5 year old boy lying about food

Active Poster Joined: Dec 09 2007 Posts: 86

Hi,
My 5 almost 6 year old boy doesnt like to eat so much. Recently if I gave him a food to eat that normally hes nto eaten before. He spits it out w/o really swallowing it to give it a try adn then he lies to me that he ate it and s/time later id find it hidden in teh kitchen.

any suggestions on how to deal-hes really skinny and needs the extra nutrition.

tks

Diamond Member Joined: Aug 03 2007 Posts: 4448

Doesn't he eat the food because he is too picky? Make kid friendly foods.

Maybe the food is too salty/peppery/sweet? Does he have digestive problems?

Active Poster Joined: Dec 09 2007 Posts: 86

no not at all

Silver Member Joined: Feb 11 2008 Posts: 981

I dont have the time or patience to sit and fight with my kids to eat their supper. I started making alternative suppers meaning I make a regular fleishig meal like chicken and rice and soup and if one of them says "yuck"..... they can have toast or macaroni from the fridge but they have to at least eat one thing from the regular supper first. Somehow by not forcing them to eat they lately started on their own eating more and more from the regular supper.

Posted: Fri, Dec 12 2008, 12:26 pm Post subject:

I have a 5 almost 6 yr old also and it must be the age b/c she is recently so difficult about food, and she was never picky. I have made a new rule that I saw work at my friends house- you have to try one bite, if you hate it then that's all but usually she likes it and then eats more. If all else fails PB&J works and I figure they will grow out of it.

Diamond Member Joined: Aug 03 2007 Posts: 4448

One of my siblings had this phase in which she would only eat noodles. White, plain, cooked noodles.

I think too often we make food a power struggle between the parent and child. And kind of like toilet training, it's a battle the child's going to win, because he's ultimately the one who decides what he swallows!

I don't force my kids to eat anything, but I don't provide any alternatives to the meal I serve either. If they aren't hungry, that's fine. There will be another meal in a few hours, and I trust them to listen to their bodies signals and eat when they are ready to. I don't make an issue out of food, and not surprisingly, none of our eight kids have been picky eaters. Smile

I would be more concerned about my child lying to me - why does he think it's a big enough deal to you that he hides it and lies about it? Don't worry about him starving to death or becoming malnourished - his body knows what it needs, and as long as you continue to provide healthy food choices for him at mealtimes, he'll be fine.
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Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20503

I am hearing that there is a problem between you two when it comes to food, due to you using the word "lying" with such a young child. I would try and get some help before there are real issues.

I would venture a guess that he's so skinny because food has been a battleground for the 2 of you for a while already. You need to trust him more and not put him into a situation where he feels that lying is the answer. I understand that this is going to be tremendously hard for you, but you need to try to be more matter of fact about his eating. He needs to learn to eat because he's hungry, not because he can't escape.

I am blessed that I came across Dr. Brazelton's book on childcare when my first was just 3 months old. Among other things, the book discusses his experiment with infants that demonstrated that a child will naturally choose the foods that he needs for his development, if he's allowed absolutely free choice among a wide variety of healthy alternatives. one ds of mine ate peanut sandwiches (without the jelly, since I don't buy any!) for months on end, and yes, he outgrew it too.
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Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. (I haven't finished growing up yet; I'm still a work in progress - until 120!)

Diamond Member Joined: Oct 29 2006 Posts: 4461

"Don't make him "taste" food. Kids hate this and resist it strongly."

Actually my kids have learn't to eat many different foods that they would not have even tried before. It also teaches them that not everything they will like, looks and or tastes the same. I don't think trying something is considered being "forced". Of course if you know that they have tried the food and didn't like it, either don't make it or make an alternative for them to eat!!
My kids love salad, garlic, cooked onions, matjas herring and sardines-all of these things that they would not have tried otherwise.

Diamond Member Joined: Oct 29 2006 Posts: 4461

But if the kid strongly resists I didn't force them.