How long do you leave your child's dinner in front of them before you take it away and say they are done?

The 4 of us do not eat together. So the its only the kids for their dinner and I sit with them unless I start preparing our dinner.
Tonight I let it go for a hour for DS and he still didn't finish. Finally I just told him he was done and that was it. Then he said he still wanted peas but I knew he was lying because it took him 5 minutes to finish one spoonful.

How long do you think is long enough?

Re: How long do you leave your child's dinner in front of them before you take it away and say they are done?

DD is a good eater so I can tell when she really slows down, starts playing with her food more than eating it, or takes a really good long drink of milk that she is done.

ETA: Meals usually take her about 40 minutes.

Message edited 9/28/2009 8:17:13 PM.

Re: How long do you leave your child's dinner in front of them before you take it away and say they are done?

My kids are 3 and 5 and usually 45 minutes is about our dinner time. After that I set the timer on the oven for 10 minutes and that is what they have left to eat while I start cleaning up. If they finish and there is dessert that night, they will get dessert. If not, I tell them "Kitchen is closed!" and they have to wait until breakfast.

Re: How long do you leave your child's dinner in front of them before you take it away and say they are done?

DD is 2 . I know she is done when she says "all done"

Re: How long do you leave your child's dinner in front of them before you take it away and say they are done?

DS is 2 and he eats with us. I usually give him 10 minutes or so after we are done cleaning up from the rest of our meal. One of us will sit while the other cleans up. He will say he is done. We then ask him do you want any more, and 99% of the time he says no or I am done. We get a wet paper towel to wipe his hands and face and then ask again. 99% of the time that is it. He does not eat after dinner, but he does drink water. Tonight we had dessert after dinner for the holiday and he did not want it.