They cried when dinner arrived
Crying at the sight of food is a full answer. Lower the demand. Keep the food they already eat, and move the new food a little farther away.
Lower the demand
Stay nearby and keep your voice ordinary. If meals often end in distress, talk to your child’s doctor.
You can move the new food off to the side of the table and leave the familiar bowl. The meal becomes smaller, not a lecture.
Your voice
A bright “it’s yummy” on top of crying adds noise. A quiet “your apple is here” is enough.
Sit down. Eat a bite of your own food. Let the crying settle before you offer anything else.
When crying is the pattern
A hard night happens. A hard night every night is a reason to get help, not a reason to invent a stricter rule.
This page cannot tell you why they cried. Growth, pain, and distress belong with your child’s doctor.
A sentence you can say
“Your apple is here.”