Hey Ladies

Well it's been ages since I had a moan about Thomas' eating habits so here I am again

Tbh I've pretty much come to terms with the fact he is a fussy little sod but it still really upsets me . I can't help but blame myself and wonder where I went wrong when I see/hear about friends kids eating really good healthy stuff knowing my child practically lives off pizza, chicken pasta and cheese sandwiches . I followed all advice when weaning and he was doing great up till about 10 months and he literally just refused food. I first thought it was teething/illness putting him off etc but no he just decided he didnt want to eat. The past year has been a nightmare trying to make sure he gets 'some' goodness in him. I tried not giving in to him and only offering one option but when your child has gone 3 days barely eating a thing it's very difficult to not try other options. Even now if he doesn't eat his meal he will only be given fruit as a second option and he just isn't bothered, he will eat fruit when he wants but he just never seems hungry and certainly never 'asks' for food .

I have spoken to HVs about it and they just say carry on offering him meals and he will get there . He is a little live wire and a skiny malink but he is by no means under weight and has an abundance of energy so I'm not worried about his health (much) but I do worry as he gets older if and when he goes to nursery etc what will he eat?

Does anybody else have a fussy child at this stage? I know all kids go through the fussy 'phase' but I'm pretty sure 13 months doesn't count as a 'phase' and I just have myself one fussy little boy. My cousin has 3 boys, the eldest and youngest are fabulous eaters but her middle boy is terrible - worse than Thomas - he will literally only eat bread and butter at most meals and on occasion he will eat the odd chicken nugget or a slice of pizza (although like Thomas he does eat a good amount of fruit and fruit juice/smoothies). Like me she has no idea where she went wrong with him - she did nothing different to her other two boys.

The reason this worry is raising it's ugly head at the moment is because I have started weaning Hannah and if it is something I have done wrong, I don't want to make the same mistakes again. I also don't want Thomas to teach Hannah bad eating habits but I can't keep them apart when eating. Thomas has an awful habit of saying YACK!!! very loudly if he doesn't like something (or just can't be arsed eating it ) and he has started pointing at hannahs food and saying Yack!! which I worry she will pick up on. I tell him off when he does it but like I say - other than feeding them in seperate rooms (not possible) I don't know what to do about it.

Sorry it's an essay - no need to reply but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

xx

Oh hun, what a nightmare!!

Well you've tried the only one thing I can suggest - only offering the one thing and letting him go hungry if he doesn't eat it, but that obviously hasn't worked

I think the only other thing (probably a silly idea) is to maybe do a food diary? write down exactly what you have given that he will eat and how much and what he has refused and then take it to your HV and see is she will refer you or heaven forbid actually help you herself!

With regards to him saying Yack! to Hannah's food, I think I would ignore him, fingers crossed he'll stop if he doesn't get a reaction.

I really wish I had some better advice but Libby is a nightmare herself at times so I don't think I'm much use really xxx

Firstly - it is nothing you have done whilst weaning, nothing at all. My friends little girl is exactly the same as your Thomas - she does eat alot of fruit and a bit of veg and sausage and cheese and thats about it.
I have been through my ups and downs with Oliver, he's never been a good eater and he never clears a plate.

...sorry, gunna have to get back to you on this..moo's just woke up!!

Awww hunni, I for one know full well that it is nothing you did....

I got all of my weaning advice from you and Aimee eats ok... so it cant be anything you did, or she would be the same.

He may just end up being a fussy eater for ever... James is, always has been, always will be!

His mum wouldnt let him down from the table until he finished his food and one day she was cleaning behind the dresser and found six months worth of food shoved behind there! Moral of the story... it doesnt matter what you do... they still wont eat it if they dont want to.

He looks great and healthy, so stop worrying xx

Right i'm back

Where was I Yer, Oliver's always been a naff eater too..I was making all these fancy (well when I say fancy I mean from scratch lol) meals and he would pick and pike, it got so disheartening. So I gave in, the way I see it..he will eat what he wants too and there is no forcing him otherwise. I do basic meals, if he don't eat it - tuff!! I know that sounds cruel, but its more stressfull for us both to sit there trying to get him to eat and him in floods of tears

For example, tonight we had fish chips and peas..he requested some sauce dipped a bit of fish in ate one mouthful and that was it..no more. No pudding offered, but a bit later I offered some rasins and an oaty bar, he had all of 2 raisins - so he clearly wasn't hungry.

He won't eat pototoes or pasta so very difficult getting carbs into him.

He doesn't seem to have an ounze of fat on him but in all otherways he is fit and healthy, so I just go with it. I refrain from weighing him, whether thats good or bad, I don't know. At 12mth he was 23lb at 18mth he was about 23lb 3oz

Just have a squiz at this site cos it really reassured me
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/toddler/feeding_your_toddler.html

I just want you to know you are not alone

Also something I have learnt recently.. I noticed that my LOs fluid intake was increasing rapidly which became quite worrying..but after reading up figured he was mistaking hunger for thirst, so was drinking juice by the bucket load..so now I offer food/snack first before juice (not sure if Thomas is the same with his fluids)

Basically - My key points after that major ramble Just go with it, if he wants pizza, stick some healthy toppings on, pasta do a hidden vegy sauce, if he eats pasta you could leave it plain but put the hidden veg sauce in a little bowl to 'dip,dip,dip'

I hope I haven't come across patronising in anyway, its just little things that i've cottoned onto - not saying it always works but hay ho!

Final note - as for him saying 'yack' to you, daddy and Hannah..I would just say, "well mummy/daddys having it and we think it yummmmmieeee!! Mmmmm!! " Hopefully Hannah will pick up on your positive notes rather than Thomas' negative notes. xx

Brilliant advice Zee! xx

Hey hon. C has been like this for 3 or 4 months now and its driving us barmy so ttally get how it must drive you mad wen its been so long. Lik you I did traditiona and finger food weaning and C would prett much eat anything i put in front of her then she got a bg and bam, off food even stuff i *know* she enjoys which makes it more frustrating. Plus she has a habit of changin the rules. For a while she liked the hipp meals with plenty of sauce and small bits so i wasnt thrilled she was eating from jars etc but went with it and made my own versions too. Now she wont abide stuff like that and prefers dry style one pot food. She wont touch beans, peas, carrots, sweetcorn etc even thouh she would a few months ago. Given her way she wudnt have hot food at all and would live on things like cheese sandwiches, raisins, crisps etc with her prferred hot meal being sausage and mash or fishfingers and chips/waffles. Shes even fussing about pizza! She bit into an apple yesteday and i nearlydid a lap of honour round sainsburys.

All ive managed to do so far is keep persevering. If i know theres something she def likes like sausage then i give it her and keep putting things like peas on the plate in the hope she tries em eventually. I also use what i call 'ninja veg' quite a lot so eg i make homemade sausage rolls which she likes and mix onions/peppers/apples into the sausage meat or make mash and mix tiny shreds of cabbage into it or cheese toasties with mushrooms finely chopped into them, I still offer the veg etc on the side so she has free will to take it or leave it but feel better for geting some goodness into her and of course vitamin supplements in meantime. We are just trying loads of different things at the mo and whatever seems to hit home we will expand on, ive found she likes cous cous and rice and it seems easy to get spinach and onion etc mixed in them and she scoops it up with her fingers to eat it

Ivesked Lisa to put a sticky up for ideas/recipies and general support etc so pop in and say hi ok