So Tired Of This Battle!! EATING!

[Country Kids]

When my ds was little we always stopped at the produce section first, picked out a fruit to eat while we were grocery shopping and I ALWAYS paid for it at the end. The checkers were fine with it as I always told them what it was or left the banana peel for them to see.

I know people gave us strange looks but I would rather them be eating something like this then picking up the fruit roll ups/gummies/candy at the end when we were checking out.

[Blackcat31]

Yeah it is sad alot of food choices parents make for their children, the story about the lady saying no to the orange because she had cookies, i mean its hard to believe someone like that exists, who would choose cookies over fruit for their child, I mean don't get me wrong everything is good in moderation, my kids get a happy meal once in a while.

One of the saddest things I find about some of my DCP's and eating is that they ONLY make things they themselves like so their kids are never exposed to anything else.

One of my DCM's only likes green beans. She has never made any other vegetable in her home besides green beans.

When I asked her why she doesn't offer things to both her kids in case they might like them she said "Well what would I eat then?"

Um, ok

[countrymom]

I buy green apples because my kids love them. I have a daycare boy who came in once (he's 7) and asked what they were and told him that they are apples. He didn't believe me because all they have are red apples. I also found that kids who don't go to the grocery store have no idea what is out there. I have the oppisite problem, my own children love fruit and veggies and they cost alot. I too look at what people buy, sometimes its all junk and no fruit or veggies.

[daycarediva]

I have a lot of carb-a-holics too. I think it's par for the course as carbs are cheap & easy for parents and don't require an argument from the kid.

I really only have issues with 2 kids. One is a SA kid and would not eat ANYTHING (seriously) when he started. No milk, no water, nothing went in his mouth from dropoff to pickup times (10 hour days in summer). Mom eats very healthy, but instead of feeding dcb those foods, she made him a separate 'kid friendly' (her words) meal from the time he was little. NOW it is frustrating her. (haha) She is also a NUT about how much food dcb eats. The school has to document for her what he ate out of his lunch, I already do, she counts his calories & will give him junk to make up the calorie 'defecit' (dcb is a healthy kid, healthy weight and size). It is INSANE and I have told her on numerous occassions that if you strictly offer him healthy food and DONT SUPPLEMENT WITH JUNK dcb would NOT go hungry, but would start trying REAL FOOD.

My other kid will hold out for crap. Dcm works two jobs and he is home with dcd 3-4 evenings a week. Dcm will come home to dcb and dcd passed out at 11pm on the couch in front of the TV surrounded by junk food wrappers. One night he had JUST a king size milky way and a yoohoo for DINNER. He is also the one I have the MOST behavioral problems and concerns about his development. So I am sure that he lazy parenting goes MUCH farther. Dcm blames dcd, but dcm picks up and has a snack (mcflurry, nuggets, fruit snacks, "juice"-hawaiian punch, etc) waiting in the car and THAT is how she gets dcb to leave.

[Country Kids]

True story-my ringbearer for my wedding was four/five and was helping my mom with some yeard work. She went in and got a glass of water for them (way before bottled water) and he didn't know what it was!!! I think he knew it was water from swimming, bathing and such but didn't know you could drink it.

Totally boggled my moms mind!!!

[daycarediva]

I serve whole grain/whole wheat, minimally processed food and mostly organic. THAT takes kids some getting used to. I had a dcg once say "Omg my bread is bad!" (because it was brown) HAHAHA!

My kids are allowed to pick ANYTHING out of the produce aisle at the store. THAT is their treat. They aren't deprived. Ds's get 100 calorie packs of cookies in their lunch, that sort of thing, but they also leave only the core on their apples and eat my healthy meals the rest of the time.

My one ds is 4 and a few months ago he told a lady in the grocery store with a cart full of crap food that "Junk food is bad for you and makes you fat." She was VERY overweight, as were her children. I was mortified. She was SO visibly angry. I did tell ds that wasn't polite, but I refuse to contradict the statement.

[Country Kids]

I serve whole grain/whole wheat, minimally processed food and mostly organic. THAT takes kids some getting used to. I had a dcg once say "Omg my bread is bad!" (because it was brown) HAHAHA!

My kids are allowed to pick ANYTHING out of the produce aisle at the store. THAT is their treat. They aren't deprived. Ds's get 100 calorie packs of cookies in their lunch, that sort of thing, but they also leave only the core on their apples and eat my healthy meals the rest of the time.

My one ds is 4 and a few months ago he told a lady in the grocery store with a cart full of crap food that "Junk food is bad for you and makes you fat." She was VERY overweight, as were her children. I was mortified. She was SO visibly angry. I did tell ds that wasn't polite, but I refuse to contradict the statement.

OH MY GOODNESS but good for him!!!!!

[dingledine]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just keep offering it to them. I try to make a meal/snack that the children may, or may not like, but I always put in at least one food that I think they will. My 7 year old had a TON of food issues, texture issues, etc. He would start gagging when he ate some food even. I just kept offering the food to him, suggesting he try some, putting it in front of him. Now he eats most anything.

[snips&snails]

True story-my ringbearer for my wedding was four/five and was helping my mom with some yeard work. She went in and got a glass of water for them (way before bottled water) and he didn't know what it was!!! I think he knew it was water from swimming, bathing and such but didn't know you could drink it.

Totally boggled my moms mind!!!

I have one like that - his parents were like "What do they drink all day?" - um, WATER! plus milk @ meals & the rare glass of juice. This child sobs for juice half the day, and has an absolute fit when I give him water! I worry some though since he has very few wet diapers throughout the day but he is certainly offered enough liquids

[Unregistered]

This has helped me tremendously! My kids are in a better mood and eating healthy!

here is what I have had to do.

i am also on the food program

I offer everything in sections.

veggie first and I wait for them to finish. I make two types. I also make sure I have a least one out of the two that I know the kids like to eat.

If I know johnny does not like carrots, then I will give him the cucumbers.

My rule is you have to try it once and swallow it before you can have your next item

I then serve the protein. same rule

grain next, same rule try it

then i give them the fruit

last their drink.

If they chose not to eat any of it, then that is their choice and we throw it away. Either way, it's going away. away in their tummy or away in the trash. I have just learned to accept this.

I have some that will scream at the site of the food, I count in my head to 25 if the don't stop, I say looks like you are too tired to eat, the plate goes up and they lay down...

Next