Jane/Migirl

[migirl]

Too cute.

Unfortunately, it's too close to the truth. He's picky, finicky, and VERY conservative about which foods he'll allow into his mouth. It's a never-ending, frustrating battle that - at times - makes me want to pull my hair out. I honestly had no idea it could be *this* difficult to get a toddler to eat! Nobody told me! He keeps dropping off the weight curve, I'm nervously anticipating his 15-month checkup next week.

For dinner tonight, I had to stop and laugh at the fact that I was trying to coax him into eating bacon. I'm probably the only mother in America who WANTS her kid to eat bacon.

[migirl]

Wow, Tara ... your experience actually DOES make me feel better. Thank you SO MUCH!!

This kid will eat any kind of cracker (graham, saltine, goldfish, oyster ... you name it) even if he's never had it before, but try to give him a piece of fruit or veggie or meat that he's never seen before and *forget* it. It's been incredibly frustrating and we've had some major battles over it, but he seems to be healthy and growing so I try to keep that in mind.

~sigh~

[Vanquisher]

Jane, I know this is a stupid suggestion, but have you tried putting meat, cheese, veggies, etc. in between two cracker pieces?

Plus, I am not above forcing my kids to try a bite of something. I have done it before, and I will do it again. Usually, after I force a bite in their mouth, they proclaim that I am the master of the universe, and it is soooo yummy and gobble up the rest.

[migirl]

Jane, I know this is a stupid suggestion, but have you tried putting meat, cheese, veggies, etc. in between two cracker pieces?

Yeah, I've tried this. He ends up picking up the combination, examining it, picking out the offending foreign objects (i.e., cheese, meat, whatever), throwing what he won't eat on the floor, and eating the crackers. He's quite crafty.

I've also tried the force-feeding method with a new food, he usually ends up spitting it back out without even swallowing it. Once in blue moon he ends up liking the taste of it and will eat the rest, but that doesn't happen very often.

I've come to dread mealtimes now, trying to feed this kiddo makes me want to :banghead:

Like I said, I know that toddlers are notoriously picky eaters but ... this is ridiculous!!

We have been going through the EXACT same thing! Xander is 14 months now and I swear he lived on bottles and cheese for a month and a half! Last week he went to his grandparents and they couldn't stop talking baout how much he was eating...I bawled and was convinced that it must have been my fault. our ped said not to worry and that he would just eat when he was ready

Anyway...they were right!!! He had cut 2 molars in the 2 days he was there and is back to eating again. I know it won't help to tell you not to worry (seriously, I lost a lot of sleep) but don't worry too much!

[Amiens]

Jane, I know this is a stupid suggestion, but have you tried putting meat, cheese, veggies, etc. in between two cracker pieces?

Yeah, I've tried this. He ends up picking up the combination, examining it, picking out the offending foreign objects (i.e., cheese, meat, whatever), throwing what he won't eat on the floor, and eating the crackers. He's quite crafty.

I've also tried the force-feeding method with a new food, he usually ends up spitting it back out without even swallowing it. Once in blue moon he ends up liking the taste of it and will eat the rest, but that doesn't happen very often.

I've come to dread mealtimes now, trying to feed this kiddo makes me want to :banghead:

Like I said, I know that toddlers are notoriously picky eaters but ... this is ridiculous!!

We have the EXACT same issues with Reed. He won't eat anything that he likes in baby food form that is in table food form. I talked to our pediatrician about this, and Reed is too young to do the "this is all that I am putting in front of you, so if you don't eat it well I guess you will eat when you are hungry." But at the same time I was told not to prepare 5 different things for him. Reed loves fruit, and will eat that in table/finger food form. Veggies, and meat he gets from a jar at the moment. I make sure to give him 3 things I KNOW he will eat, and then offer one or two new things from the table. I offer the new foods BEFORE the standard stuff. There are some days I want to quietly go into another room and pound my head something fierce.

He is getting better. I have learned not to make meal time such a big deal, and he is getting more interested in what we eat. I was forcing bites, and that just made our meal time horrendous- screaming and then refusing to eat anything whatsoever- it just didn't work for us. *shudder* I have also been allowing him to use his own spoon more, and putting things in bowls and on little plates. That seems to be working too, I guess he sees his older siblings eating that way and wants to eat like them

On my blog I talk about this- http://docfamily.blogspot.com/2007/02/p ... posal.html

Reed is our "all-white" diet kid- rice, bananas, bread, etc.

HTH!

[Amiens]

I also wanted to add that kids' tastes change too. Just because they won't eat something as a toddler doesn't mean they won't eat it later on. Emma detested broccoli at Reed's age- did the whole head to toe shiver when she put the tiniest morsel in her mouth. She's now 5 and likes to eat it.

My daughter is also picky and for awhile it seemed like she was only eating the same 5 or 6 things over and over. She recently has become *slightly* more adventurous but still won't touch chicken or beef. Oh well - she gets her protein in other ways. I'm not big on forcing kids to eat - at this age I think it might be a control issue for them so I try to be very nonchalant during mealtimes.