fussy 3 year old

[mummy_channon]

anyone else got fussy kids? my son will only eat sandwiches, apples, oranges chicken nuggets and chips and im worried he is going to get ill, anyone know how i can get him to eat more??

 

[Jenny]

My son is reaaaally picky (gets it from his momma ). We usually end up using bribery or threats of bed time at supper when he won't eat his food. It usually works lol but some times he's super stubborn. He's getting better though, so I'm pretty sure its just a stage. Hope your little boy starts cooperating for you soon

 

[Tilly]

Im no expert! maybe i'll get back to you when Bethanie reaches this stage, she does get fussy at times though so i've got a few tips:
*Try to make meal times as fun as possible, cut sandwiches into fun shapes, make the dinner look appealing - some good ideas i've heard are brocolli 'trees' or meat 'footballs', you get the idea lol.
*Apparently, saying no can make them more fussy.. if they're hungry they will eat, if they don't want to eat then thats fair enough.
*When Bethanie refuses her food, I don't give her pudding - might seem a bit harsh but im planning on keeping this rule in place. Obviously, if they hate the food.. don't force feed them, but if you know they are just being a little poo, they will need to learn the consequences.

Do you have any books by Annabel Karmel? shes very good, maybe that can help you.

 

[Caroline]

I agree with Tilly.

People may think I'm harsg but when they were tiny my eldest 2 anything going, & so does my youngest ( just a year old).

As they got older round about 18 months to 2 years we instigated if you don't eat it you won't get anything until next meal. If they're hungry they'll eat. I don't believe in making separate meals.
If they leave there tea/ dinner then they don't get pudding.

 

[mummy_channon]

Im no expert! maybe i'll get back to you when Bethanie reaches this stage, she does get fussy at times though so i've got a few tips:
*Try to make meal times as fun as possible, cut sandwiches into fun shapes, make the dinner look appealing - some good ideas i've heard are brocolli 'trees' or meat 'footballs', you get the idea lol.
*Apparently, saying no can make them more fussy.. if they're hungry they will eat, if they don't want to eat then thats fair enough.
*When Bethanie refuses her food, I don't give her pudding - might seem a bit harsh but im planning on keeping this rule in place. Obviously, if they hate the food.. don't force feed them, but if you know they are just being a little poo, they will need to learn the consequences.

Do you have any books by Annabel Karmel? shes very good, maybe that can help you.

i have done a few of annabel karmels tricks and they dont seem to work, i would never force feed him but its driving me mad! maybe ill try the pudding thin and see if that has any effect tho! thanks

 

[Carley]

anyone else got fussy kids? my son will only eat sandwiches, apples, oranges chicken nuggets and chips and im worried he is going to get ill, anyone know how i can get him to eat more??

That sounds like my 2 & 1/2. Besides breakfast items she will only eat peanut butter/vegemite/cheese sandwiches. Pasta. Fish fingers/chicken fingers/veggie fingers. The only way for me to get her to eat veggies is to cut them into small pieces and hide them in pasta. She will eat yogurt and grapes...

 

[fifi83]

My 6 year old son is shocking at what he eats now dead fussy

 

[hypnorm]

i must be lucky as Ewan will eat just about anything.
If he does refuse to eat we dont offer him anything different and he has what we have and if he doesnt eat it ..tough. we don 't generally have puddings so that has never been much of an issue.

A friend of mine, used to give in to her son and give him what he would only eat i.e spaghetti hoops, and cheese sandwiches and her and her hubby would have a proper meal, so her son is sooo fussy now. Ewan gets what we have and there is no alternative, if he eats it great if he doesnt then we dont make too much of a fuss but will get him to try a couple of mouthfuls and then praise him.

 

[superp123]

I have a four year old like this. Here's what we do.
What I find works for Chris is a good old fashioned bribe. I have a candy jar ontop of the cupbord just for meal times. I make sure that there's fruits and veggies in every meal. Maybe I'm harsh. But that's how we eat. Anyway.
If they finish their meal they get a piece of candy. Just one. But for them it's like the prize of the century. This bribe is usually only used at dinner time, as lunch and breakfast I usually make pretty kid friendly.
If they don't finish the dinner goes in the fridge and follows them to the next meal. No snacks, no treats. So if they don't finish their carrots tonight, it goes in the fridge for breakfast.
It may sound harsh. But we've only had to do it once. Chris had the same plate for three meals. FYI, it was two slices of cucumber. So don't be surprised if yours tests. I almost caved in and my mother called on the phone. She told me he was fine and that he'd eat when he was hungry. I was so worried.... But by the time I hung up the phone 30min later he had proudly eaten his two cucumbers.
I keep portions small, so they feel like it's easier, and make it a point to serve a variety. Most nights they ask for more.
Also, I find that a "dip" of some sort usually does the trick for those not so desirable veggies. I usually use a salad dressing in a small bowl. For some reason dip is fun.
Good luck to you.
P

 

[AmysBumpNo3]

i think i must be lucky.
my kids arnt fussy at all. they love there greens (especially broccoli!) and are not fussed about sweets or fast food. mcdonalds...pffff once in a blue moon, and then they dont like it half way through! lol

good luck tho, i know i used to be a very fussy eater as a toddler.must be frustrating. theres all sorts of ways to trick your kids to eat the right foods. i know jamie oliver has a few tricks up his sleves!

 

[mama2connor]

My son is 3 and he is super fussy also. He goes through stages where some days he will eat lots, then some days he won't eat much at all. I found making a chart with stickers works well. If he eats a little bit of everything on his plate he gets a sticker on his chart. Once his chart is full he gets a treat like sweets, or a toy. I used to be at my witts end with my son until i spoke to my health visitor and she said aslong as he eats a little and stays well hydrated he should be fine. She also told me to give him a 20-30 minute time limit to eat his food, if he doesn't to take his plate away and no treats or juice until his next meal just water. If he loves chicken nuggets, you could maybe try making your own home made chicken nuggets as a healthier option, and make your own chips from potatoes in the oven.

 

[Mamafy]

My 2 1/2 year old is the same, my 7 month old daughter eats more and I worry constantly about it as hes not a big child and I do worry alot about it. He does eat carrots by the bucketload and peas and yogurts and a few different cereals and eggs and tomatoes and sandwiches and grapes and oranges. I yearn for my sil's child who eats everything.

All I can say is all my older kids were fussy, extremely fussy; fussier than my son in fact but they grew out of it. Now they cost me loads just to keep them in food

Dont worry (I should take my own advice!) it is something every mum goes through, in fact I feel abit better knowing that most mums have the same worries and perhaps its a 'stage' they're going through; but do take comfort in the fact that they will most defintely not starve if they're offered food and they DO grow out of it! ( I cant wait till that day comes round for us all