Raisins! She’s actually eating raisins! I’ve tried giving them to her before and she wouldn’t touch them. So this time I got sneaky and dipped them in peanut butter (plus I thought she’d think they were chocolate chips and at least give them a chance) which she liked, but then she just ate them alone and kept asking for more. I’m so glad to find another healthy option for snack time. I’m getting weary of trying to figure out what she’ll eat.
I’m at the point of deciding that she’ll have to eat what we’re having at a meal or she’ll just have to do without. Is that awful? I’m just tired of cooking 2 meals for lunch and 2 for supper, one for her and one for us. And all she eats is spaghetti and mac-n-cheese. Giving her mac-n-cheese all the time is grossing me out. It’s ok now and then, but every other day is not good.
The other night I made something a little spicy for me and Phil’s supper, so I was making chicken and beans for Clara to eat and spaghetti for Lily and thought, this is crazy…I’m making 3 meals! I can’t keep doing that. Especially with another baby in the mix. What if this is another picky one?
If anyone has any thoughts on this topic (what to do with a picky eater) I’d love some ideas. Believe me though, I’ve tried just about everything! Mom, should I just suck it up and resign myself to “pom fritz and peanut butter”? HELP!
I don't think you are horrible for just giving her what you are making, and if she doesn't eat it, oh well. Given, neither of my kids have been extremely picky eaters, so I don't have the same understanding of things as you do, but we do give Mary and Henry what we are having and if they don't eat it, they are done eating for the night. (We do make some exceptions for Henry on occasion, and give him some cheese and yogurt right before bedtime if he ate nothing at dinner, but we don't do this for Mary. But then again, Lily and Henry are the same age. We do it because we aren't sure he understands the consequences for not eating dinner, but we know Mary does.) But I can totally understand how absurd you feel it is to be making three meals at dinnertime. I can hardly handle one, much less three! You are super-mom. Sometimes, if they don't eat much, we cover their plates and put them in the fridge. Later, when they (only Mary really, Henry doesn't ask later) say they are hungry and want something to eat, her only option is to eat her dinner. If she eats it, she can have whatever else she wants (cheese, yogurt, a little dessert, etc.) Not sure what age they can reason through this, definitely by 2.5 yrs, for sure, probably earlier, it's hard to remember!) It really seems, though, that she has made some good progress with eating new things. You do such a great job of sticking with it and preservering in introducing and re-introducing foods with her. Her progress is due to your great parenting. Congrats!
I agree with the previous post. Give them what you are eating unless it is something they cannot chew or is too spicy. I was doing the same thing fixing something different for Hudson when he was little until I had the same epiphany – 'I can't keep doing this!' He adapted pretty well. I gradually shifted Hudson over to our meals by giving him a little of what we were eating and a little bit of something I knew he would eat like cheese, fruit, or tomatoes. Then gradually he got more of our food and less of 'his food' until he just got what we eat.We started that earlier with Emily and it has worked out well. If they don't eat their dinner or eat very little they will be hungry by breakfast. The old adage: 'they will eat when they are hungry' is true. I do make a few exceptions: once a week Randy and I just eat salads for dinner, so on that night I make something different for the kids. Some kids love salads, my don't – yet. Just use your best judgement based on what you are making. You may have to make a few concessions here and there, but in the end it will be good for them to make the transition to what you and Phil eat so you don't become the short order cook. Do it now while they are still young and won't remember 'the good ole days of mom fixing me whatever I wanted all the time.'
Thank you mamas for the feedback, it's very encouraging. I'll stick with my plan and see how it goes. "short order cook", that's exactly right! All i need is a little ding bell!
Look! I made a comment! It finally worked!
Speaking from the perspective of "the most finicky person in the world" (my own title) I encourage you to make her try new things. I can only remember 2 things I had to try as a child. One was "either eat meatloaf or leftover peas!" Well, the thought of leftover anything made me shiver (I was less than 8 years old!) so I tried mama's meatloaf and actually liked it! And now I can't remember the other thing she made me try, but I'm telling you, it's NOT fun being nearly 54 years old and being finicky! But I have a psychological block against trying new foods (real food that is, not desserts). I go into panick mode if someone that doesn't know my way of eating invites us over to eat! So, please make your children try new foods at least once or twice and don't fix separate meals for them. I say Mama was too tired to deal with it by the time I came around, so I guess that's why she gave in and let me survive on peanut butter all those years. Be the mama! I'll be praying for you! Love, Your Finicky Aunt Leah