and if they don't like it, maybe going hungry for a couple of mornings will change their minds. You might want to warn their teachers though.

My 5 year old likes it when I make him a Breakfast Jack (based in the Jack in the Box classic). Scrambled eggs, ham (or turkey if we're out of ham) and a slice of cheese on a hamburger bun.

Maybe get a variety of toppings (dried fruit, nuts, coconut, cinnamon, chocolate chips) for the hot cereals and vary that every day?