Fed Up With Picky Kids

MrsAtobe

As a child my mum did the 'no moving from the table till you've eaten your main meal' but she couldn't believe that I just didn't like sprouts. I really do wish that I'd been given the eat it or go hungry option. I was retching when my mum insisted I eat fried whitebait, I did try it but it was absolutely vile - I had choked on a fish bone when I was younger, and it brought back the memory. Even today I feel sick if a fish bone is in my mouth.

Pick your battles carefully, you can't foresee the consequences, and PS I still don't like sprouts.

moments_of_sanity

My Step-Dad did the whoLe sit at the table and eat your sprouts thing, I remember sitting at the table for 6.5 hours after everyone else had left and wasn't allowed to leave until I had eaten all 7 Brussels!

I was never that strict with my girls, they are 18 & 17 now. The eldest one will eat anything, even if she doesn't like it (hates wasted food) but my 17 year old has always been a fussy eater and eventually turned vegetarian about 3 years ago, she is still very fussy but now chooses her own meals and just puts on the shopping list what ingredients she will be needing for the week.

I did end up cooking different meals for us all when she was younger as I couldn't see the point in fighting over it. If I could get her to eat something healthy but was different from what we were having, I was happy.

As Mrs Atobe says, pick you battles carefully.....I only picked battles when I knew I could win! :rotfl:

hoglet121

Growing up I was expected to eat what was put in front of me with no alternative, and that worked OK, but I do think that genuine dislikes should be taken into consideration. I have always hated fish and every Thursday night we had a battle over me not wanting to eat the fish. This went on well into my teens, when I suggested that I made the dinner for everyone myself and would cook myself a piece of chicken instead of the fish. Finally, a sensible resolution!

A colleague of mine acknowledges that her daughter is not a fussy eater and will eat any vegetables except peas, however she still makes her eat peas saying 'she's got to learn to like them'. To me that's crazy, I'd focus on the many good things that she does like to eat.

bossymoo

I grew up with the "clean plate brigade" which I don't think has done my weight any favours. So I do try to accept when my kids say they are not hungry. I remind them that also means no room for treats, and nothing else is being cooked until xxx time. They often rethink and eat a little more, lol.

YORKSHIRELASS

My son wont eat peas - or sweetcorn, either and I would never force him.

My eldest has health problems and went through a very fussy stage when he was about 11 or 12. I mealplan so we agreed that for 3 nights out of the 7 he could choose an alternative. He was reasonably free to choose what to have and on which nights to swap. It was all agreed in advance so I knew what I was doing.

This worked really well and might be an option for older kids if they are going through a fussy phase.

jlhmd666

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

My son wont eat peas - or sweetcorn, either and I would never force him.

My eldest has health problems and went through a very fussy stage when he was about 11 or 12. I mealplan so we agreed that for 3 nights out of the 7 he could choose an alternative. He was reasonably free to choose what to have and on which nights to swap. It was all agreed in advance so I knew what I was doing.

This worked really well and might be an option for older kids if they are going through a fussy phase.

Thanks for that I have a really fussy older one and I think I will try your advice to see if it will get her to eat a bit more.

DigForVictory

I'm a firm believer in peer pressure. They'll come under its evil influence, so use it. Invite a couple of hearty eaters over, dish up the home cooking & let your little dears watch the others devour it...

If one won't eat mushrooms (or some other, clearly more grown-up, delight), cry "hurrah!" & be seen to enjoy them yourself.

They *do* eat your good cooking. Just not all the time. You are 'way ahead on points, just loosing to mummy-guilt! If they aren't loosing weight, you're fine.

Butterfly_Brain

I have never pandered to my children at meal times, we just couldn't afford it, with a mortgage, they always had whatever we had and if they didn't like something fair enough we all have our dislikes but they had to at least taste it about six times. I never forced them to clear their plates and I only did a dessert after Sunday dinner.

We have always eaten at the table with no tv on, I am a stickler for that, any tantrums at the table meant that they were sent to bed whether they had finished their meal or not.

Now they both like to try different foods and recipes, both love veggies such as kale, broccoli, sprouts, parsnips,mushrooms, swede, raw carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach leaves with mixed leaf salads etc
DD is a vegetarian but I respect her reason for becoming one, and quite often we all eat a vegetarian meal DH sometimes doesn't realise this though, and he is a real meat lover
He is very fond of my veggie quiche, veggie pizza, veggie curry, all sorts of HM veggiesoups, gnocchi in a sauce with mozzarella and veggie risottos.

Just keep tying different things and they will catch on

button_box

It sounds as though texture has something to do with this as the homemade meals you have mentioned are all quite soft and don't require a lot of chewing. They can just shovel them in. when you think about it they are not far past the stage when you were weaning them and just shovelling it in! Because we all ate the same thing at meal times I introduced a "new thing night" as much to increase their experience of food as to save my DH and I getting sick of eating the same stuff all the time. "New thing night" was never on a night when I knew they were going to be very tired. After you have had it once you can then re-introduce it with a smile and, " but we have had this before". It takes a while for the little darlings to get used to new tastes and textures. For years my son told me he didn't like onion which is a fairly main ingredient in most recipes. He would poke around suspiciously in some dish and accuse me of putting onion in it. When I told him it was "white turnip" he would shovel it away quite happily. He is now 16, eats like a horse, thin as a rake and complains about his fussy friends. One of his favourite things is mash potato with onion through it. He will try new things and is not fazed by new dishes served up to him at friend's homes. He doesn't like boiled/steamed sprouts but loves them shredded in a stir fry. So remember keep introducing new things they will get used to them. Good luck!

tesuhoha

I've got a 25 year old son who is still fussy about his food. However, I don't take any notice. I just cook dinner and he knows if he doesn't eat it then there is nothing else. He quite often makes himself a sandwich if he doesn't like dinner and my daughter takes the leftovers for a nice tasty lunch at work the next day.