Beyond Fed Up - 2 years 8months eating

[twogirlsmommy]

Woohoo Karen! In this house hold trying and spitting out would be counted as a HUGE accomplishment lol 

and I do agree with Wendy you have way more patience for making the variety then I do.  I try to make as much as I can but I get so frustrated when she does not eat it.

[Tweakster]

Lol yeah. It's like 'just eat what I make dammit!'...but they don't lol.

Finn is becoming just like his dad, wanting only sandwiches all the time . Jam sandwich jam sandwich JAM SANDWICH!  Ugh.  I do give him sandwiches on flax bread because it's the only thing that keeps him regular (BM).  He looks suspiciously at all food put in front of him these day, usually with a wrinkled nose...

Tonight I am taking home build your own wraps with spinach and salsa and some cheese with chicken breast slices.  Bet he says 'I don't like chicken'

[twogirlsmommy]

I snuck squash into dd's grill cheese sandwitch lol.  She is eating it and with the cucumber I got her to eat for lunch that equals 2 veggies for the day So that equals a semi good day.  DD is into  sandwiches either grill cheese or Peanut butter and jelly.  It is ALOT of what she eats unfortunately.

[Katet]

Karen that is great. Sounds like he is really getting the idea that the options are more limited.

Clairebear79, one thing a friend of mine did as she didn't want dessert to be seen as too special & meat & veg as the bad part to the child was give a small 'taster' of the dessert & when other food on the plate was eaten then "2nd's" were allowed of the preferred food. That is pretty much what I do with the boys although it is for meat with DS1 he would eat a cow if he had a chance & so had to balance his plate a bit more.  So almost offer a mouth full of the dessert & say "the rest is second helpings when you eat the rest of your food"

I thought I'd share this even though it relates to a 7yo. My friend has 2 DD's 8 & 7yo's. They both want an iPod touch & the Mum is prepared to help them save for one as the 8yo is needing to do some extra work for school & the 7yo is a very fussy limited eater, so the Mum has said that for every meal that she eats all of the food on the plate she gets 50c & if she tries a new food or asks for seconds of a newish food she gets another 50c... in one week she earnt $5. The 8yo gets her money based on the points she earns from an online learning program.  I had to laugh because the Mum has the $ sitting there to buy them as she sold a whole heap of their toys, DVD's old bikes etc & is using that money to "bribe them"  Double win for my friend LOL

[Erin M]

That's great Karen! 

[~Sara~]

Yay, Karen!!  That is HUGE!   Keep fightin' the good fight.  We've also been working on the holdout for something else later technique.  It works great, even if I do have to repeat myself 100 times that he may not have fruit snacks (or cookie or whatever treat he thinks he gets for every meal) in lieu of dinner   We have discovered that Aaron will eat pickles, balsamic vinegar, and hummus.  Who knew...

[twogirlsmommy]

That's great Sara that you found some new things he will eat.  Dd ate raw zucchini slices as I was I was slicing them to cook yesterday.  I was suprised and very happy

[Shiv52]

Wow!  That is great progress Karen xx

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks guys! Still zero fresh fruit or veggies. Though he does now completely know that his "juice" is really a splash of apple juice blended with LOTS of water, frozen berries, banana, avocado and sometimes spinach. He was upset at first but now loves to help me make it and drink it. Plus he knows his pizza is vegetable pizza and is ok with that. We are having veggie pancakes later this week and hopefully I can get him to finally try them - he's always totally refused in the past, though he LOVES regular pancakes.

[Truly Blessed]

Karen I am in awe of your commitment and determination...you rock! 

Vicki.x.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks guys! So-so going here. Last night the kids (DD, DS and her friend) had chicken nuggets, broccoli shapes and applesauce (DH and I were eating turkey chili after they went to bed). He ate the applesauce and refused the rest. I reminded him many times that he wouldn't get anything else unless he tried the rest. Literally seconds before bed he decided he wanted to eat and ate all three broccoli shapes but still wouldn't try the chicken (it was different than usual - I usually make them myself but these were store-bought from the kosher butcher because's DD's friend only eats kosher meat).

Then tonight we all had vegetable pancakes (I make them - GREAT recipe), roasted potatoes, applesauce and challah. He again had the applesauce, then ate the potatoes (I only gave him small four potato wedges instead of the usual 6+). He asked for more potatoes but I told him not unless he TRIED either the vegetable pancakes OR the challah but he refused. He asked for cereal when DD had some but I reminded him that unless he tried one of those two items he couldn't have anything but a banana but again he refused and went to bed. Sigh.

[~Sara~]

Hey, he ate the broccoli shapes (what are those, btw?)!  Would he have eaten the chicken nuggets if they were what you normally served?

I think it's great that you're keeping the "rule" consistent.  It feels like you're banging your head against the wall, huh?  Having to keep reminding them?  But eventually, he'll try something, like it, and will realize that some new foods ARE really yummy (erm, sometimes, but that's life ).  We're still trying to keep with the consistency, too.  It's hard not to backtrack and give them anything when you know they'll be hungry...but I think you're doing the right thing.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks Sara. Tonight is pasta (albeit whole wheat with a cauliflower/garlic/anchovy sauce) so he'll happily eat that but I'm thinking that's OK, good even to have a few nights a week where it's not a battle? Plus DH and I LOVE this dish!

These are the broccoli shapes. Unlike the vegetable pancakes, which I make from scratch, these are store bought and potato based. http://www.drpraegers.com/Broccoli-Littles-P557.aspx

[~Sara~]

Thanks Sara. Tonight is pasta (albeit whole wheat with a cauliflower/garlic/anchovy sauce) so he'll happily eat that but I'm thinking that's OK, good even to have a few nights a week where it's not a battle? Plus DH and I LOVE this dish!

That sounds yummy, too!  You should definitely build it into rotation.  I think we (meaning parents of picky children) should plan meals on a rotating basis that are someone's favorite.  We have a 3-4 meals a week that I know Aaron will eat and then the rest are "new" recipes for him.  Most of the time, he won't eat it, but DH and I are part of the family, too, and the "new" recipes are things that we enjoy.  In addition to navigating the whole picky eater issue, I think it's important for them to learn that we do what other family members want to do, too.  Getting across the idea of what it means to be part of a family.  Each member should feel appreciated, albeit in this small way.

Re: the broccoli shapes, do they taste strongly of broccoli?

[Katet]

Thanks Sara. Tonight is pasta (albeit whole wheat with a cauliflower/garlic/anchovy sauce) so he'll happily eat that but I'm thinking that's OK, good even to have a few nights a week where it's not a battle? Plus DH and I LOVE this dish!

When I menu plan I plan on at least 50% of the meals being eaten by Ds2, with very liittle issue, it just makes it easier all around.