Hmm...Do I Dare Start Doing This For Every Meal?

[littlemommy]

I have a 2 year old dcb who has only eaten a couple bites of food in the 8 months he's been here. DH and a friend of his came here to eat lunch today, and had picked up Burger King on their way home. The kids were all eating pizza, except for that boy. When I offered, he refused it, so he was just sitting there watching everyone else eat.

DH's friend noticed that the boy was staring at the empty BK bag he had. He jokingly said maybe he'll eat the pizza if it comes out of the bag. I know this boy lives off of fast food, so I thought I'd give it a try. Friend finished his fries, and I put a 1/2 slice of pizza in the fry container and asked boy if he wanted it. His eyes lit up (that's the most expression I've EVER seen on his face!) and he gobbled it right up.

DH and his friend were joking that I need to keep the bag and just put the food in there every day. I remember reading a while back that someone else tried this and it worked. If this is done long term, is that teaching the child bad eating habits...even worse than what they are now? I don't want it to be unfair to the other kids when they see him get a fast food bag every day, but I'm glad the kid at least ate something.

The boy gets kinda shaky some afternoons because he goes most of the day without eating. Parents claim he "eats anything!" at home...but all they ever talk about is fast food.

[Zoe]

Maybe make it a "special thing" for all of the dck's once a week. Obviously it's not fast food, but that might take out the every day factor that could result in the child being trained to think all good food comes from a greasy bag.

Oh. And only serve ridiculously healthy food in the bag.

[lpperry]

I have heard of people doing that, but I personally wouldn't. My feelings are that the daycare kids eat what I serve. If they don't eat, then they can be hungry until the next snack/meal. I don't do substitutions, I don't cut the food in a special way (had one kid who would only eat if food was sliced a certain way--time consuming). I don't offer something else if the child doesn't eat the meal. If the child doesn't eat, he doesn't eat.

I personally think it is ridiculous that the daycare boy will not eat your food, but will eat the same food out of a Burger King box. That would really bug me and I would not encourage that habit. I would keep offering food the same way the other kids eat it and hopefully the boy will decide to eat one day.

[littlemommy]

I have heard of people doing that, but I personally wouldn't. My feelings are that the daycare kids eat what I serve. If they don't eat, then they can be hungry until the next snack/meal. I don't do substitutions, I don't cut the food in a special way (had one kid who would only eat if food was sliced a certain way--time consuming). I don't offer something else if the child doesn't eat the meal. If the child doesn't eat, he doesn't eat.

I personally think it is ridiculous that the daycare boy will not eat your food, but will eat the same food out of a Burger King box. That would really bug me and I would not encourage that habit. I would keep offering food the same way the other kids eat it and hopefully the boy will decide to eat one day.

This is kind of what I was thinking. DH and his friend were laughing and joking about it, and I mentioned how it's not really funny, it's actually kind of sad!! It's amazing how many young children are only fed a healthy meal when it's at daycare. If the parents are feeding them processed, greasy, unhealthy food than it's no wonder they won't eat healthy stuff at daycare!

I'm proud to say that my son would rather drink water than juice, and would rather eat veggies than greasy stuff. Sure, he gets a treat once in a while, but he's not the type that will beg for it.

[Ariana]

That just makes me so sad that he'll only eat food from a fast food bag at 2 yrs old

[kidkair]

Personally I would give him the food out of a bag and see if he'd eat it. At least he would start to develop a taste for your food that way. It sounds like he's not even willing to try anything currently. I'd give him his food in the bag and gently wean him off the bag as he gets older. To wean him off I'd start placing his food half way in and out of the bag, then get to the bag just being on the table, then on the counter, then out of sight but retrievable if he asks to see it. To me this is much the same as weaning a kid from a pacifier or holding on to a special toy or blanket all the time. He's only going to learn your food tastes good if he eats it.

[Cat Herder]

I have to start doing little tricks like that to get them to eat here at about that age (2-3). Even though they have been eating food here since birth they start holding out for the "cool" packaging they get everywhere else. They have been "taught" that it is somehow special and preferred.

"You were a good boy/girl?? Yay, let's go to McDonalds!!"

Carrot sticks, broccoili ****** and apple slices out of paper hot dog bags go down at TWICE the pace of ones I serve on plates. (why is s*p*e*a*r*s a bad word? Britney?)

Homemade veggie pizza served out of an old Dominos box is a HUGE hit.

Turkey/veggie wraps wrapped in wax paper (subway) disappear in a flash.

I just want to get the nutrients on board, I gave up the philosophical debate with myself long ago.... I can't change fast food, I can outsmart it, though.

[cheerfuldom]

I'd do it. Get him eating better options and then slowly wean him off that bag....hey, whatever works right? I would never do that with my own kids because they eat well but it sounds like this could work for this little guy for awhile.

[sharlan]

Personally I would give him the food out of a bag and see if he'd eat it. At least he would start to develop a taste for your food that way. It sounds like he's not even willing to try anything currently. I'd give him his food in the bag and gently wean him off the bag as he gets older. To wean him off I'd start placing his food half way in and out of the bag, then get to the bag just being on the table, then on the counter, then out of sight but retrievable if he asks to see it. To me this is much the same as weaning a kid from a pacifier or holding on to a special toy or blanket all the time. He's only going to learn your food tastes good if he eats it.

I would do this. You know, whatever works.

[MissAnn]

I'd do it. Get him eating better options and then slowly wean him off that bag....hey, whatever works right? I would never do that with my own kids because they eat well but it sounds like this could work for this little guy for awhile.

You can do like the pacifier trick.....you cut a little off the pacifier each day until there is not enough to hold on to.

What if you cut a little off the bag every day until there is no bag left. Not sure if I would do it or not.....but it might be a way of weaning him off it.

Sad though....isn't it?