I’ve always wanted to encourage good eating in my children and when Dexter started weaning he was amazing. But now we’re lucky if he finishes just half of his dinner.. Is fussy eating a phase? How do we get round it?
Dexter started weaning early on. He was 4 months old when he had his first taste of pureed carrot and by the age of 1 year, he was eating everything from bananas to beef stew to sweet potato to Sunday roast, to butternut squash to chicken risotto or ricotta and salmon pancakes.
I used to be one of the smug ones. When people complained about their fussy eaters I used to be so proud of how well he ate. His favourite meals were beef stew and roast dinners and he always finished them.
I judged you all when you said your child eats the same thing all day long because that’s all they would touch and you were just happy they were eating something! I’ve felt superior, watching you while your child was putting her hands in her spaghetti hoops and Dexter was eating everything on his own.. with a fork. I thought we were on to a winner when I wrote about buying him a knife to help with food prep at the age of 1. Turns out, Karma is a bitch!
I thought we had mastered it. We were doing everything right. We have tomatoes growing in the garden along with our herb wheel barrow. We used to have an allotment where we grew various things too so we’ve been teaching him about where food comes from. He comes with us when we do the food shopping and helps us find things and we even let him get involved in the cooking. But as soon as his plate is on the table he loses interest.
Where are we going wrong? This is so frustrating!
Yesterday we made mince beef hash. It’s a recipe from one of my old slimming world books. We went out to the garden and cut off a bit off parsley to use. I let him help me cut the onions, carrot, potatoes etc. He mixed the stock, measured things, stirred things and really enjoyed it. He even wanted to wash up afterwards, yet when it came to the eating, he wasn’t having any of it.
The same today, while Liam was at work, we made cheese scones, inspired by my friend Louise. Now, I know Dexter LOVES cheese because he steals it out of the fridge but he wouldn’t even try them once they were cooked. I even gave him ketchup but he just licked that and ignored the rest.
He surely cannot live on a diet of ham sandwiches and boiled eggs. He wont try fruit, he picks vegetables out of things. I just don’t know what else to do. We’ve tried reward charts, we grow food, he helps shop and cook.. What else is there? What am I missing?
How do we get out of what I can only hope is a phase? Aaarrrggghhhhhh!!! Send help please.. and whiskey!
This post has been linked to #BestandWorst
14 Comments
How old is he now? My toddler went through this stage too (she used to eat everything too), I think they all do! She got over it pretty quickly and eats most things now, especially as we never gave in and offered alternatives. Hope it passes! Xx
He’s 3 next month. I’m really hoping he grows out of it soon because he is starting to drive me bananas!
It’ll pass! My eldest is now 6 and although he won’t try fruit his eating has improved so much and it’s his four year old sister (who used to eat everything) whose the fussy one. Mind you the one year old has only eaten carrots, hummus and fruit for the last two days 🙁 Keep on doing what you’re doing, let him see you eating the food and enjoying it, don’t make a big fuss about him not eating and let him get hungry is cut down on snacks and it’ll get easier as he grows up x
Lets hope so! I guess it will pass like most things but it’s still frustrating.
Kids are so temperemental aren’t they! Archie will demolish the whole of something one day and not eat the same thing again for months, I wish I was a mind reader! #bestandworst
Same here! would make it sooooo much easier!
Oh it can be a nightmare can’t it, sometimes I think Alfie lives on pizza and apples but then other times he eats loads! I think they (dare I say it) all go through these picky phases, I’m sure he’ll be back to eating lots more soon 🙂 Thanks for linking up #bestandworst
Let’s hope that’s all it is. I’m not sure I could handle him staying this way.
Ah man I feel for you as we have a fussy eater, who is now better than he used to be thankfully, but man I know the frustration. We’ve tried everything and different things work at different times but he’s gotten a bit better with age. He’s nearly 4 and we are by no means out of the woods yer! Our 18mth old has always eaten really well… But she is at the start of a fussy phase at the mo that I am trying not to panic about! Good luck!
Thanks. Would you believe, since I’ve written this post we had a few good days but I don’t expect it to last haha
It’s so difficult. Rosie was eating lots and now not but for now, like every change in her habits, I’m blaming teething.
Lexi is also go through yet another “I don’t like this and I don’t like that phase” so I think it comes and goes. It is worrying as you want them to have all their vitamins but they’re growing healthy children so I try and not it bother me too much.
After all if I could live on junk food I think I would
Thats a good point. Junk food is so satisfying! He does have a kids vitamin every morning so I know he’s getting what he needs that way but I still want to know that I’m feeding him right and he’s growing a healthy relation ship with food. This parenting malarkey is hard work!
And reading my comment back that made no sense at all. It is hoped that that the other exhausted parents can make sense of it lol
I understood it hahaha