ARGGGHHHH!! Why won't my kids eat my food!!

Tibbie's_mum

I have a 4yr old that would eat us out of house and home and a very fussy 3yr old. But I maintain that if my fussy one is managing to go to the toilet okay, he must be eating enough. I put food in front of them, if they eat it all up I'm over the moon but if they don't I try to just accept it, but it can be very difficult.

katelu

You are far from alone - I have 2 at 4 and nearly 3 and they are both food anarchists!! My DD (4) has never been interested in food and I have always struggled to feed her but a very helpful health visitor told me that up till 8 years children only need 1 tablespoons of food for each year of their age (so 4 spoonfuls for 4 years) to maintain their weight and provide them with enough energy! Unfortunately I'm like you and take it as a personal affront to my culinary skills. Just stick to our guns on eat x amount before pudding and you should see improvements. xx:rolleyes:

lucasmum

Good idea Pigpen I will do that tomorrow.
Tibbie's Mum that is another issue- they both get really constipated if they don't eat a ton of fruit and drink loads of juice. But fruit isn't a problem to get them to eat so that something. Although now I have been told off by the dentist because I let them eat too much fruit!! How can we win.

CRANKY40

My ds won't eat meat. I would have a problem if he didn't eat anything, but I just use quorn instead and he seems to find that an acceptable substitute. He is a "fussy eater", but some of his dislikes seem to be texture related (for this I pureed organic veg when he was a baby!), but he also dislikes a lot of so called "treat food". He is 3 1/2 and won't eat jam, doesn't like sweets, or cakes that we haven't made at home.....

I was force fed when I was small and I'm very overweight now. I can still remember being made to eat my egg until I was sick, so I was determined that food would not be an issue in our house.

We discuss meals, and I usually give him two options (dh works away, so this makes life easier sometimes - I am generally happy to eat whatever ds decides on). Whatever he picks is what he gets (although I still puree veg and hide it in his dinners). If he then says he doesn't want it, then the answer is tough - you asked for it. I have never ever replaced a meal with anything else. I can't bribe him with puddings - he doesn't eat them.

I try out new stuff at lunchtimes too, because if he doesn't eat his lunch it won't make him wake up in the night hungry. We generally sit at the table but have been known to have a picnic on a blanket on the floor as a treat. We also make our own pizzas, and quite often look in recipe books for pictures of things he would like to try.

Did anyone see that article about fat camps for kids in the Mail? A 3 year old needs about 1100 calories, and a five year old needs 1200.

lucasmum

Thats alot of calories for a five yr old isn't it?? Theres no way mine gets that. I see though its another case of one person saying one thing and another saying something else, Katelu has been told I spoonful per yr old, that doesn't equate to 1200 calories per day.
I will definately ask him what he wants for dinner next time we shop. he does like being 'helpful'.
he has far to much of a sweet tooth, something else I balme OH on. I will have to be more inventive with making savory exiting.

chocolateteddy

Hi there
Sometimes it is a phase that they go through I have a dd(9) who will try anything and eats most things but I have a DD(6) who I have treated exactly the same and she is a knightmare when it comes to food times She has packed lunches for school as when she stayed for school dinner (Once only!) she ate a bit of lettuace and an apple. She has one piece of homemade bread no butter, and one piece of ham but it has to be separate from the bread(don't ask me why!) some (6) grapes and a bottle of water, occassionally a yoghurt.
Then for dinner she will eat pasta with melted cheese on about 2 tblsps worth.
She is a gymnast and trains 4 hours a week more during holidays I don't know how she survives but she is growing - 8 cms since last september.

Then this week I made HM pizza base and got her to add tomato base cheese and her choice of ham. Well she ate 4 times what she normally eats and seems to be eating most things tonight wedges and she has never eaten them before (despite being offered them loads of times)
I do not make a fuss I give them choice for dinner to get them involved (in the morning between two things I can do and it makes no odds to me which I make)and then thats what they get.

Just go with it no fuss, small sometimes tiny portions, but in my experience they hate overloaded plates better to come back for seconds, and as many have said no child will knowingly starve themselves.
For young children 3 or 4 snack meals a day may be better. little and often. I do that (to my detriment!!)

CRANKY40

We can also make a slice of cheese on toast into a fish using a pastry cutter. A circle for the fish and a semi circle for the tail. Nothing gets wasted, I eat the crusts :rotfl: You can make an eye out of a dollop of tomato puree, and use lettuce for seaweed.

I'm not saying make every meal a masterpiece, but having a bit of fun now and then takes the stress out of it all.

lucasmum

chocolateteddy, my son also like his sandwiches taken apart?! strange child. It is main meals I have a problem with as they are always ready for a big breakfast(probably because they haven't eaten since the lunch the day before). DS1 loves boiled eggs for breakfast. Packed lunch isn't too bad as sacks are quite easy. He like hummus and veg sticks or olives, wraps and of course fruit, anything apart from the usual sarnie.
I blame the baby!!lol- He is a bad influence to my eldest, he ate everything until the awquard (sp?)one came along. DS2 wouldn't eat anything if I let on that I want him to, hopefully that is just a stage- I wonder where he gets his controllingness from??

Kaz2904

My DS barely eats a thing most of the time but will have occaisions where he's absolutely ravenous and eats everything not nailed down.
He hates mushrooms but I still use them in cooking. If they are blended before being cooked he'll eat them but if they're large slices he gags. I tell him to just pick them out. Tonight we had grated courgette and shredded cabbage in our spag bol. They wolfed it down.
Never any pudding if they've not eaten.
Often DS won't like something- if he's gagging on food then he can have an apple or 2 to fill him up. Same with DD.
I let her in on a secret the other day- she's "allergic" to duck and stew so when we have them she has chicken/casserole.
I told her last night that she actually has the same as us as it was a risk I was willing to take! After all it's normally only cute animals she doesn't want to eat...
MIL often comments on how well they eat, even though DS doesn't eat a lot he will eat a variety. There is anarchy if she tries to feed them processed cheese slices on white bread. She did it once and told DS that she wouldn't take him to the cinema if he didn't eat it so he finally forced it down, got to the cinema sat down and threw up all over her and in her handbag (I did chuckle about that). She now listens and has taken our lead of 1 mouthfull to try it. If you really hate it you may leave it.

moanymoany

I know what you mean about feeling rejected when food is refused. I made dd baby food - she spat it out. Made her baby food - she spat it out. Made her baby food - she spat it out. Bought her commercially prepared baby food - she ate it.

Buying baby food immediately removed the stress as I felt AWFUL when she spat out my lovingly prepared food. Mil told me that she weaned her two on mashed food from her plate!