Curious How You Handle Picky Eaters

[e.j.]

The thing is I know mom cooks him whatever he wants....

Yeah, I think my dcg's parents give her what she likes as soon as she gets home. She's hungry while she's here but she gets through the day because she knows as long as she holds out without eating, she'll get what she wants once she gets home. DC parents tell me they don't cater to her but my dd babysits from time to time and says that's not true at all based on what she's seen while she's there.

[craftymissbeth]

I serve. They eat.

No seconds here for anything unless your plate is clean.

I don't force, beg, plead or use any type of game/trick to get a kid to eat.

We role model healthy eating and good manners.

It's up to the child it eat. or not.

I don't stress about eating issues. ever.

I did all those things with my own kids though.

This is what I do too.

[Baby Beluga]

Thanks so much everyone for your input!

I have always had the rule of thumb: Eat all that is on your plate before you get seconds of anything. I do it with my own child and do it with the DKCs I have now. Another provider in my area and I were talking about this and she said in her opinion that rule was mean, so I was curious how you all handled it.

[Rachel]

We are not allowed to reward or punish with food. I serve family style and put a little on each plate to start. As others have said, everyone needs a chance for seconds / thirds before someone gets more. But because I don't have huge eaters, my first portions are usually only 1/3 - 1/2 of a "portion." (we have to serve them ridiculous amounts that they almost never eat), so even if I give a kid second or thirds, really they just ate the original amount I should have served them to start (but would have thrown out if they left it over).

[SSWonders]

I don't give seconds unless they at least try everything they have. I don't require them to eat all of it as long as they've tried it. That being said, once I know a child well enough to know what he will and will not eat, I put larger amounts of the things I know they will eat on their plates.

[melilley]

I see it as my job to prepare and serve healthy food and the kids' job to decide whether to eat that food or not. I try not to make a big deal of it if I have a picky eater. With that in mind......I'll give a second serving of something even if the child doesn't eat anything else on their plate. If they ask for a third, they have to wait until everyone else who wants a 2nd serving gets it. If there's anything left, they can have a third serving but not a 4th until everyone else who wants a third serving gets it and so on. When that food runs out, I tell the kids that we don't have any more and if they're still hungry, they'll need to eat what's left on their plate. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won't. I'm good either way.

This is what I do.
I do however, encourage them to try the other food if they aren't eating it.
We have a saying "try it, you might like it". My 3 yo dcg tells everyone this when they don't eat something....

[Play Care]

She's got to be hungry but I gave up the hope that she'd break down and eat something a long time ago.

I have found that with my truly "picky" eaters they will not eat what they do not want to eat - no matter what. So I offer healthy choices and they can chose to eat or not. Depending on their behavior otherwise is the deciding factor on if I keep them...or not. I've had kids be picky but otherwise they were great. I've had picky kids whine, fuss and cry (and generally make everyone else miserable) because of hunger and they were sent on their way.

[christine19720]

My job is to serve healthy nutritious food. The child's job is to eat. I serve food whether the child chooses to eat it or not is not my concern or job, I don't play food police and the child doesn't get to "pick" what I serve.

[Controlled Chaos]

We are not allowed to reward or punish with food. I serve family style and put a little on each plate to start. As others have said, everyone needs a chance for seconds / thirds before someone gets more. But because I don't have huge eaters, my first portions are usually only 1/3 - 1/2 of a "portion." (we have to serve them ridiculous amounts that they almost never eat), so even if I give a kid second or thirds, really they just ate the original amount I should have served them to start (but would have thrown out if they left it over).

Do you consider requiring a child to eat all the food on their plate before getting seconds to be a punishment? (I didn't read this as pointed towards that view, just curious) I don't intend it to be one, just trying to reduce waste and encourage healthy eating.

[lynne]

My job is to serve healthy nutritious food. The child's job is to eat. I serve food whether the child chooses to eat it or not is not my concern or job, I don't play food police and the child doesn't get to "pick" what I serve.

[rosieteddy]

I also have the rule eat everything then seconds.That being said I do know when a child hates -will not eat something.I give them a taste of the "offending" food.Then I give a little extra of the "good"food.If they eat the taste of the "offending"food I give seconds.

[Rachel]

Do you consider requiring a child to eat all the food on their plate before getting seconds to be a punishment? (I didn't read this as pointed towards that view, just curious) I don't intend it to be one, just trying to reduce waste and encourage healthy eating.

Me personally, not really. But I wouldn't do it. We all have things we don't like (I don't like peas). So if I serve peas one day and the DCK eats everything but the peas, and is hungry, yes I will give seconds (which as I explained, is really the end of the "firsts").

The way I reduce waste and encourage healthy eating is to serve small portions of everything, and allow seconds of things which were eaten.

[e.j.]

Me personally, not really. But I wouldn't do it. We all have things we don't like (I don't like peas). So if I serve peas one day and the DCK eats everything but the peas, and is hungry, yes I will give seconds (which as I explained, is really the end of the "firsts").

The way I reduce waste and encourage healthy eating is to serve small portions of everything, and allow seconds of things which were eaten.

This is how I see it, too. We all have foods we don't like. I won't touch raisins, most sea food, liver.... While I don't see it as a punishment, I wouldn't want to be hungry and then told I couldn't have a second serving of something I liked unless I ate the things I didn't like. I treat the kids in my care the way I would want to be treated if I were in their position. I do encourage them to try foods but don't force the issue if they refuse.