Food Refusal Help

[Unregistered]

I have a child, 6 year old, who used to eat anything and everything that I served for lunch. Veggies no problem. Fruit no problem. I have always had a rule that everyone has to at least try a bite of everything I serve. Just try it. Not eat it all. Now this child is refusing to even try things that she has always eaten in the past. Flat out tells me no.

What would you all do with this situation? Would you continue to enforce your rule, add in some other consequece for the refusal, totally just ignore it???

She was never a picky eater before.

[Blackcat31]

Personally, I would keep putting the plate of whatever you are serving in front of her, if she doesn't eat, that is her choice. I would not force the issue nor would I punish for it. She is the only one who is going to feel the effects of her choice not to eat. As many say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

What I do is let them sit at the table with everyone else. (no going off to play because that is not fair to others) and if she sits without eating, "oh, well." but when snack time rolls around she gets a few saltine crackers and milk. The rest of the kids get whatever snack I had planned. I usually try to make snacks fun and something the kids really look forward too.

It is illegal in a lot of places to with hold food from a child as a form of punishment but it is perfectly acceptable to not allow her to only eat the good stuff. Heck I've had kids who could or would just hold out til snack time every day and always skip the lunches.....

[daycare]

ditto... I dont force anyone to eat anything and I give those that dont polish their plates right away more time to try to eat. if they dont eat in time that is alloted for that meal, then we just go about our day.

at the next meal, they get their fruits and veggies first and then the other stuff after that is gone. they eat it cuz they are starving at that point..

[SandeeAR]

I have a 2.5 y/o that is now going on month two refusing lunch. She will eat breakfast, but won't touch lunch. Only if I have chicken nuggets or fish sticks. She won't eat anything else on her plate.

She sits at the table until everyone else has eaten. Btw, she is always the last one I clean up and let down too. I place her plate in the fridge. At snack time, I pull it back out. If she is hungry, she can eat lunch.

I know she is picky at home too. I figure, the loss of snack doesn't bother her, b/c I'm pretty certian, when they pick her SA sibling up from the daycare, they are both given a snack.

[MN Day Mom]

I have the same thing going on here. Talked with the mom about it last week and she suggested giving her her lunch plate back at snack time and she can't have that days snack unless she finishes her lunch first.

I've also started an extra little treat at snack time for who ever cleans their plate.

Nothing seems to work.

[SandeeAR]

I even tried mixing brownies while they ate, and talked about that was snack for the day. No effect. When snack time came and the other two got brownies, she said, can I have one. I told, no, not until you finish your lunch. She still wouldn't eat.

[nannyde]

I don't care if they don't eat. Food issues are big fat loosers. You will never win.

If you have a kid that is refusing everything go back to the basics in meals. Do old school things you would have at grandmas. Do chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole and biscuits. Do roast beef, carrots, and potatoes with mushroom gravy. Do ham, sweet potatoes, butter peas and honey rolls. Do spaghetti with garlic bread, fresh salad and some apple crisp for desert.

Then when meal time comes ask her if she wants some of it. If she says no then say cool fool... can I have your honey biscuits?

Love me some honey biscuits.

Ask her if she wants to eat with you guys or would she rather go play? She's welcome to just sit and visit with everyone or go play. Either way is cool.

Then CELEBRATE your food. Eat with the kids if you can and really ENJOY the meal.

When the other kids want seconds on the mashed potatoes say "oh you don't like Nan's mashed taters... I'm going to eat them all MYSELF. ::::

Let her have the experience of being around people who love each other, love eating together, love laughing together. ....

That's all it takes...

good food
good friends

If she just wants the "desert" then make your desert as healthy as you can and enjoy desert with her.

I wouldn't ask her to try anything. I would just want her as near to me as I could get her. If she's interested and wants a little sompin sompin then let her have a little piece off of your plate. (I know that's against the rules but it's okay.... sometimes it takes Mama love to cure this).

No matter what she does it's okay. She gets to choose. As long as she doesn't misbehave during his meal time play and allows everyone else the celebration then you are all good.

She'll come around.... just give it time.