MSE Parents Club Part 15

faithcecilia

I'm afraid if it were me they would have the choice of eat it or go hungry. I don't believe in disguising foods either. I don't think its good to teach kids that if they refuse healthy foods they will be rewarded for it with high fat and sugar prosessed rubbish. Speaking from my own family experience I think the eat it or go hungry option works: when I was at an impressionable age we were poor - what was there was literally all there was. I now cannot think of a single food that I cannot stomach, and I am fit and healthy with no weight problems. When my brother was a similar age we had more money and therefore more choice - if he made a fuss he was given something else. He is now an extremely fussy eater who catches every germ going and seriously overweight. Okay it might be coincidence but I doubt it.

robpw2

theres a solution that would let them eat what they wanted or thougth they wanted whilst giving them healthy alternatives and that involves making it yourself, for example , you could make your own fish fingers, your own pasta shapes in tomato sauce with sausages ,it takes a bit of creativity but you could make them in bulk on a weekend then freeze the items and serve as required .. your children will think they are having what they want whilst you will be happy in the knowlege they are eating healthly

got-it-spend-it

Oh poor Finn, I hope he is better for his birthday!

Take it easy MERFE, I think you need to get OH to do the housework while you recuperate.

We're off visiting today and I need to be super organised as I'm at work tomorrow and Friday then straight off to the in-laws after work Friday!

SkintGypsy

We encourage the girl (5) to try everything on her plate at least once. The things she doesn't like seems to vary each time, and occasionally she likes it all. We just keep plugging away and she does ok. Much better than me and my siblings when we were that age! Even now my sister doesn't eat fruit or veg, and my brother lives on processed food. It's been a bit of a battle for me at times, but over the last ten years I have gradually got better and the types of food I won't eat is now pretty small compared to what it used to be. This must be down to our upbringing otherwise I can't see why all three siblings didn't eat well. It is really worth sorting, because as an adult with food issues we have all found eating out and at others homes really quite a painful experience.

But they are only babies and are sure to grow out of it if the rest of the family has a healthy attitude towards food.

SugarSpun

Have texted Susan and will update when she responds.

Have also issued an effective declaration of war on FB - Husband is running around telling me that none of the gifts he's ordered me have arrived. I gave him my list in October, so if they haven't it is entirely his fault for ordering very late and if this is the third year where there is nothing at all from my husband under the Christmas tree for me there will be hell to pay.

Edit:

Susan says she's been in bed the last few days and while she isn't losing as much weight as last time she thinks she'll probably be admitted into hospital soon. She also says thanks for thinking of her.

seabright

Bear in mind that foods that are considered "healthy" for adults are not the same as for very small children. Small children need full-fat not low fat foods as they need more energy. Also, too much fibre is not good for toddlers, if I understand correctly.

What they are eating sounds OK to me - fishfingers, cereal, spagetti hoops, some veg etc. They all have protein, fat and vitamins in. Some days my toddler doesn't seem in the mood for eating, so to keep her energy levels up she'll nibble on cheese and bananas (which she'll eat 'till the cows come home).

They won't stave themselves and a slightly unbalanced diet for a short time will balance itself out, I think.

got-it-spend-it

Oh no, poor Susan. I am so sorry to hear that SS. Please pass on our love if you text her again.

delain

My twins go through phases of refusing things, I've found that twin2 really hates sweetcorn, so I can put things she'd usually kick off about on her platewith sweetcorn, she'll pick up on the sweetcorn and I'll say 'Oh, ok but you can eat the rest though?' and she will

Twins are a different kettle of fish to other children, and I'm not sure some of the posters here understand that. They bounce off each other. Mine will eat much more seperate than they will together, because if one says they don't like it, the second suddenly 'doesn't like' it either.

I've persuaded mine to eat pasta now, literally just pasta spirals with chopped tomatoes and a touch of garlic, with grated cheese on top if they ask, and they always do. Beats tinned spaghetti anyway! I also give them a chewy orange flavoured multivitamin which they love.

By complete contrast, my older child is a human dustbin and will eat anything you put in front of her, and anything anyone else has left and still ask for seconds

I'd just keep at it with the different foods and not worry too much.

You can also try setting acheivable goals, like eating 2 spoonfuls or however far they can count, with some sort of 'reward' (stickers etc not sweets!) This worked for me and eventually they just got used to eating it.

esio_trot

CAFCGirl wrote: »

afternoon all

L seems to be refusing milk...

I think it's part of the weaning process. D did this when we started weaning (we're on week 5 or so now, I lose count). We got to the point where he just wasn't finding milk exciting enough and was (and still is) refusing water too so he was getting pretty dehydrated.

I found that it works better giving him a bottle first, as much as he'll take (D only takes about 4oz at each meal now with 7 or 8 oz at about 10pm). He's on 3 meals a day and we're only just keeping him up to the recommended 15-20 oz of milk a day.

If it helps, this is what we did to get him started on regular solids, once he was managing to accept the spoon (that took about 2 weeks or so of playing before so we've really been at it about 7 weeks). We started before 6 months (20 weeks) so we've avoided the necessary bits and pieces - you could always add in things like bread, meat, cheese etc if L is older). Do feel free to ignore!

I should probably add that all quantities are what he is offered. Sometimes he'll finish the whole lot and want more, sometimes he'll barely get a few spoons in but on the whole, it's within about 25ml of what he is managing.

Meal times are:

Early morning - 5-7am
Breakfast - 7.30am to 9am (depends how awake we are!)
Lunch - 11.30 - 12.30 (depends on breakfast)
Dinner 4.30 - 5pm (depends on lunch)
Bedtime is 7.30pm without a bottle nowadays
Dream feed - 10pm

Week 1 - One meal per day

Day 1-4

• breakfast 6-8oz milk
• Lunch - 6-8oz milk followed by a few baby spoons of baby porridge made with formula. I made up about 25-50ml (about 1 or 2 ice cubes worth)
• Tea - 6-8oz milk
• Bedtime - 6-8oz milk

Day 3-7 - as above but carrot puree for lunch

Week 2 - two meals per day

Day 1-3

• breakfast - 6-8oz milk
• Lunch - 6-8oz milk followed by 50-75ml carrot and parsnip puree
• Tea - 6-8oz milk followed by 50-75ml baby porridge made with formula
• bedtime - 6-8oz milk

Day 4-7

As day 1-3 but with parsnip and potato puree for lunch and carrot and parsnip for tea

Week 3 - three meals per day

D chose to drop his bedtime (7pm) bottle this week - he started waking really eratically at night and we found a 10pm bottle saw him through until about 5-7am. We've kept this up and he now tends to wake about 6 or 7am for a bottle and often goes back to bed for an hour afterwards (if he's up from 7.30am or after, he's kept up - I'm a mean mummy!). If he's gone back to bed, I just give him his solids after he's woken up the second time.

Day 1-7

• early morning or breakfast - 4oz bottle
• Breakfast - 50-75ml baby porridge made with formula
• Lunch - 4oz bottle followed by 75-100ml of vegetable puree (half something he's tried, half something new. At this stage it was mainly carrot, parsnip, potato, sweet potato)
• Tea - As lunch
• 10pm - dream feed bottle 6-8oz

Week 4 and beyond

As week three but upping quantities to the equivilent of a small jar (100-125ml) at each meal. Trying new purees (at lunchtime so any tummy upset should be gone by bedtime) and adding in puddings (bought fruit puree and baby yoghurt mostly) after lunch and tea (usually about 50-75ml on top of his main meal). Purees are usually pretty thick though I water them down with formula if I don't think he's getting enough liquid in.

My next step will be after new year when we'll start to introduce cheese, meat and starches like bread. We've been practicing finger food with low sugar rusks so I'll probably add in a bit more of that soon too.

kafkathecat

My ds was very fussy at that age. He has grown out of it and now loves all kinds of food. I decided not to make it a battle as my sister had done that and it was hard for her. I left uneaten food out on the table in case he became hungry later. I convinced him to try things by letting him spit it out if he didn't like it. I didn't have any crisps or biscuits in the house and if he was hungry when I was preparing dinner I would give him some salad to pick at. I don't know if any of these might work on yours, I do think it is harder with 2 as they can keep each other going for longer.
Also, when I am ill I like nothing better than a tin of spaghetti and I never eat it at any other time.