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Parents of difficult eaters

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mrsred1

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My kids drive me NUTS with two things: fighting and eating.

I know it's age-old but :gah:

I need help with eating time. DD is picky so I make things that she likes and sometimes sneak other things into it. But they both fart around at meals and it drives me OVER THE EDGE.

Example: today for lunch was veggie pasta with a glass of milk and fruit. DS wanted a banana, DD wanted applesauce.

DS ate the whole banana and barely any pasta. Then was asking for applesauce like DD. I said no, not until he ate all his pasta. Then he started using the pasta (penne) as a whistle, was throwing it on the floor, etc. So I took the plate away. Now he's asking for more to eat and still refusing pasta, he only wants applesauce.

what would you do? Give in and give him applesauce? Tell him no,he needs to eat the pasta first? Offer something else?

I'm open to your advice, thank you very much!
 
DO NOT give in whatever you do! Make him go without if necessary...he will get hungry eventually and eat what is put in front of him...fruit comes last...main dish first...still have this problem w/DD and she is almost 7 yrs. old...IF you give her a biscuit or applesauce right away w/the meal she will eat the biscuit and appleasauce and then pick at the food..the meat and veggies...also, I know your son is ONLY 2 but I would put him in time out for two min. EVERY time he starts screwing around with his food...I would explain calmly we DON"T play w/our food we eat it! I'm sure it's tough w/two so close in age but you gotta be firm! Good luck Red!
 
Real food first, fruits as dessert/if they finish their real food?

I don't know. I'm a caver-inner. If you figure out the fighting thing, I'd be willing to swap game pieces for a sure solution. :p
 
I would not give them anything. My dd's are not super picky and with my oldest her eating has improved so much. We would not give in and she survived. She is 6 now and has very good eating habits. How old are they? I know with our 3 yo we are more likely to give her something. Now my niece and nephew are very picky eaters. My sister tries to give them what they ask for or what they like and my nephew will still refuse to eat. She says he eats at home, but we find it hard to believe.
 
Next time give him the pasta first and nothing else. He can have the banana and applesauce when that is gone. If he really doesn't like pasta then I would only make him eat (and only give him) half the usual amount (or some such reasonable amount). If he won't eat it at all, then save it in case he gets hungry before the next meal time. I'd cover it and put it on the counter, and, if this was at lunch he wouldn't get anything before supper until this was gone. Then, if he hasn't eaten it by supper I wouldn't press it; I'd give him whatever was for supper. Chances are, if the amount is not too great (of the pasta) he'll have eaten it and if he is just that stubborn after a few rounds of this I think he'll agree to eat a small/reasonable amount of pasta first. I was a reeeeeeeallly picky eater as a child and I got over it as an adult.
 
At least you are feeding them healthy. This is my biggest problem. My kids are the WORLD'S pickiest eaters and it's my fault because I never should have started with junk food. We eat a lot of pizza, hamburger helper, nuggets, mac n cheese at my house. I know...horrible...
 
Don't give in and don't make special meals for them!
I don't have picky eater and this is why!
They have always eaten what I make....you don't like it you don't eat!
Starvation is a STRONG motivator and eventually they will learn to eat what they are given.
It is a process though and it takes time....just be consistent and firm!
Ds was complaining about dinner once and I gave him 15 minutes to eat or he was done and he would see it for breakfast....needless to say....he ate it for breakfast and hated it worse cold. Only time I have ever had to do it and he still remembers today how it was worse the next day!
 
I was also a REALLLLY picky eater as a kid, and I still am, but not nearly like I was when I was little. DD is now picky like I was.

DS is like DH, loves to eat and will eat anything. But he prioritizes his food, kwim? hsmomof6 I think that is great and I really appreciate it. I think I'll try this. He loves pasta and was excited until he saw the bananas in the fridge and then it was all over :lol:
 
mrsred1 said:
DD is 4
DS is 2 in December.
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Definately main dish first and no choices. We would give our oldest half of what we wanted her to eat to stop her from eating so fast. She would eat everything. Our youngest has to eat her main food first and then she gets the fruit or bread part. She is getting better so we can give her everything, she just turned 3 in September. The worst for our oldest was when at a party and food would be out. She always managed to get into trouble.
 
DS is worse at lunch, DD is worse at dinner, and after not eating much dinner she is hungry right before bedtime. So now I tell her that if she is hungry, she better eat now b/c bed time is in 30 minutes, and I offer her a banana (which she is not a fan of lol). That way if she is truly hungry, she'll eat something good, b/c she thinks if she's hungry in the evening that she can have peanuts/popcorn/chips. DH is a big evening snacker and has taken us all down with him.
 
I was a picky eater too but I have just never allowed my kids to be!
They have likes and dislikes...as we all do....but they know they always have to at least try the foods.
This is how my dd has become hooked on sushi!
 
Oh and glammunky, I was doing more along the lines of what you've said. DD implied today that she was afraid of me when I was explaining that to DS, and I was afraid I was being too disciplinarian.
 
I've been fighting this battle for years...........good luck.

Signed,
Short order cook :surrender:
 
mrsred1 said:
Oh and glammunky, I was doing more along the lines of what you've said. DD implied today that she was afraid of me when I was explaining that to DS, and I was afraid I was being too disciplinarian.
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Kids are great manipulators...even at a young age...don't let her get to you!
 
Any type of fruit/desert last, they can't have it until the other food is gone. If they're messing around at the table, their plate is taken away. Each of my kids have a handful of things I know they don't like. For those things I make them eat one bite, then they can be done. For dd it's rice, she doesn't really like any kind of rice, so she has to eat one bite of rice, finish her meat and veggie, then she can have desert.
 
I got the same advice from my Uncle about food and kids and my cousins have always been amazing eaters.
So when we had kids....I just kinda followed what I had seen them implement and it worked.
It is disipline....they have to learn to eat what is given but they will be better kids if you stick to it!
I hear all the time from their friends parents how they love my kids cause they eat anything they are given!
Sometimes they even eat things I know they don't really like and I'll ask if they want me to start buying it at home and they say "no" they just ate it cause that's what was for lunch.
 
andystowing said:
our house rules were point blank. Eat what is made or go to bed hungry.
we learned to eat what was made.:lol:
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This gets us all upset b/c then they whine and cry and yell and then we whine and cry and yell back :lol: and the whole house is a wreck after that. :gah:
 
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