Extremely picky eaters?

Jimsgirl5821 · January 2013

Hi ladies! My daughter is 3 1/2 and is very picky and will not try anything new. She won't even try pizza or hot dogs or things you'd think kids would love we either have to feed her before we go out to eat or bring her own food everywhere we go. How can I get her to try new things? She refuses and covers her mouth with her hands and cries if we push it. I am worried about when she starts preschool next fall. What would I send for lunch? What if she won't try the school lunch?

I feel like its my fault she's picky. She was my first and I was so afraid she would choke plus she has an egg allergy, I'm afraid I didn't give her enough variety when she wa a baby she wont try things now. What can I do?

Jimsgirl5821 · January 2013

cmeon_the_water:
What's worked for my son- peer pressure. If he sees other kids eating lasagna, he wants to try it. My SIL can magically get him to try anything, too, much to her delight. Heh.
And really, my youngest was an eating machine when she was little- she ate everything. Spicy white chili? She loved it. Eggplant? Yum. She powered through anything. At 3yo, she's really only happy with chicken, cold cereal and noodles.

thanks and your daughter's menu sounds like mine LOL. At least I learned with her, with my son now I will start having him try any and everything right from the beginning when he starts solids

AgrippaRidesAgain · January 2013

We just had a discussion about this on my DD's BMB. DS is an extremely picky eater that goes in phases. This article explains it well, and DS fits a LOT of the categories. Do you see your DD in here?

https://www.yourkidstable.com/2013/01/5-reasons-kids-refuse-to-eat.html?m=1

Instead of forcing the bite, start with a lick. See if she can touch the food to her tongue to try it. Keep offering new foods, but don't push it. I've found with DS that the harder we push, the harder he pushes back until he's refusing just to refuse.

Jimsgirl5821 · January 2013

AgrippaRidesAgain:
We just had a discussion about this on my DD's BMB. DS is an extremely picky eater that goes in phases. This article explains it well, and DS fits a LOT of the categories. Do you see your DD in here?
https://www.yourkidstable.com/2013/01/5-reasons-kids-refuse-to-eat.html?m=1
Instead of forcing the bite, start with a lick. See if she can touch the food to her tongue to try it. Keep offering new foods, but don't push it. I've found with DS that the harder we push, the harder he pushes back until he's refusing just to refuse.

thanks I do think routine can be part of it. Se goes to bed at 7 and we feed her around 530 or 6. DH works crazy hours so we aren't a sit at the dinner table family. Behavior maybe too. The licking is a good idea, I will try it

NewFamily09 · January 2013

My younger son is extremely picky also. He basically will only eat carbs and sometimes fruit. I talked to our pedi about it at his 2 yr check up and he said that the preschool years aren't as crucial as people think. He said as long as your kid is getting calories, don't feel like you have to push the issue until more like school age, and then at that point you can be stricter about it. My question was that if you're slack about picky eating during preschool, how can you then get strict about it in elementary school? I should've asked him that. According to him, the most important time to make sure your kids eat healthy is after 10 years old. I had no idea. Does your daughter have a few foods she likes that are healthy? If so, then I wouldn't pressure her anymore. Hopefully she'll outgrow it. My friend's daughter eats a ton of fruit, so that's how she gets her nutrition.

JillAly · January 2013

AgrippaRidesAgain:

I've found with DS that the harder we push, the harder he pushes back until he's refusing just to refuse.

This is so true! I've had daycare workers and now kindergarten teachers who swear they can help my son totally give up on him - that's how picky and stubborn my son is. The harder we push, the harder he pushes back.

I don't have a lot of answers but I will say the one thing I have been successful at is getting him to try a food when I call it something else. So, he tried a croissant when I called it elephant ears. He thought that was funny and it got him interested enough to try. Now he begs for them daily. I put grapes on toothpicks and stuck then in an orange and called it Mickey Ears. He loves grapes now. So maybe try that. It's not perfect- but it worked a tiny bit.

Jimsgirl5821 · January 2013

NewFamily09:
My younger son is extremely picky also. He basically will only eat carbs and sometimes fruit. I talked to our pedi about it at his 2 yr check up and he said that the preschool years aren't as crucial as people think. He said as long as your kid is getting calories, don't feel like you have to push the issue until more like school age, and then at that point you can be stricter about it. My question was that if you're slack about picky eating during preschool, how can you then get strict about it in elementary school? I should've asked him that. According to him, the most important time to make sure your kids eat healthy is after 10 years old. I had no idea. Does your daughter have a few foods she likes that are healthy? If so, then I wouldn't pressure her anymore. Hopefully she'll outgrow it. My friend's daughter eats a ton of fruit, so that's how she gets her nutrition.

pretty much all her foods are healthy, just no variety. She eats chicken, any kind of fruit, yogurt, chicken noodle soup, occasional grilled cheese, pasta, cereal, carrots and sweet potatoes (also ice cream, goldfish, chips, etc. in moderation). I am just worried what will happen when she's sick of her limited menu. Then again, I was a horrid picky eater as a kid and I grew out of it. My mom can't believe I love sushi, Indian food, etc now...LOL.

Gordcrys · January 2013

My son is not a picky eater, but I really believe that is because I have introduced a variety of food from the very beginning, but my husband was a picky eater.

I have heard and know for my self that just because they see a food one time and wont eat it doesn't mean they never will... it takes a minimum of 3 times seeing a specific food for the child to maybe even try it, lick it etc. There are still times where my son will refuse to eat a meal, even if I know he likes it.

My tricks and soluntions on these nights are:

1. try to make it fun

2. make it fun my turning it into a race, i.e. who can eat their mouthfull faster... i always try to go slow so he is super fast and I pretend that he cheated and beat me etc. makes him laugh and have another scoop

3. don't push to hard to eat a certain amount... keep it light, the more you push the harder they will push back

4. always act like the food is their favorite... even if they didn't like it last time.

5. if mommy and daddy are eating and loving it, child will do. My husband doesn't like certain things and when I met him he was a picky eater too (wouldn't eat rice) now I have him eating most things. If mom and dad are eating and enjoying it too it sets a good example.

6. try not to talk about mommy or daddy not liking a food.... just eat what you can and keep you lip shut. same goes for grandparents, my son loves olives but most people don't and his grandparents are always screwing up their nose at it. Honestly in this case, he loves them so much it is funny to him that they don't like it but if it were a newer food I would ask them not to act that way when my kid is trying a newer food.

7. Just keep introducing the foods. Eventually they will eat because they will get hungry. Try not to cater to them too much.

Hopefully one of the above is helpful to you

trizzie · January 2013

Jimsgirl5821:
NewFamily09:
My younger son is extremely picky also. He basically will only eat carbs and sometimes fruit. I talked to our pedi about it at his 2 yr check up and he said that the preschool years aren't as crucial as people think. He said as long as your kid is getting calories, don't feel like you have to push the issue until more like school age, and then at that point you can be stricter about it. My question was that if you're slack about picky eating during preschool, how can you then get strict about it in elementary school? I should've asked him that. According to him, the most important time to make sure your kids eat healthy is after 10 years old. I had no idea. Does your daughter have a few foods she likes that are healthy? If so, then I wouldn't pressure her anymore. Hopefully she'll outgrow it. My friend's daughter eats a ton of fruit, so that's how she gets her nutrition.
pretty much all her foods are healthy, just no variety. She eats chicken, any kind of fruit, yogurt, chicken noodle soup, occasional grilled cheese, pasta, cereal, carrots and sweet potatoes (also ice cream, goldfish, chips, etc. in moderation). I am just worried what will happen when she's sick of her limited menu. Then again, I was a horrid picky eater as a kid and I grew out of it. My mom can't believe I love sushi, Indian food, etc now...LOL.

this sounds exactly like my son. He eats very healthy but it is the same 10 things every day!!! I pray he outgrows it. He ate everything until age 2.

Extremely picky eaters?

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