Confessions of a Fussy Eater

So I have a fussy eater. 

I often hear mums say that, but mostly I find kids just have likes and dislikes..

I think mine truly is a fussy eater.... I say it like a confession because I feel in society, our parenting is often judged by the food our kids eat, and mine eats virtually nothing. Master 3 is strong willed, super intelligent (according to his equally intelligent and modest mother) and stubborn to a point where bribery is something he does rather than something that is done to him.

Before I confess- know this- his little brother eats everything- and I am wholesome to a fault, veggies, wholegrains, free range, organic blah blah blah..(there.. I feel better now)

So here is his diet..

Sakatas- classic bbq only (sometimes kruskets)

Cheese, grated and kraft singles (to go on the sakatas)

Toast

Vegemite

Apple in a blue moon

Watermelon (to the extreme- will eat a qtr of a watermelon to himself easily in a sitting)

Popcorn

Hundreds and thousands

Meat ONLY when taken from a meatlovers dominos pizza. Now you might say- “well make healthy pizzas”- and we have tried, we have made them, gone to pizza capers, saved the box, even reheated.. BUT it would seem it needs to be dropped off fresh, in the box, with the whole fan fair that comes from the awesome take away pizza experience.

You might wonder why I include 100’s and 1000’s and it is simply because it is part of his every day diet. After several days of not eating anything, I made the mistake of bribing him with toast, vegemite and 100 and 1000’s and he ate it. So now I buy the no colour/flavor blah blah  version, add it to his vegemite on toast and that is his breakfast.

How we got here

Not really sure to be honest, one day he ate raw capsicum, the next he wouldn’t eat chicken. He went to daycare for a couple of days for about 3 months, and was never the same again- a cop out? Perhaps, but that is how it seemed to have happened. 

Is it his stubborn personality?

Is it the fact our kitchen table is often our work table with brisbanekids and our building business and sometimes we just don’t have time for dinner round the table? Master 1.5 seems just fine, so I come to think, it is just something that just happens to some kids.

What we have tried

• Starvation- doesn’t work. Point blank, tried.. I hear you say ..really? really??? YES!! and I think because he will eat toast that becomes the deal breaker- so I buy bread fortified with everything
• Try food 10x- we have done it with tons of different foods- he just grows more anxious every night
• Just put a tiny miniscule piece of something on his plate every night- he simply ignores it or throws it off
• Get him to kiss it- he will kiss it until the cows come home- infact he thinks kissing a piece of sausage is hilarious- he just won’t lick it or eat it.
• Serve it on a stick- (this was in some random book, and no it didn’t work)
• Take him to a psychologist- NO HELP- she did invite me back by myself though to confront my own inner child
• Take him to a pediatrician- she was lovely- commended master 3 on his puzzle making ability and then suggested we make him eat milo, lots and lots of milo, for the iron. According to her- he will get over it.. 1 year on we have an appt in a couple of weeks for an update, and no he wont eat milo (BUT I can sneak an iron supplement into cordial)- and he loves ovaltenies
• We started saying “you need food to grow big and strong like daddy’.. it has become a family mantra. BUT it has also resulted in master 3 asking me to stop feeding master 1.5 any food so he doesn’t grow big and strong like daddy
• A dietician- she suggested everything above.

SO we are we are. Today he eats little, but he grows well, and has a mighty amount of energy and a good sized belly. I know his body will extract more than I believe is possible, even the tiny amount of protein from the horrible dominos meat pizza. I relish in the occasional apple, and should start growing watermelon.

The poor love has come to realise that he is missing out on something good, and has begin to talk about food and touch it and wonder perhaps what it might taste like. BUT, that is a long way from trying food.. or changing his ways. I look forward to the day when I make a hot dinner and he enjoys it, My approach now is to stress less and hope the stories are right- he will grow out of it J

Any tips/encouragement are well appreciated- best leave your judgement aside.

xxngaire