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Our son won't eat what we give him - any advice?
We have a three-year-old and a one-year-old. Our one-year-old (at the moment) will eat anything and everything, but our three-year-old eats: beans on toast, pasta, cheese-spread sandwiches, Ready Brek and yoghurts.
He will have the odd banana as a last resort when we refuse chocolate and crisps, and he drinks lots of fruit juices. We are limiting the amount of fruit juice he drinks as I think he is just filling up on that.
When he does eat we praise him loads and occasionally give him a treat if he eats everything. We make a big deal that his little sister eats everything hoping that it will encourage him to eat as she gets all the attention. We are at a point now that if he won't eat what we give him he goes without.
Breakfast time isn't a problem, as he will tend to have either Ready Brek, toast or a yoghurt. Lunch is not too bad as he will have beans on toast or a sandwich. However, tea time is the battle, and I just hate the idea that he is going to bed with an empty stomach! Please help x
Mumof2
This is about variety again. This is all about your attitude to food. I'd really like to just encourage parents to really broaden their horizons on a variety of different foods. What's going to help parents become more educated is to go out and see what's out there. And some parents don't know how to cook with certain foods themselves, but you can look things up on the internet, or go out and buy a simple basic cook book for kids. It's going to help the parents, so that they're encouraged more.
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We know other public figures like Jamie Oliver and Gillian McKeith are all about educating people too so that YOU have choices to make a difference to YOUR family.
Fruit juices are high in sugars so if you drink a lot of fruit juices, you're going to be thirsty again. So dilute the fruit juices. And there's nothing wrong with the odd packet of crisps or the odd chocolate bar here and there.
It's no good if you're going to say, 'well done, you ate all your food so now we're going to give you a chocolate bar.' These foods should be things that a kid is given randomly, not just because they ate their food (that's what we call bribing). Mmmmmm...
He's probably feeling sad hearing about his wonderful one-year-old sister. Yes, she's into everything right now because she's at finger-food stage, and your attitude is visually very different with her. Stop rubbing salt into the wound. This is about your little boy expanding his relationship with food, and your connection with it.
Concentrate on him, otherwise all he hears is how great his little sister is, and then he'll grab your attention in a negative way to get it. Of course dinner time is the issue here, as from what you're telling me he gets to eat what he wants up until dinner time. Change his whole meal plan.
A healthy relationship with food is so important. On the whole, parents need to start making time and conscious decisions that reflect that. We live in a world that is all about convenience. We have to start making time and we have to start prioritising with our time. We have to start planning ahead if that helps and start working out what we can and will do to make a difference in how we educate our children.
Best wishes,
Jo
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