Picky Kids

[1of6]

I do cater to my kids. Will I make a whole different dinner for them? No, but I will make mac & cheese when I know that they will not find anything that they like at dinner.

My 10 & 8 year olds have gotten better over the years. DD2 lives on air. DS5 is the one that will only eat a handfull of things. Peanutbutter on a spoon, buttered bowties with plain garlic salt, soft tortilla with cheese, pork chops, pillsberry rolls, eggo mini pancakes (will not touch a different brand or homemade ) and of coarse mac & cheese. He will not eat a veggie or a fruit... not a one! He does have speech and lang issues as well as sensory and texture issues. His list has actually gotten longer over the past year!

Out rule is try a bite and if you don't like it make yourself a tortilla with cheese.

 

[Lizzy2]

Nope, they eat what I fix or they are on their own. All 3 of mine went through a picky stage but gradually outgrew it. Well, the youngest still hasn't outgrown it, but I'm hopeful.

My sisters step-daughter is the worst I've ever seen though. She only eats mac-n-cheese, hot dogs, and pizza. I've never seen her eat anything else and this girl is 10 years old.

I have a nephew like that, too. Honestly, I don't see how the kid's insides function as there is literally no fiber in this kids' diet and its 90% cheese!! Its WEIRD!!!

 

[maps]

A lot of people have mentioned the one bite rule.

My question is--HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO TRY THE ONE BITE????


That's my biggest gripe with my son. He won't even give it a try and nothing will make him do it. So he sticks with the handful of foods that he has been eating for the last 4-5yrs.

 

[pperfectmom]

I realize some people have different legitimate reasons for catering to their children's wishes, but I still think that most of the time kid's are picky because the parents let them be. For example, I have a niece who will be 2 in April and she is TINY. At my mother's house over the holidays she wouldn't eat anything exept candy. My brother said that since Halloween that is all she will eat!!!! Hellooooo, you're the parent. I'm sure that is all my kids would want to eat as well if I would let them. I also have a sister with 2 boys that she totally caters to. She offers to fix them whatever they want for supper each night(usually chicken tenders, corn dogs or pb&j) and they eat before my Sis and BIL even sit down to eat. No offense to anyone who does this, but my personal opinion is that it is wrong and turns your kid into a picky eater. I do make some concessions within reason #1 being that DH and I LOVE fiery foods and I really don't want my kids to be in pain so I leave out some of the heat these days. We also enforce the 1 bite rule with DD(almost 4) but sometimes it's hard to get even one bite into DS. We have tried to force him (not violently,of course)to try stuff but it usually just ends up on the floor. One thing I have found is if you enlist their help in choosing and preparing foods they will be more interested in eating it.

 

[va32h]

No offense to anyone who does this, but my personal opinion is that it is wrong and turns your kid into a picky eater.

But so what if they are? The way my anyone else's children eat have no effect on your life whatsoever.

My kids are picky eaters, and if it's a problem, it's my problem, isn't it? My extended family and in-laws are obsessed with what my children eat or how much they eat. Despite my repeated assurance that they see the dr. regularly and are perfectly healthy, they insist on nagging and griping and pestering them about what they eat. Makes mealtimes so pleasant.

My theory has always been that children have such little control over their lives that they invest a great deal in exercising it in one of the few areas where they do have control - what they put in their mouths. Because bribing and threatening aside, you really can't force a child to eat unless you hold him down and pry his mouth open.

My kids are picky eaters, and if it doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother anyone else.

 

[CathrynRose]

I'll make whatever anyone wants to eat...

The funny thing is that my kids LOVE the meat that I despised as a child (and an adult), so I'll make them london broil, chicken, pork chops and then make ME something else.

Hhehehe! I thought *I* was the ONLY one cooking -my- own meals, cuz *I* didnt like what the meal was.

 

[MrsPete]

Most of the people I know with picky kids will tell you the picky-ness started in the very beginning with them rejecting babyfoods, so I have trouble believing it's the result of parenting. I think that some kids are very sensitive to food textures and tastes and some aren't -- it's how they're wired.

I agree. I have one who's been ultra-picky from the time she started solid foods, and I have one who'll pretty much eat anything. I believe I treated them the same way when they were small and were learning their eating habits.

I've done all the things "they" say you should do with the picky one -- it hasn't worked. The child has gone three days without eating; she's been that stubborn since birth. She knows the rules now: we put out the food, and she can decide whether to eat it. If she chooses not to eat it, there is nothing else from which to choose.

She's much better than she used to be.

 

[pperfectmom]

But so what if they are? The way my anyone else's children eat have no effect on your life whatsoever.

My kids are picky eaters, and if it's a problem, it's my problem, isn't it? My extended family and in-laws are obsessed with what my children eat or how much they eat. Despite my repeated assurance that they see the dr. regularly and are perfectly healthy, they insist on nagging and griping and pestering them about what they eat. Makes mealtimes so pleasant.

My theory has always been that children have such little control over their lives that they invest a great deal in exercising it in one of the few areas where they do have control - what they put in their mouths. Because bribing and threatening aside, you really can't force a child to eat unless you hold him down and pry his mouth open.

My kids are picky eaters, and if it doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother anyone else.

Wow, that's a little harsh for something I stated was MY OPINION. I could care less what your kids eat, but you'll never in a million years convince me that it is okay for my not-quite-2 year old neice to live on candy. And yes, I do care about what she eats. I'm sorry if that offends you.

 

[simpilotswife]

DD is another picky kid who is 10th percentile for weight 95th for height so she gets what she'll eat. I do make DD eat what I make for her and she doesn't get junk. She also doesn't get dessert if she doesn't finish her meal.

Personally I feel as though the less of an issue I make with DD about food the better off she'll be. I don't want her to have a problem with food when she gets older and if this helps so be it.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

My parents were part of two camps, the take-one-bite camp, and the eat-it-or-starve camp. Sometimes all I had to do was try a bite, and other times I was forced to eat most of it. It didn't harm me, but I remember those days of sitting at the table for hours because I wouldn't eat brocolli. I was never really a picky eater and I'm still now. The only thing I truly dislike and refuse to even try anymore is most vegetables. I just HATE them. Now my mom just says, you don't like whats being served? There's the fridge, there's the stove, make yourself dinner.

The only thing she was good with was milk. Me and my brother were both allergic to milk as kids. We never acquired a taste for it. That was the one thing she never forced us to drink. Thank goodness because the taste makes me ill.

My sisters step-daughter is the worst I've ever seen though. She only eats mac-n-cheese, hot dogs, and pizza. I've never seen her eat anything else and this girl is 10 years old.

I know a couple of kids like that too. Sweethearts and I love them dearly, but they have got to be the pickiest eaters I have ever met. They only eat chicken fingers, pizza, mac & cheese and desserts. But even pizza has to be a certain way. If the cheese is even the slightest bit brown they won't eat it. I don't know how they are living off 4 foods.

 

[GJM]

My DS (7) is a very picky eater, I can't stand it, he won't even attempt one bite. The funny thing with him is he likes something then it is off his list. Yogurt he use to love would eat it all the time, one day he decided he doesn't like it anymore. Cheese sandwhich he would like, great he can take that for lunch, doesn't like it anymore. Very rarely will a food be added. His new thing now is cooked whole chicken from BJ's & Costco! I tried making it but he knew the difference.

I try and give him what he likes because I think he is so thin and worry that he won't eat. The Dr. said he will out grow this - When!

 

[themarquis]

I don't have kids, picky or otherwise, so I'm not going to comment on the issue or pass judgement. But when I was reading everyone's responses, it reminded me of an article I read a while back -- maybe it was in the NYTimes?? I've been trying to dig it up but haven't had any luck. Maybe somebody remembers it...

But the gist of it was that many nutritionists now think that a child's tastes develop very early -- around when they first get fed solid food. Their first foods sort of "hardwire" them to accept or reject foods later in life. Intriguingly, the pediatrician's mantra that babies starting solid food need to be introduced to one simple, bland, pureed, food at a time, is absolutely the worst way to "hardwire" kids -- it prepares them for a childhood, and often an adulthood, of preferring a limited number of bland foods. In cultures where kids, once they are off the breast, just start eating a mashed-up version of what mom and dad are eating (salsa, curry, etc.), pickiness is pretty unusual.

Some allergists also think food allergies are worsened in places where kids get this kind of early diet. Because their introduction to certain foods (the ones that often cause allergies) is delayed and their exposure to all foods is so limited, they develop allergic responses later than babies that are fed without feeding guidelines, making these allergic responses more severe (common wisdom is that it is better to delay the allergic responses -- like say -- don't feed a kid peanuts until they are three -- but this might be making allergic responses more severe and life-threatening).

Anyway, I don't know whether this is all true, but it is pretty thought-provoking.

 

[1of6]

A lot of people have mentioned the one bite rule.

My question is--HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO TRY THE ONE BITE????


That's my biggest gripe with my son. He won't even give it a try and nothing will make him do it. So he sticks with the handful of foods that he has been eating for the last 4-5yrs.

Just be persistant. Be prepared for tears. No bite= no dessert. We can't get one bite out of DS at every dinner but at least half now.

 

[DaisyD]

Just be persistant. Be prepared for tears. No bite= no dessert. We can't get one bite out of DS at every dinner but at least half now.

I can't imagine bringing a kid to tears just because they don't want to try something that you want them to.

 

[mickeyboat]

I can't imagine bringing a kid to tears just because they don't want to try something that you want them to.

We use the "if you don't eat enough dinner (whatever it is) = no dessert rule, too. We don't very often have tears, though. We just explain to the kids that it is their choice. They don't have to eat it if they don't want to, but they won't get any dessert if they don't. It's the rule, and it's out of my hands, so crying won't make any difference.

If they do cry, they are crying because of the choice they made, not because I am forcing them to do something.

Denae

 

[meandtheguys2]

We use the "if you don't eat enough dinner (whatever it is) = no dessert rule, too. We don't very often have tears, though. We just explain to the kids that it is their choice. They don't have to eat it if they don't want to, but they won't get any dessert if they don't. It's the rule, and it's out of my hands, so crying won't make any difference.

If they do cry, they are crying because of the choice they made, not because I am forcing them to do something.

Denae

Exactly! Mine would cry about missing dessert...I can make a pretty good one!

 

[mickeyboat]

Exactly! Mine would cry about missing dessert...I can make a pretty good one!

Can I come over for dinner? I love dessert and promise to clean my plate.

I don't often make very good desserts. They usually get a piece of candy - every other night. I love it when the kids choose sugarless gum for dessert!

Denae

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Nope, they eat what I fix or they are on their own.

ughh i know some picky kids that runed into picky adults and it's just annoying... i'm not talking about oh i don't like this onion...i'm talking about ohhh nooo you don't like Spaghetti?? I know that, i made you a COMPLETE OTHER meal?!?

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

We use the "if you don't eat enough dinner (whatever it is) = no dessert rule, too. We don't very often have tears, though. We just explain to the kids that it is their choice. They don't have to eat it if they don't want to, but they won't get any dessert if they don't. It's the rule, and it's out of my hands, so crying won't make any difference.

If they do cry, they are crying because of the choice they made, not because I am forcing them to do something.

A+!!!! verrry well said!

 

[meandtheguys2]

Can I come over for dinner? I love dessert and promise to clean my plate.

I don't often make very good desserts. They usually get a piece of candy - every other night. I love it when the kids choose sugarless gum for dessert!

Denae

Well, if I lived "Here!" you could...

With my husbands diabetes, I spend a lot of time finding really tasty, but relatively not bad for you desserts! He has to be careful with so much. My 12 year old has developed a liking for cooking...HALLELUJAH!...and he helps out a lot! I'll buy any ingredient if he will cook it!