Realistically, arguing about eating everything on a child's plate is ridiculous and unnecessary. Fighting over meals creates more harm than good by having a central issue focus on eating. Trust me, children do eat when they are hungry. Encouraging play and independence helps children learn to keep themselves occupied. Children should not rely on television for entertainment because they will more often get bored and have a false sense of hunger.
Kids often learn to equate boredom with wanting to eat.
Normal Eating In conjunction, most children need structure. It is up to parents to teach their kids that normal eating consists of three well-balanced meals a day and two healthy snacks. Meals should be around the same time every day. There should be an assortment of snacks available and children should be able to have or not have their snacks based on hunger and need. Unless your child has a diagnosed biological disorder that effects their sense of hunger or ability to control how much they eat, you should essentially let them eat as much or as little as they like.