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DO NOT force a child to eat dinner or anything else. It encourages them to ignore their own stomach and eat when they are not hungry. That can lead to obesity later in life. Teaching children to "clean their plates" is a very bad idea.
My advice (and that of many experts) is to prepare dinner, put some their plates and make them sit there until dinner is over. If they eat, they eat, if they don't, they don't. See you at the next meal. Just make it clear that there will not be snacks in between. Personally, I always try to make sure there is something on the plate that I know they like. Not crazy about meat, but if the kid likes potatoes, then they can eat that. (In fact, my 16 year old ate only mashed potatoes and corn the other night because he wasn't in the mood for roast chicken.)
No healthy child will starve him or herself. When they are hungry, they will eat. And toddlers in particular don't really NEED that much food in a day (their stomach is only the size of their fist). They eat more than it might appear when it's only a bite here and another bite there.
Why would you ever punish a child for not eating? Do YOU eat when you are not hungry or if you don't like the food served? I know I don't.
I strongly suggest speaking with your pediatrician about this, and reading some books on the subject.
Robin
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