Completely Lost It At Meal Time Today! So Fed Up With Picky Eaters!!

[jenny31052]

So, I'm so, so, so tired of picky eaters!!!!! I'm tired of filling my trash can with food every day!!!
I have a 4 and a 5 years old, that do not eat ANYTHING, at all... they say that they don't like it without even tasting it...

Today I totally lost it... I made homemade mac and cheese, and it was sooo yummy. Of course it didn't look like the one from the box, it didn't meet their expectations, and was promptly rejected without even trying it. I took the plates away from them, and I told them that if they don't want to eat, that is fine, and if they go home hungry it is fine too!

Homemade pizza is not good either, because it doesn't look like the frozen one...

I have never seen such picky eaters before... I follow the food program, and I cannot give them the junk food they so badly want...

I'm totally fed up today... can't wait to see their faces, when I will give them baby carrots for snack....

[JenNJ]

Do you really get that frustrated? I serve healthy meals and the kids don't always like it. But I offer a suitable substitute and move on. I always have turkey and cheese in the fridge or PB&J on hand.

[Heidi]

I can see why your frustrated, but don't take it personally. You can lead a horse to water...as they say.

Offer it, set the ground rules (no whining, no "yuck", or you are excused). If they don't eat, they must not be very hungry....

Carrot sticks...

[karen]

Couldn't agree more with you....It does get frustrating when you plan your meals out make homemade food and the kids push it away....I am on the food program to. My favorite was yesterday we had PB and jelly sami's for snack I have made them the same way forever hasn't changed...This one little boy whom I have had since he was 6 weeks old now is 3 and has had my pb&J's many times....looks at it and says "That's Nasty I am not eating that!!!!!!!
I guess it's a phase!!!!!

[Daycaremomof2]

I get so frustrated too! I hate wasting food, and have had parents blame me in the past for not making their kids eat. Ugh.

[Ariana]

It's not your responsibility!! You offered them food, they refused, that's it that's all. You did your part of your job descripton. Next time give them smaller portions and if they eat it give them more. If they don't take the rest and freeze it or have it for supper. I currently have a DCG who eats nothing here so I stopped giving her so much food so I could save the rest. I don't fight with kids over food, that's their parents jobs, I'm not raising kids, I'm providing childcare

good luck with the carrot sticks...although my kids go crazy for raw veggies!!

[kidkair]

Try feeding family style and give them just a small spoonful of everything you are offering and only let them have more when they have tried everything on their plate. Keep with giving them very small amounts and encouraging them to try everything. My food program person said I could to this if I was having troubles getting them to eat.

[Meeko]

If you are on the food program, don't sweat it.

All you have to do is OFFER the food. If they won't eat it, so be it. You still get paid exactly the same.

Do you serve restaurant style (already on the individual plate) or family style (bring the serving bowl to the table and everybody has what they want)?

Family style saves a lot of waste in my day care.

If I bring something to the table and they don't want much of it, I put the remainder in a disposable container and we either freeze and eat it as a family later, or my son runs it down the road to an elderly man that we love and adore. He is very appreciative of the help. The food hasn't been touched by the kids and doesn't often go to waste. If it was on individual plates, I would have to throw it away.

[mac60]

This is a constant battle, the whole food issue. I would never set my dishes of food on the table. Not only is my table not big enough, the first time someone sneezed on it and I had to throw it out would be the last time. I too have some picky eaters. If they sit down, push it away or make a disrespectful remark, they are immediately removed to time out. (We all know that when 1 says they don't like it then suddenly 2 or 3 don't like it)They get to come back and eat alone and are put on the timer. For my picky eaters, I only put a very small spoonful of each food on their plate, this has really cut back on the wasting of food. They can always have more as long as they eat everything on their plate. I am not a short order cook, I don't do substitutes.

[littlemommy]

I use sectioned plates and put one (small) spoonful of each thing on their plate for the picky eaters. If they eat that, they are more than welcome to have more, but I still do a small bit at a time. Saves me from throwing away an entire plate of food!

[snbauser]

Don't get frustrated. If they aren't used to seeing that type of food, in most cases they won't eat it the first 3 or 4 times you serve it. Keep serving it. They will eventually eat it. Almost every time I serve something new, no one eats it the first few times. After several times of seeing it on their plate, they will try it. I only serve 1 new thing at a time though so that there is something on their plate they will eat so I know they are not going hungry. I do not fix separate meals though.

[joysjustlikehome]

I just try to remember it is my job to serve the food and their job to eat it. I always do my job - them not so much. I give them the tiniest bit so I waste less. So nor worth getting into the battle with them - we'll lose every time. I used to have a little boy that would only eat one grape the entire lunch time- he would hold it and try to eat it like an apple taking teeny tiny nibbles - used to make me nuts until I just finally realized it's so not worth my getting upset about it.

[PitterPatter]

So, I'm so, so, so tired of picky eaters!!!!! I'm tired of filling my trash can with food every day!!!
I have a 4 and a 5 years old, that do not eat ANYTHING, at all... they say that they don't like it without even tasting it...

Today I totally lost it... I made homemade mac and cheese, and it was sooo yummy. Of course it didn't look like the one from the box, it didn't meet their expectations, and was promptly rejected without even trying it. I took the plates away from them, and I told them that if they don't want to eat, that is fine, and if they go home hungry it is fine too!

Homemade pizza is not good either, because it doesn't look like the frozen one...

I have never seen such picky eaters before... I follow the food program, and I cannot give them the junk food they so badly want...

I'm totally fed up today... can't wait to see their faces, when I will give them baby carrots for snack....

I know how you feel, very sad to see all that wasted food when other children around the globe go hungry!

It gets to me sometimes too especially when I have spent a lot of time preparing it from scratch. I am on the food program too but I have decided to cut back. I serve a small portion, if they eat it then I will give more. I refuse to throw good food away for no reason and when food lady comes I am telling her that. If she takes me off the program then so be it. It's only a partial reimbursment anyway. I am fully prepared to serve the proper quantity but refuse to lay it on the plate knowing it will be thrown away.

[daycare]

It does stink that they don't eat it and that we can't give them back up food. Im on the food program too.

I think what is worse, is that when they don't eat the mood that it puts them in just kills me. They are so grumpy and moody because they chose not to eat. Then 10-20 min after meal time....Miss. C. Im hungry. I want something to eat, drink, snack....UM NOPE you just had your chance and you chose not to. It does sound horribly mean, but I would be sitting all day and feeding children if I played into that game.....PLUS on the food program, all meals hacve to be 2 hours apart and served at the same time for you to get your repayment....

What I did do was find out what they will eat and I keep track of it. I rotate out my meal schedules every 3 weeks. YUP we eat the same things every 3 week rotation. I know what to buy, how much and it has saved me a lot of money.

Also, I don't battle children if they don't want to eat. You have to sit and at least try one bite of your choice. You have to sit at the table and wait for everyone to be done. About 15*-20 min...... everyone gets excused at the same time and will display good table manners if they are done or not.

After that time frame is over, if you ate or not, food goes in the trash.

[Heidi]

I know how you feel, very sad to see all that wasted food when other children around the globe go hungry!

It gets to me sometimes too especially when I have spent a lot of time preparing it from scratch. I am on the food program too but I have decided to cut back. I serve a small portion, if they eat it then I will give more. I refuse to throw good food away for no reason and when food lady comes I am telling her that. If she takes me off the program then so be it. It's only a partial reimbursment anyway. I am fully prepared to serve the proper quantity but refuse to lay it on the plate knowing it will be thrown away.

You will not get "kicked off" the food program for this, IMO. You only need to have enough food to OFFER the required portions. You are not required to SERVE the entire portion of each food at once. At least, that is what our food program has been telling us for 20+ years.