What is it about kids and food that has such huge emotional stress attached to it? Are they eating enough? Do they get enough variety? Can they even sustain themselves on such the inconsistent diet kept by many preschoolers and schoolagers?  Let alone grow? Is the sudden onset of non-stop eating a growth spurt? Are there underlying reasons they won’t eat that ought to be addressed? How much is too much?

I’m sure I’ve had every worry along the way, except perhaps if they might become obese from eating too much and doing too little.

For about a week now, one lunch box has come home virtually untouched, yet breakfast and supper are not a concern. I don’t think she’s really coping well on the 2 meal-a-day diet. With it has come moodiness and crankiness (to put it kindly). But how to deal with it?

So far the discussions and making a fuss over food left in lunchboxes have done nothing more than bring on tears. Still the issue persists.

Do we ignore it? Is it really not that big a deal? And if that’s the right course of action, why is it so hard to do? Why do I get a sinking feeling in my stomach when I see all the untouched food? Why do I get so angry at all the waste? Why do I feel I’m at such a loss to address this?