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My 3 y.o eating habits are driving me bananas - advice?



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amother
Lemon


 

Post Wed, Sep 28 2016, 4:57 pm
my daughter who is 3 is driving me crazy with eating.
now im not that kind of parent who always thinks there kids are malnourished and run after them force feeding them.
but she has gotten soooooo picky that every single meal is a fight.
the only thing she wants to eat is noodles with cheese and grilled cheese and pizza of course
thats it- occasionally she will eat a cucumber.
I really try to keep snacks healthy, so school she has pretzels or corn pops

should I fight it? should I give in and just hope she out grows it?
it wouldn't bother me so much if she wouldn't complain how hungry she is- especially when everyone else is eating supper.

any advice?
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mummiedearest




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 28 2016, 5:23 pm
have some grilled cheese or some such handy for every meal, but insist that she have other things on her plate. give her a small serving of her favorite along with a little of what the rest of the family is eating, some fruits and veggies. she'll likely finish her favorite and ask for more. tell her that she's welcome to more after she takes a bite of each other thing being served. and stick to it. it's ok for her to have what she wants, but she does need more nutrition. pretzels and corn chips aren't adding anything to her diet. fruits and veggies are important, as are various forms of protein. if necessary, buy some divided plates so the different foods don't touch each other. toddlers like food to be separate. and consider spending some time making the food look fun. you can get some cool egg molds, veggie cutters, even food picks to liven up the meal for her.
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amother
White


 

Post Wed, Sep 28 2016, 5:51 pm
Oh my!! I'm going through the same thing with my toddler now. She doesn't eat a thing!!! After every meal I'm exhausted. I tried everything stories, toys, treats, stickers....... I don't know what to do anymore.
The funny part is that she's chubby so no one believes me when I complain.
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gp2.0




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 28 2016, 6:30 pm
I agree with mummiedearest - serve her the food she likes and serve the food everyone else is eating alongside the food she eats. You can gently prompt and encourage her to eat but never insist on it. Eventually she'll taste some and expand her palate. Sometimes my DD just eats the food that she said she didn't want without comment. If she gets upset at me putting a plate of food in front of her that she didn't want, I do reverse psychology and say it's MY food and MAYBE I'll let her taste just one bite and no more. You'd be surprised how often that works in getting her to taste new foods. Kids always want mommys food lol.
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amother
Copper


 

Post Fri, Sep 30 2016, 6:19 am
My rule is that my 3.5 year old daughter has to taste the food that I made, and then if she doesn't want it, I will give her mac and cheese (if we already have cooked pasta) or a bowl of cereal or whatever, as long as it isn't something I have to spend more than 5 minutes making - I explain to her that she can have whatever she wants afterwards, as long as it is something that's ready or easily prepared, because it's time to eat now.

To get her to taste food, we read lots of books about picky eaters, and then whenever she doesn't want to taste something, I tell her it is 'green eggs and tuna fish (or whatever it is)' and she can be like Sam-I-Am (or I invoke a different story), and I will be so proud of her when she tastes it and she will be proud too, and that she can decide what to eat after she does taste it. This works very well. Books that have helped with this include "Green Eggs and Ham", "Gregory the Terrible Eater", and the "Seven Silly Eaters". We started small - just taste the tiniest bite of one of the foods on your plate. And with time, we asked her to try more than one. Now she'll try everything - and sometimes when she tries it, she likes it and eats more, and sometimes she doesn't want more and then she can have cereal or a sandwich or whatever.

As far as I'm concerned, fighting with your kids about food is one of the worst parenting strategies. This phase won't last forever, and it is normal behavior. But, the eating habits we develop when we are young do last forever - having all your mealtime associations be tense and a power struggle and about eating what you have to instead of going by your own appetite is a recipe for terrible eating habits later in life. If you let your child let their appetite guide them and have mealtimes be pleasant, they will have good eating habits in life. And I say this as the mother of a kid with 'failure to thrive' - aka she is as thin as a rail and doesn't gain weight well. My niece who is 1.5 years old weighs more than my 3.5 dd. Both the pediatrician and a pediatric nutritionist told us to never fight with her about food. And, the less we make a fuss about what she eats, the more she eats, and she is a really good eater now. So who cares if she has pasta for dinner 3 night in a row? As long as the kid is growing well, they are fine. And if you are concerned that she may not be getting enough vitamins, get a blood test (which will probably be fine) and give her a vitamin supplement if necessary. But everyone I know who did this had kids who were getting their nutrients regardless.

When we let my daughter eat what she wants, she eats more, mealtimes are more pleasant, and her growth stays on point. And the less we fight with her, the less picky she is. So try not to think about it and let your kid enjoy his pasta while you all enjoy mealtime together.
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chani8




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Sep 30 2016, 10:26 am
I let my kids eat what they want until they are sick of it (which can take months). I eat this way myself. The same thing over and over again. Perhaps it's a personality thing.

One way to encourage a child to try new things is to offer the food right off your own spoon. If they see you eating it happily, then sometimes, they're more interested in trying it. "This is so yummy. Want some of *my* food?"

And if they like it, serve it over and over again. lol.
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