No, not Beezus and Ramona's cat, I'm talking about Dora at the dinner table. She is just like her momma and would prefer carbs in all forms and nothing else. We didn't have this issue with John Patrick. He ate most anything and any time he wouldn't he could be easily persuaded to try it and then he usually decided he liked it after all. Any advice?
My issue is that for most of her life now she just has chose to not eat if she didn't like what we were having. So, we tried not to give her only things she liked but she often went without dinner. Now, though, she wants to throw a fit until she can have what she wants. It's getting ridiculous because I think she would like most things she's just pretty stubborn so when she decides she doesn't want something it doesn't matter what we do, she won't try it. I have cut out afternoon snacks and milk so she's good and hungry and we are trying to start meals with the stuff she likes the least in hopes that she would be hungry enough to eat something other than bread and fruit. Help. I'm not sure if discipline is the route to go because it's so hard to decide with her when to pick the battle. I'm not kidding, she could write a book on The Art of Stubborn! Anyone else out there with a picky eater??
My issue is that for most of her life now she just has chose to not eat if she didn't like what we were having. So, we tried not to give her only things she liked but she often went without dinner. Now, though, she wants to throw a fit until she can have what she wants. It's getting ridiculous because I think she would like most things she's just pretty stubborn so when she decides she doesn't want something it doesn't matter what we do, she won't try it. I have cut out afternoon snacks and milk so she's good and hungry and we are trying to start meals with the stuff she likes the least in hopes that she would be hungry enough to eat something other than bread and fruit. Help. I'm not sure if discipline is the route to go because it's so hard to decide with her when to pick the battle. I'm not kidding, she could write a book on The Art of Stubborn! Anyone else out there with a picky eater??
The perfect meal to Dora: Toasted carbs with fruity carbs on top!! (I can't imagine where she gets it!!)
7 comments:
I'm very curious about people's responses. The only thing I've ever heard (besides making them what they want every time) is a mom refusing to feed her kid anything but green beans (which he had rejected) for three days. It was either starve or eat the beans. She kept giving him fresh ones, but it was the beans or nothing. Finally, she said he broke and ate the beans and now eats anything she puts in front of him. Pretty dramatic! I don't know if I'd recommmend it or not, but I guess it worked for her...?
Ha.
Libby is so similar. And so stubborn about it, too!
I try not to get too worked up about it. What we do, though, is offer several different types of food at a meal (meat, vegetables, grain, fruit, etc.). We make up plates for the kids and they eat what they eat. We don't force them to eat something they don't want to, but if they want more of one thing (like bread or fruit or whatever), they have to at least try some of everything. We try to be fairly laid back about it, though, so it doesn't turn into a huge issue. And we don't really make it a discipline thing.
Meal time can be so stressful, can't it?
That sounds like Elise, our little carb lover. She's become very fond of declaring what she doesn't like: "Leesie don't likey potaloes!" The funny thing is, after we make her eat a bite or two, she often forgets her supposed dislike of whatever it is. Unfortunately that doesn't always happen.
I know my nephew was picky about things, but he loved peanut butter...so they would put peanut butter on everything (chicken, veggies, etc.) just so he would eat a bite...then they would back off on the peanut butter as he started eating more. I don't know if this is good advice, but it worked for them. Isabel can be super picky too. Tonight we were out for dinner and I would get her to open her mouth by putting a straw up to her mouth (which she loves to drink from) and then Lee would put a spoon full of apple sauce in her mouth:) I hope it gets better!
Okay, this doesn't solve the drama of the picky eater - I have at least one and it appears my second child is on his way to becoming one as well. But the cookbook Deceptively Delicious and one by Jerry Seinfeld's wife has kid friendly recipes that have hidden fruits and veggies in them. The idea is to serve the veggie along side the meal so they are still getting the chance to try it but if the child doesn't eat it, they are still at least getting in nutrition. Both can be borrowed from the library.
We have also used Melissa's method of before you get second's of anything you have to try everything. It works sometimes but not always. I think you are teaching them portion control by this method as well.
Kim, I've considered the starving thing but I don't think she's old enough yet to get why it's happening. I did that once with JP though and it only lasted 2 meals!
Melissa, That was our strategy up until just recently but that is when she started throwing a fit when she couldn't have more of what she wanted. Maybe I could stick with that but make her leave the table when she throws a fit? I'll give that a whirl.
Doog, I could pull that one on JP but Dora won't even pry her mouth open and if I can trick her to open it, the food comes right back out. It really doesn't even matter if she likes it or not, she's just that stubborn!
Candace, Now this idea may be a possibility! I'll try that and report back.
If Dora looks a little thinner to you all at church, please don't call child services on us!!!!
Kris - you are so funny! I don't even HAVE children, so I certainly am not advocating anything! And I won't call child services...what do I know????
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