VERY picky eater!

[JennyBear]

Hi everyone,

I'm having a really tough time with one of my dck's not eating anything healthy at all! I offer different fruits and veggies through out the day and this one girl (just turned 2) refuses to even take one tiny bite of anything! If I ask her to take one bite or to try her food she will start to cry like you wouldn't believe, and she will even turn around as if to try to get up from the table. I have discussed this with her parents and have come to find out that when they serve her foods at home, if she doesn't like it, they will just continue to offer different foods until she finally eats, even if it isn't healthy food. There is no way I'm even getting involved in that - That's nuts!!
Because she get's away with this at home she thinks she can come here and only eat the not so good foods here either. It's now starting to affect what the other kids are eating (if they see she doesn't have to eat something then they don't eat it either).

One of my snacks here is Yogurt with fresh fruit. She won't eat yogurt or fruit- won't even try one tiny bite! Do I just let her go hungry at snack time?

so now, I just don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

[BigMama]

Just continue to offer your healthy meals and snacks...she will eat when hungry. My policy has always been:
Children are served all foods. They may chose what they want and leave the rest on their plate. No "icks" or "yucks" allowed at the table, just say "I don't care for this" or say nothing. I offer no alternative meals or snacks and nothing is served (besides water) between meal and snack times. Don't worry, she won't starve! Often times parent will tell me that their child is a picky eater when they enroll and are shocked when in a week or two they are eating broccoli, fish, roasted chicken, all kinds of fresh fruit etc. like its going out of style!

[kathiemarie]

I would just serve it to her. Don''t not "make" her eat but don't let her get up from the table. She will eat when she is hungery. Do the same for the others that are following her footprints.

[sharlan]

Stop making eating an issue. Place the food in front of her, she eats it or she doesn't.

[meganlavonnesmommy]

What Sharlan said. Food is a non issue. It's not your job to make a child eat, its only your job to serve them healthy well balanced meals. Whether they eat or not is their choice. If they dont eat, then no biggie, they go hungry until the next meal.

I had a child a few years ago, mildly autistic with sensory issues. He was 4, and all he ate was pancakes, pizza and yogurt. It was all he had ever eaten, for 4 years. He only ate a small handfull of times in my 2 years of care, and it was only on the days we had pizza or pancakes. Then he would eat those two components, and nothing else.
I just didnt worry about it, I served him the same as everyone else, and 99% of the time he didnt touch it. But it wasnt my problem, it was his choice. But he did have to sit at the table with us while the rest of the kids ate.

[littlemommy]

What Sharlan said. Food is a non issue. It's not your job to make a child eat, its only your job to serve them healthy well balanced meals. Whether they eat or not is their choice. If they dont eat, then no biggie, they go hungry until the next meal.

I had a child a few years ago, mildly autistic with sensory issues. He was 4, and all he ate was pancakes, pizza and yogurt. It was all he had ever eaten, for 4 years. He only ate a small handfull of times in my 2 years of care, and it was only on the days we had pizza or pancakes. Then he would eat those two components, and nothing else.
I just didnt worry about it, I served him the same as everyone else, and 99% of the time he didnt touch it. But it wasnt my problem, it was his choice. But he did have to sit at the table with us while the rest of the kids ate.

I have posted about the 2 year old that refuses to eat here, but will eat from a fast food bag in a heartbeat. It just donned on me that the few bites of food he HAS eaten in 8 months have been sandwiches. Go figure. I'm sure he only eats fast food sandwiches, so why would he WANT to try anything made from scratch?

I offer every day. He screams as soon as he sees food, so he goes and lays down. I know I serve healthy, well balanced meals, and that's all I'm supposed to do!

[Ariana]

I personally do not offer alternatives or fight with kids at meal times. Even with my own kid. They either eat what/when food is served or they will be hungry. Like Sharlan it's a non-issue for us.

Have you tried making "fast food" at your house? I do a healthy coated and fried chicken and sweet potato fries occassionally, or a pizza with healthy crust and veggies etc. I also make yummy muffins and smoothies with all sort of good stuff hidden inside. Just a thought!

[grandmom]

I agree with the others. Serve it and stay calm. No substitutes. He won't starve.

[caring4kidsinSD]

I have one who eats pizza but that's about it. I figure if he's hungry he'll eat it. I offer it to him but I don't force him to finish it(except the milk which is my rule for all the kids). And since I know he doesn't eat much, I only put the allotted amount of food on the plate so not so much goes to waste. He eats breakfast fine and snack fine but lunch is a struggle but I don't worry about it. When he started I saved it but he never wanted it later so I stopped doing that.

Maybe save it until later if she would get hungry. I don't make them different food unless they have an allergy to what I'm making(and even then I try to serve those foods on days the allergic child isn't present)

[countrymom]

I would just serve it to her. Don''t not "make" her eat but don't let her get up from the table. She will eat when she is hungery. Do the same for the others that are following her footprints.

serve it, but if she doesn't eat don't let her leave, let her see the others eating and enjoying their food.

[JennyBear]

Thanks everyone.

Meal time with my own child is always a non-issue. She is learning very quickly that she eats what/when we eat and if she doesn't want it then she waits until the next meal. I have the same rule for the daycare. I guess it just got to me seeing this one kid hardly eat a thing. I give a written daily report to the parents each day and I have a hard time putting down that she eats little to nothing...I guess I feel that the parents will want to pull her out if she isn't eating a lot here.
I am going to carry on and ensure that this is a non-issue and stop letting it bug me.
I guess I just needed to hear that this is normal.

[Ariana]

Thanks everyone.

Meal time with my own child is always a non-issue. She is learning very quickly that she eats what/when we eat and if she doesn't want it then she waits until the next meal. I have the same rule for the daycare. I guess it just got to me seeing this one kid hardly eat a thing. I give a written daily report to the parents each day and I have a hard time putting down that she eats little to nothing...I guess I feel that the parents will want to pull her out if she isn't eating a lot here.
I am going to carry on and ensure that this is a non-issue and stop letting it bug me.
I guess I just needed to hear that this is normal.

My current dcg is like this too. Barely eats anything. We eat very healthy food here and I thought the parents did too because they asked me about my meal plan during the interview and commented on how her last provider didn't serve healthy meals. I asked them last week for a list of foods this girl will eat and about 50% of it I wouldn't feed my child. If she wants to fill up on that sutff while at home with them then it's not my problem!! There is not a lot you can do. I'm not going to start serving unhealthy food for one kids sake kwim?