Picky eater vent

[skitt]

Why is it picky eating when the child in question only wants the traditional kids foods but not when the child refuses to eat those same foods? Either way you have a child that excludes foods from their diet.

It absolutely is picky eating! I said she was picky. I said I didn't want a picky eater and tried to avoid it and have one anyway! I hate that DD won't eat any adult food, it drives me absolutely up the wall.

 

[disneyquestions]

My 6 year old literally gags at the sight of certain foods - will not touch them. My 4 year old will sit down with me and share a dish of sushi with wasabi on the side no problem! I ALWAYS tried to give my kids new and "fun" foods (I would say "Oh wow, heres a big ol SHRIMP - Lets try it!!!" to try and make it sound like something they would really want, etc.). It would be a struggle to get my older one to even taste it, where as my youngest would grab it out of my hands and shove it in her mouth and say YUM! LOL So its not always the parenting, though I will admit, that many times, it may be. As long as the parents of these "picky eaters" aren't complaining, I don't really see why the OP is...

 

[MSLRAC]

Why is it picky eating when the child in question only wants the traditional kids foods but not when the child refuses to eat those same foods? Either way you have a child that excludes foods from their diet.

I think it comes down to good eating habits verses poor eating habits and those poor eating habits limiting the choices of the family.

No matter how you look at it, traditional kid foods are high in fat, calories, sodium, etc. They are not good choices on a regular basis and should not be the only foods that a child will eat. And more times than not, a child that will only eat kiddie foods, ends up limiting the places that the family will eat.

And again, I am NOT, NOT, NOT talking about any child that has any sort of eating issue. I think that it is very sad that all of the parents with children with medical and sensory issues have felt the need to chime in like they have because they have all sounded so defensive and that is just wrong! No parent of a child with honest to goodness special dietary needs should never feel the need to be defensive about that child or those needs!

I have to ask -- picky eater or just healthy eater? really! I have often been frustrated at restaurants whose "kids selections" consist of pure crap. If I am at a steak house, I expect steak on the kids menu, just smaller portions. If I am at a seafood place, let's see some fish (no fish sticks don't count!) or some shrimp.

My DD LOVES most of the foods that we eat, minus some of the seasonings. I am "fortunate" that she *will* eat the nuggets but really if you give her a choice between a piece of steak & broccoli or nuggets & fries, she is going for the steak & broccoli. I am going to try this trip to push my luck when it comes to ordering from the "kids" menus and try asking for more variety if its not offered -- we are using the DDP but I am hoping to let her enjoy the same variety that DH & I will enjoy.

Exactly, I think when most parents say that my kids won't eat kiddie food, it's more like they choose not to.

And my advice is to spend some times looking through the menus before you make your ADRs. I found some great options for my kids that they thoroughly enjoyed. DD6 is already counting down to our next trip and part of it is because she loved the food.

 

[Colleen27]

That sounds like dd. When she was under the age of 5, she really wouldn't eat any cooked veggies so I just kept a few out for her and let her eat everything raw. She wouldn't even eat french fries.

I think my girls got spoiled by being out in the garden with me. I planted 25 row-feet of peas last year and not a single one made it into the house! But cooked peas are apparently an abomination.

oh...probably too late for those with picky kids already, but a tip for preventing a lot of issues? I never told my kids there was different food for kids than there was for anyone else.... so they never got the idea in the first place! when eating out,we've always shared our foods with the kids,now they're older of course they get their own dishes..... Ds knows a couple of kids that,at 10 years old have maybe 3 foods they eat every day. along the lines of chicken nuggets and canned chicken noodle soup. He is shocked....since he eats like a machine..... I personally don;t care about pickiness,as long as it's not my family! anyone else can live how they please.....

That's how we raised ours too - no kids menus when they were pre-school aged because they'd just share with us when eating out, and by the time they got old enough to want their own they "graduated" to sharing an adult dish because the kids' menus just didn't look as good.

My kids have some uber picky friends too. One that only eats hot dogs & pizza, and no, she doesn't have any reasons for her food preferences other than a single mom who doesn't have much time to cook and a teenage brother for an after-school sitter. DS has a very overweight friend who just makes me sad when he's over here at meal times; he's not real picky about meats but doesn't eat potatoes unless they're french fried and refuses all but a couple of veggies and only eats those if they're raw and served with ranch dip.

So there is one thread complaining about other peoples kids being picky eaters and another thread complaining about other people taking home leftovers from a restaurant. REALLY!??! What is wrong with you people. Is your life so pathetic that you must watch everyone else? Sounds like my mother in-law!!

I agree, LOL! Honestly, who cares! It must be a boring day on the Dis.

Yeah, slow day and it is enough of a recurring theme that a lot of folks have opinions on the matter. I'm not one to notice what other people are doing in the parks or at the restaurants, but when it is brought up on a discussion board I am prone to discussing it.

 

[acpalmer]

I think it comes down to good eating habits verses poor eating habits and those poor eating habits limiting the choices of the family.

Yes, but the vent wasn't about "non-healthy" eaters, it is about "picky" eaters. If it really does come down to that, then that's what the vent should have been.

 

[PatsMom]

Yes, but the vent wasn't about "non-healthy" eaters, it is about "picky" eaters. If it really does come down to that, then that's what the vent should have been.

Exactly! Doesn't matter what the kid is picky about - you can't eat counter service because your child won't touch chicken nuggets or you can't eat sit down because your child will only eat chicken nuggets. Both are pickiness. One is just preferable to parents because it makes them feel their child is eating more healthy.

I am the queen of picky eaters at age 51 and thanks to this thread and a very informative article I have learned something about why that might be. But my pickiness does not limit where my family eats. I will eat off the children's menu, order something prepared plain, etc.

 

[Planogirl]

Mine doesn't like most veggies and trust me I tried. I went from having food spit at me when he was a baby to the gagging thing when he got older to refusing to eat it when he was even older. Luckily he likes all meats prepared any kind of way, anything dairy, fruit, pasta and so on. It's just those stupid veggies!

 

[MSLRAC]

Exactly! Doesn't matter what the kid is picky about - you can't eat counter service because your child won't touch chicken nuggets or you can't eat sit down because your child will only eat chicken nuggets. Both are pickiness. One is just preferable to parents because it makes them feel their child is eating more healthy.

I am the queen of picky eaters at age 51 and thanks to this thread and a very informative article I have learned something about why that might be. But my pickiness does not limit where my family eats. I will eat off the children's menu, order something prepared plain, etc.

First off, I will say again, my kids will eat kid foods but they prefer not to when given the choice. There is a BIG difference in that and a child that will not touch other foods and pitches a fit until they get the same old crap. So, we could eat counter service but we choose not to. There is no "can't" in our family when it comes to food and where we want to eat.

Second, I am not going to complain that my kids make healthy choices and prefer to eat things besides kid foods when given the choice. If you want to call that picky than go ahead but I'll take my "picky" kids over a picky child that will only eat kid foods any day!

Seriously, when was the last time you saw a parent with a child eating a salad, grilled chicken, steamed veggies, etc. look over at a child eating crap kiddie food and say longing how they wished their child would eat that? Yet we usually have at least one person say that to us every single time we take our kids out. So as much as you want to claim there is no difference, there is.

 

[ppony]

Mine doesn't like most veggies and trust me I tried. ..... It's just those stupid veggies!

We just decided to try doing a cheese fondue this week and you never saw broccoli and cauliflower disappear so fast! And the DS10 liked it too. I'm not a veggie eater myself so that doesn't help the kids but I DO eat it in front of them. Probably countered some of the benefits dripping it in cheese, BUT.... At least my oldest is bordering on underweight, so I just need to get him to eat. Period. Wish I had that problem growing up.

 

[emmabemmainc]

I am very lucky, because my daughter has always loved to try new foods and she has liked most of what she has tried. She ate an entire big bowl of salad from 'Ohana (the bowl they bring the salad out in) and ate most of my steak and lobster tail from Narcoossee's.

However.........who am I to judge someone for what their kid will or will not eat? I have no idea what that person has been through with their child. I have not walked a day in their shoes. And if that person wants to work their vacation schedule around what their child eats, WHY WOULD I CARE??

I also don't know why people care if adults are picky eaters--sometimes you just don't like certain kinds of foods! What is the big deal? How does that affect you?

One more thing--to the PP who complained about seeing people feeding their "babies" ice cream and pop? You have NO IDEA what that "baby" has eaten earlier in the day. Yes, my daughter is not a baby--but even when she was much younger, when we went to WDW (or on any vacation), she got to go a little crazy. Aren't vacations supposed to fun--a time to go a little crazy? She didn't die because she had a funnel cake and a Coke. It didn't stunt her growth and it certainly didn't make her go crazy and run wild around the park with no supervision.

Why do people care so much about what other people do on vacation?

 

[KAA1972]

1) For picky-eating kids if they don't eat, they don't eat. *
2) Eventually they will get hungry enough to eat what is placed in front of them.
3) There are too many condescending parents these days.
4) Sorry, but parenting carries responsibilities and duties.
5) Including
. . . teaching kids to experience different foods
. . . teaching kids to behave in public
. . . teaching kids to do schoolwork (at school and at home)

* For other than medical reasons.

Number 2 -- not true. My child won't eat... for days. The funny thing is my child is picky but will only eat healthy things. She won't eat orange mac and cheese but will only eat organic white mac and cheese. She does not eat junk food. She will not eat a mcDonald's fry or a Chicken nugget or a hamburger or a hot dog. She won't eat any fries unless they are baked sweet potato fries. She loves fruits and vegetables and eats lots of whole grains. She doesn't like candy -- at all. Yet, I don't think we are as harshly judged as parents who have kids who eat junk food. I never understood picky eaters until I had one and yes, I was the person who said I will never cater to my child but I do because frankly a hungry child just makes my life too difficult and if she wants fresh strawberries then I'm going to give them to her. Yes, we have to carry most of her food into the park with us. I do think she may also have a sensory disorder with regard to food because she would never even try certain foods as a baby. She wouldn't even touch them or play with them.

 

[KatMark]

I am very lucky, because my daughter has always loved to try new foods and she has liked most of what she has tried. She ate an entire big bowl of salad from 'Ohana (the bowl they bring the salad out in) and ate most of my steak and lobster tail from Narcoossee's.

However.........who am I to judge someone for what their kid will or will not eat? I have no idea what that person has been through with their child. I have not walked a day in their shoes. And if that person wants to work their vacation schedule around what their child eats, WHY WOULD I CARE??

I also don't know why people care if adults are picky eaters--sometimes you just don't like certain kinds of foods! What is the big deal? How does that affect you?

One more thing--to the PP who complained about seeing people feeding their "babies" ice cream and pop? You have NO IDEA what that "baby" has eaten earlier in the day. Yes, my daughter is not a baby--but even when she was much younger, when we went to WDW (or on any vacation), she got to go a little crazy. Aren't vacations supposed to fun--a time to go a little crazy? She didn't die because she had a funnel cake and a Coke. It didn't stunt her growth and it certainly didn't make her go crazy and run wild around the park with no supervision.

Why do people care so much about what other people do on vacation?

Excellent post.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

My middle DD is picky - though not as picky as some of the ADULTS I read about on her. She eats Peruvian food every day - but in general, I'd say that her favorite foods are chicken legs, chicken nuggets, breaded chicken breasts, mac and cheese, hot dogs, turkey sausages, rice, pasta with pesto (NOT red sauce), beans (especially refried), quesadillas, chicken noodle soup, and naan bread (she doesn't like any other type of bread). She loves all sorts of sweets but not fruit. She also won't eat vegetables unless she doesn't know she's eating them.

Anyway, my other DD will eat anything. It's all a matter of preference, but we won't let middle DD dictate where we eat. My FIL was picky - only plain meat and potatoes - and I hated having to pick restaurants with boring food. DH and I are very adventurous. I just don't get liking plain food.

 

[lovethattink]

1 out of every 116 kids is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, 70 of which are boys. For the poster who wondered how it can be the same foods (pizza, nuggets), it's usually a matter of texture, not taste.

 

[brymolmom]

Very interesting all around...

I was a picky eater as a child.

I have one picky eater and one good eater.

I am amazed at how many people on here think their kids are just 'born' picky - I totally take responsibility for a lot of my child's pickiness. I know that her tastes are born in - but I'm the one who offered her pizza - she would have eaten something else if I hadn't first given her that. And, yes, I did it because it is a convenience thing - so much easier. Well, parenting isn't supposed to be easy - so now I pay the price.

Same as when other parents always thought we were 'lucky' to have kids who would go to bed at 8pm - when they had young ones who 'wouldn't' go to bed til midnight. Ummm...it is a taught behavior, they just don't 'go' to bed at 8 o'clock it was our rules and our parenting that taught it.

And 95% of the time there is no fight pickign at the table, we've established the routine. The kids know they eat what we're eating. I always put at least 1 or 2 things that they like on the table (cucumbers, apple slices, a roll) and they can fill up on that after they've eaten some of the main course. There are some nights when the picky one is tired and cranky that it gets iffy....but most of the time it is fine.

One of my pet peeves is that constantly giving in to kids and allowing them to always dictate their own meals is just another way of teachign them the world revolves around them - which is done so often these days....Not surprising that so many kids aren't 'forced' to do many things that they really should be doing these days (my sister is a high school physics teacher - she just told me that about 50% of her students don't bother to turn in MANY of their assignments. How in the world are the parents allowing this?). Not saying anyone here with picky eaters does this - but overall I see it a lot with kids these days in many aspects of life. And food is one of the areas of control that kids first are exposed to....and one that I think parents need to end up in the position of the one in control...instead of the other way around.

Of course, medical concerns or special needs kids - you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[skitt]

One more thing--to the PP who complained about seeing people feeding their "babies" ice cream and pop? You have NO IDEA what that "baby" has eaten earlier in the day. Yes, my daughter is not a baby--but even when she was much younger, when we went to WDW (or on any vacation), she got to go a little crazy. Aren't vacations supposed to fun--a time to go a little crazy? She didn't die because she had a funnel cake and a Coke. It didn't stunt her growth and it certainly didn't make her go crazy and run wild around the park with no supervision.

Why do people care so much about what other people do on vacation?

I'm not going to apologize for being outraged by parents giving a one year old coke! Why on earth does a baby need to drink pop exactly? Why does it matter what they've eaten already that day? I care about what junk people give their kids in the same way I care if they are being abused. I'm not talking chicken nuggets or french fries here, before anyone jumps on me. Pop is a treat for older children and adults, not something you put in a sippy cup. And I've seen babies that are barely sitting up fed ice cream, when they're not even supposed to have dairy yet. Not cool.

 

[jm106]

Very interesting all around...

I was a picky eater as a child.

I have one picky eater and one good eater.

I am amazed at how many people on here think their kids are just 'born' picky - I totally take responsibility for a lot of my child's pickiness. I know that her tastes are born in - but I'm the one who offered her pizza - she would have eaten something else if I hadn't first given her that. And, yes, I did it because it is a convenience thing - so much easier. Well, parenting isn't supposed to be easy - so now I pay the price.

Same as when other parents always thought we were 'lucky' to have kids who would go to bed at 8pm - when they had young ones who 'wouldn't' go to bed til midnight. Ummm...it is a taught behavior, they just don't 'go' to bed at 8 o'clock it was our rules and our parenting that taught it.

And 95% of the time there is no fight pickign at the table, we've established the routine. The kids know they eat what we're eating. I always put at least 1 or 2 things that they like on the table (cucumbers, apple slices, a roll) and they can fill up on that after they've eaten some of the main course. There are some nights when the picky one is tired and cranky that it gets iffy....but most of the time it is fine.

One of my pet peeves is that constantly giving in to kids and allowing them to always dictate their own meals is just another way of teachign them the world revolves around them - which is done so often these days....Not surprising that so many kids aren't 'forced' to do many things that they really should be doing these days (my sister is a high school physics teacher - she just told me that about 50% of her students don't bother to turn in MANY of their assignments. How in the world are the parents allowing this?). Not saying anyone here with picky eaters does this - but overall I see it a lot with kids these days in many aspects of life. And food is one of the areas of control that kids first are exposed to....and one that I think parents need to end up in the position of the one in control...instead of the other way around.

Of course, medical concerns or special needs kids - you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[MSLRAC]

Make that two

 

[Tara922c]

My dd3 isn't so much of a picky eater, it is getting her to eat that is the challenge. I think it sucks I have to pay 20 bucks for a three year old to eat at a buffett where she will eat one chicken nugget if we are lucky. We NEVER buy her, her own plate when we go out, NEVER, she doesn't eat enough. Well, I lied, tonight we went out and I ordered her a kids meal, and she ate my food! So that was really the last time I order her, her own meal. Luckily the dining plan is dirt cheap for kids so I don't think about the food prices. I try not to worry about other people and their kids eating habbits.

DD3 actually eats a more variety of food than I do, she just doesn't eat much of eat. She loves anything spicy! I had hot wings at dinner tonight, and she ate them up! She even likes jalepenos on her nachos!! She likes what we like so it is easier just to give dd a sample of what we eat.

 

[emmabemmainc]

I'm not going to apologize for being outraged by parents giving a one year old coke! Why on earth does a baby need to drink pop exactly? Why does it matter what they've eaten already that day? I care about what junk people give their kids in the same way I care if they are being abused. I'm not talking chicken nuggets or french fries here, before anyone jumps on me. Pop is a treat for older children and adults, not something you put in a sippy cup. And I've seen babies that are barely sitting up fed ice cream, when they're not even supposed to have dairy yet. Not cool.

Check out some of the juices they sell--just as much sugar as pop. But, I guarantee that more people would be ok with that given to young children. Also, I guess I was just confused as to why you put babies in quotation marks??? Babies are babies, right? I assumed you meant children that were older than babies, b/c then the quotation marks would make sense. BTW--I did not give my daughter pop when she was an infant, and I've never seen anyone else do it either--I'm beginning to think it's an urban myth.

And--are you guys really comparing not forcing your children to eat what you think they should eat to not doing their homework and failing school?? Really?
My younger brother refused to eat certain things and my parents had this brilliant idea to make him sit at the table until he ate 3 bites. Guess what? He didn't do it and sat there for hours. He was a picky eater then, but eats lots of things now. Lots of kids grow out of it. And BTW--it's not more common now and parents don't cater to their children about it more now either--I knew plenty of picky eaters when I was a kid--a lot more than I do today. I am a teacher.