Hello, you're right there are lots of common sense good answers here. There are also some that for me, say theres a lot of people out there listening to snippets of advice from Tv, books etc that do not address things within your context. Kids not eating pushes the buttons of mothers and some fathers I know, if kids dont eat "healthy" and "heartily" historically they are perceived as weaker, this inbuilt belief that may even be subconsious and denied by many mothers, exists. It is at the bottom of a train of panic and negative thoughts, leading to anger and frustration and feelings of being powerless and a bad parent. It's really simple to catch your own train of thoughts and see that a kid not eating what you put in front of them starts to do do you! People have similar dilemmas and spats over bedtime routines. The top and bottom of it is, in my own view, as he gets more active, school etc, he gets more hungry, develops tastes, favourites etc, he will eat, just as kids who won't go to bed, will when they are really tire by the routine of school. As for what I did with a situation like yours, I said "Ok you don't want anything" made enough lunch on my plate and sat down and started to eat, my daughter would ask for food off my plate, and I'd say shall I get you a plate "yes" was usually the answer. I never made an issue of eating, and we don't have any problems now. You both sound great anyway!