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Topic : Picky Eaters

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Created on : Thursday, June 30, 2005, 01:19:25 pm
Author : dataimport

Is your child a picky eater? Share your tips, tricks, and menu ideas to help your child eat right, and enjoy it.



 
crisrbrock
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December 29, 2005, 1:18 pm PST

This is what I would do if it was me

Quote From: sleepyjeen

My wife and I are friends with a couple whose child is literally out of control. Should we say something? Here is the problem:

This child is almost four years old. He does eat regular food: no fruits, no veggies, no meat, no rice, no side dishes. His entire diet consists of bottles of pediasure for lunch/dinner (often times three bottles at a time), T Zone energy bars (mint chocolate flavor), M&M candies and chocolate pretzels for snacks, chocolate sandwich with nutella, and sometimes oatmeal with condensed milk. Whenever we dine out with this family, the mother does not order food for the child but gives him snacks from her purse: chocolate pretzels, brownies, and candies. Of course soon enough the kid is jumping around on the seat and won't listen.

The worst example of bad parenting occurred when my wife went to a chinese restaurant with the mother and child. Instead of giving the kid some rice, fruit or chicken, she served him fried dough covered with conventioner sugar. The child proceeded to lick the sugar off the fried dough and demanded more. The mother too busy with her own plate pulled several sugar packets from the table dispenser and emptied them ontop of the licked clean fried dough. The child then continued licking.

This problem has not gotten any better. When we sat for the kid, we offered him vegetables and fruit; he ran away and had a tantrum. The father refuses to do anything about it; he told us he doesn't push veggies and fruit on the kid because of the choking hazard.

What worries me is that the mom is diabetic and overweight. This child is destined to follow the same path if the diet is not changed.

What can we do?
Explain to the mother the health risks involved with her choices for her children. Does the child's doctor know about the poor food choices? Maybe the mother should discuss these issus with the child's doctor and hear it first hand. Consequences can be horrible. As far as the choking hazared, vegetables can be boiled and softened to prevent choking. You can choke on a pretzel as easily as you can choke on cooked carrots. I wouldn't sit for the parents if they can't enforce the rules of your house. You can't keep high sugared foods around just for the kid, he will have to learn to expand his dietary habits.
 
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mandylee
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January 2, 2006, 2:24 pm PST

step daughter vomitting

I have a four year old step daughter who we have every second week-end, at home with her mother the child has full control and what she says go's. well at our house we have rules and they are to be followed I have two kids of my own so if you break rules for one you are breaking rules for everyone. When she started staying overnight (cause her mother wouldn't let her till this year my husband took her to court and got regular visits) she started peeing in her pants and peeing the bed this was new behavior for her and she didn't do it at home. We believed it was the stress of being here cause she didn't adjust well to her not having full control and following the rules. We finally got her to stop peeing her pants and in her bed and now she has started vomiting at meal times, it's not all the time but if she would like to be doing something else rather then meal she will eat two bites say she is full and when she is told she has to eat a little more she will take a bite then puke. we have tried multiple things to try to fix the problem and nothing works. first off she has been to the Dr and there is nothing medically wrong with her, we have let her pick what she wants to eat and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. We are really stressed about this and don't know what to do to fix the problem she doesn't do this at home she only does it at our house and we believe it is because she is trying to gain control and we don't want to let her win that control cause then we are into a whole nothing game and we realize that but we don't know what to do to fix it
 
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jettav
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January 2, 2006, 3:53 pm PST

Picky Eaters

Quote From: mandylee

I have a four year old step daughter who we have every second week-end, at home with her mother the child has full control and what she says go's. well at our house we have rules and they are to be followed I have two kids of my own so if you break rules for one you are breaking rules for everyone. When she started staying overnight (cause her mother wouldn't let her till this year my husband took her to court and got regular visits) she started peeing in her pants and peeing the bed this was new behavior for her and she didn't do it at home. We believed it was the stress of being here cause she didn't adjust well to her not having full control and following the rules. We finally got her to stop peeing her pants and in her bed and now she has started vomiting at meal times, it's not all the time but if she would like to be doing something else rather then meal she will eat two bites say she is full and when she is told she has to eat a little more she will take a bite then puke. we have tried multiple things to try to fix the problem and nothing works. first off she has been to the Dr and there is nothing medically wrong with her, we have let her pick what she wants to eat and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. We are really stressed about this and don't know what to do to fix the problem she doesn't do this at home she only does it at our house and we believe it is because she is trying to gain control and we don't want to let her win that control cause then we are into a whole nothing game and we realize that but we don't know what to do to fix it
If it is truly a control issue, I would tell her that this is dinner and once you are done then it is over and you don't eat til it is time again. So when she takes her two bites and pukes, send her away from the table and tell her that eating time is over until (give her a time) In time she will start to get it. She will probably come to you and tell you that she is hungry after awhile and if she does, let her know that dinner is over and she will have to wait tii (whatever time), ignore the fits or wahtever she may do, you have to be consistent and stick to the rules...............Sometimes it is hard for kids from split homes, especialy when the rules are different in both homes but they can learn to adjust and will be fine as long as there is consistency, love and respect.
 
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1stbabydue
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January 10, 2006, 5:48 pm PST

Picky Eaters

does anyone make thier own baby food? Any ideas would be welcomed 
 
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mandylee
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January 13, 2006, 12:03 pm PST

Picky Eaters

Quote From: 1stbabydue

does anyone make thier own baby food? Any ideas would be welcomed 

When my daughter was a baby I made my own baby food due to diet restrictions that she had we could not eat store bought baby food due to bottles not stating how much phe it had, so when she started eating baby food i made my own i lived with the blender and chopper by my side it was alot of work and I didn't save any money alot of times I would spend more money and time in a week making her foods then if I could buy it. I am not saying it is not good to make your own food if you are willing to put in the time and money that is great cause you can make your own mixtures. The baby foods that are on the shelfs now are very healthy as well so  I wouldn't think your child would be getting anymore out of home made food then they would from the store bought foods. 

  
 
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kw3776
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January 20, 2006, 9:14 pm PST

Child not eating

Quote From: sleepyjeen

 Once again, it is a dietary supplement and is not meant as a replacement for meals. Like all vitamin supplements they lack antioxidants and other nutrients that natural foods do.
I have a question, my son will not eat anything and has refused to eat for over a week, he is almost three.  I took him to the Dr. who found nothing wrong with him and stated to just offer foods and not make a big issue of him not eating, and to just keep doing what I am doing, giving him Pediasure throughout the day.  This is his only source of nutrition.  Do you know anyone who has had this problem?  What did they do?
 
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kw3776
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January 20, 2006, 9:19 pm PST

Child won't eat

In addition to my previous message, my 3 year old ate healthy and a lot at every meal.  Then one day he just decided not to eat.  He might lick the food or put it in his mouth only to spit it back out.  I know it is a game to him so I try not to make a big deal of it.  I know Pediasure fills his tummy and maybe if I didn't give it to him he would get hungry, but I don't want to starve him and I know he is a stubborn mule, if he wants to eat he will.  Any ideas or know anybody with this issue.   
 
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moramomof5
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January 25, 2006, 10:30 pm PST

15 month old spits everything out

My daughter is 15 months old.  She is my 3rd child and there is 10 years difference between her and my 2nd daughter. 

It seems everything she eats she chews and spits out.  Her high chair or the floor seems to have more on them that what went down her throat.  I asked her Pediatrician and he said her weight was on target for her age and height, and that she actually has gained weight since her previous appointment (at 12 months).  He said she was fine and what she does it is fine for her.  Like some of the other postings, he said "she'll eat when she's hungry". 

I still worry though, what mother wouldn't.  But my husband and I have noticed that if the food has a texture to it, like pasta, ground beef, corn, etc., she chews and spits it out.  If it is smooth in texture, like yogurt, mashed potatoes and pudding, she will eat it fine.  I'm just wondering if it is the texture she doesn't like and not so much the flavor or if it could be she has a problem swallowing.  Maybe I am just paranoid! 

My husband suggested pureeing everything, I feel she has to learn to chew things so I cut her food in smaller pieces.  Any suggestions?? 
 
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sleepyjeen
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January 27, 2006, 12:52 am PST

Picky Eaters

Quote From: kw3776

In addition to my previous message, my 3 year old ate healthy and a lot at every meal.  Then one day he just decided not to eat.  He might lick the food or put it in his mouth only to spit it back out.  I know it is a game to him so I try not to make a big deal of it.  I know Pediasure fills his tummy and maybe if I didn't give it to him he would get hungry, but I don't want to starve him and I know he is a stubborn mule, if he wants to eat he will.  Any ideas or know anybody with this issue.   

 I would take a different tactic and use the Pediasure only in a very limited way. Kids will not starve. When they are hungry enough, they will eat what is given to them, provided it is of sufficient taste. I would offer the child small portions of different kinds of foods throughout the day. If he does want to eat then simply try again a bit later. The problem with the Pediasure is that it doesn't solve the problem, namely it doesn't teach your child how to eat. He will get his vitamins and not starve but down the road he will not have developed his pallet and taste for fruits, vegetables, meats, and cereals if you becomes accustom to slurping down vanilla/chocolate shakes for meals. Remember Pediasure is meant as a supplement and not a meal replacement. Give him real food and he will eat. Just be patient and fall back on the Pediasure as a last resort.
 
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sleepyjeen
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January 27, 2006, 1:00 am PST

Picky Eaters

Quote From: sleepyjeen

 I would take a different tactic and use the Pediasure only in a very limited way. Kids will not starve. When they are hungry enough, they will eat what is given to them, provided it is of sufficient taste. I would offer the child small portions of different kinds of foods throughout the day. If he does want to eat then simply try again a bit later. The problem with the Pediasure is that it doesn't solve the problem, namely it doesn't teach your child how to eat. He will get his vitamins and not starve but down the road he will not have developed his pallet and taste for fruits, vegetables, meats, and cereals if you becomes accustom to slurping down vanilla/chocolate shakes for meals. Remember Pediasure is meant as a supplement and not a meal replacement. Give him real food and he will eat. Just be patient and fall back on the Pediasure as a last resort.
 Ooops, it's late so a couple of errors....

If he DOESN"T want to eat then simply try again later.........if HE becomes acustom to slurping down vanilla/chocolate shakes....
 
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