Cagnew, I can't get over your van story! My husband and I love to joke that we either have Griswold days, or that we're trapped in a Seinfeld episode. The van horn is a Griswold day for sure!
I think this is going to come across as hard-core, but I put food limits on my older kids (not my babies). My 4yo out eats my husband. Yes, she would LIKE to have more. No, she doesn't NEED to have more. The litmus test in our house is the raw carrot. It goes like this,
"Mom, I'm huuuuuuunnngryyyy."
"Grab a carrot from the cripser."
"Will you peel it?"
"Nope, it is organic and that little bit of dirt is good for you."
When she is actually hungry, she eats up that carrot. When boredom is causing her desire, she moves on to nagging me about other things. And, the fact is a carrot is a preferred food. I'm not offering something she dislikes. For what its worth, I offer three meals and one snack a day for my 4 yo, 3 meals and 2 snacks for my 17mo. Our grocery bill is so high and I want my kids to eat what I spend time preparing rather than filling up on snack-y stuff.
Denton Midwife, sorry about the hard birth you attended. My doula for DD2 became a friend and we talked about how rough it is when the birth goes out of control. I hope the mama can focus on her sweet bundle and heals well (physically and emotionally).
