Getting 2 YO to eat veg

Itismehonest

marisco wrote: »

Kids often use food to press all the buttons as they instinctively know it is the one thing that works.

That, I think, is exactly the reason in many cases.

He may just be testing the water with "How to make Mum a nervous wreck" particularly if he can sense your growing (excuse the pun) concern, Lotus.

I wondered if it might be a sweet v. savoury thing but from what you've said, it doesn't seem like it.

GobbledyGook

Honestly, I'd just completely forget about it for a while. The more of a battle it turns into, the bigger a deal it gets and the longer it'll go on for.

Do you serve everything onto plates? One of the things I've found helped my daughter was to self serve. So our main bit of the meal goes onto the plates, but potatoes and veggies go in bowls onto the table for folks to help themselves. She has reacted much better to having the choice of having loads of corn, but only a tiny bit of carrot for example.

I also wouldn't use pudding as a reward. If veggies are nice and good for us is the message we're trying to get across then they shouldn't be something that needs rewards - it's big deals or bad things (like vaccinations) that get rewarded.

I really would just completely ignore the issue for a while and see what happens. If you are worried about him health wise then maybe think about some vitamins.

Is your HV a new one? SEriously, I don't know many children who haven't had a faddy stage about veggies at some point.

thehappybutterfly

What about raw veggies like pepper sticks? My 15YO daughter can't stand the sight of veg (except frozen peas) but she shovels away red pepper sticks like there's no tomorrow!

Maybe it's the soggy texture of cooked veg he doesn't like? Not that I would dare suggest that you've overcooked your carrots

Lotus-eater

marisco wrote: »

How about asking him if he would like to make pizza and put whatever ingredients he likes on it. Would he maybe give way if he could make a smily face pizza! Which kid could resist.

Hope some of these suggestions work. It is very difficult when you want the best for your kids and they fight it all so much.

Does he go to nursery yet? Once he does and starts eating with his peers, maybe his faddy habits will stop and he will try to keep up with them. Nurseries and schools follow healthy eating guidelines so this would fall in line with what you are trying to provide for him.

Just keep setting the great examples you are and he will settle down. Kids often use food to press all the buttons as they instinctively know it is the one thing that works.

He'd make a smiley face pizza, but only put on what he wants, which would only be cheese no tomato sauce, nothing else. I tried it, I've tried everything
Or he'd make it and then not eat it, that's happened before as well.

He goes to playgroup and will eat what he wants and nothing else.

They are starting to despair as well. They keep saying things like I must be teaching him bad habits, well they don't actually say that, but it's insinuated, I try to laugh it off, but it is getting me down.

The thing is, I really don't think he's using it to press buttons, I know when he does that and it's obvious.

I keep saying I'm going to just give up, but then I feel a bad parent and try again, then get all depressed when nothing works (again ......and again).

I shouldn't have started this thread, I feel like a parent from supernanny. :rotfl:

And I haven't even started on his hitting people :eek: he remembers for about 2 seconds how sorry he is, then it's straight back to as before sometimes the naughty step hardly has time to cool down.

My Mum has often said I was a right handful, but I've always put it down to her.....lets say, more dramatic moments (alot of those) and bad parenting, but now I'm starting to wonder.

conradmum

It's in their genes, I swear. Were you or your siblings fussy eaters as children? Of my three boys, two were fussy eaters and one would eat anything. The two fussy ones shared your boy's distaste for sauces and soups, not even liking custard. They liked to have their food recognisable and preferably not touching on the plate.

The main thing I learned is that the more fuss you make the worse they'll get. So all that 'look how tasty the purple sprouting brocolli is' won't make anything any better.

I've found the best way to tackle the situation is to feign complete and long term disinterest in their eating habits. Try having food in dishes that people help themselves from rather than a single plate of food in front of him which automatically puts him under pressure to eat certain things. If he does try something new don't remark on it at all. You need to stop making eating a thing to stress about.

Don't expect them to change overnight, though. If you're worried about him not getting essential nutrients give him a vitamin drink or something.

My eldest was the worst and always used to drive me crazy (don't they say you make all your mistakes with your first? :rotfl: ). But now one of his favourite foods is squid. So the chances are he'll grow out of it as long as you don't give him a complex about it.

GobbledyGook

Don't despair Lotus-eater. Most of us can recall a time where for unknown reasons our child went through a stage that had us tearing our hair out.

I'm currently going through it just now with my youngest who has randomly decided that biting is the single funniest thing in the world.

This too shall pass - that's the phrase that gets me through!

marisco_2

What does he eat?

Itismehonest

Have you got a juicer? Would he drink juiced veggies without knowing what it was?
Hey, this is superdooperjooper like Superman (or whatever his hero is) drinks.

thehappybutterfly

I used to get myself so riled up about my kids' fussiness, every meal would end up in an argument. Watching them give every meal a post mortem drove me bonkers so I stopped reacting. If they want to fork through and set aside every single piece of finely chopped onion until everything is stone cold, that's their problem. Let it go Lotus, you'll save yourself a world of pain!

Buttonmoons

Oh and my little one at home, proclaims everything is gross and she doesn't like it, but I send her to school dinners every single day knowing fine there is things on it she won't eat, and she'll come home telling me she ate mince and potatoes, roast chicken dinner, tuna salad etc - she doesn't eat them at home!

Just kids for you, know how to push your buttons. Swear they have 2 bellies though, one for boring food and another for pudding.