Thursday, August 26, 2010

A child cannot live on hot dogs alone, can he?

So Andrew has been great and cute and the tantrums have really decreased lately. HALLELUJAH!!!!! The next thing I am trying to tackle are his eating habits. Here is a list (very, very brief) of the things he will eat:
-Hot dogs, with ketchup
-Crisps (in American: potato chips)
-Occasionally a cheese quesadilla
-Rarely some frozen peas

On good days I can also get him to eat fruit: apples, strawberries and grapes

Pretty much everything else he refuses. I mean refuses!!! Used to eat yogurt-not now, used to like carrots-forget it, used to eat pretty much anything I gave him-that is now a dream gone by. Sigh....remember all the posts I've written about his tantrums? Well, that stems from his stubborn personality and it is now being imposed on food.

I'm sort of at a loss. WHAT DO I DO? I give him the opportunity to eat whatever we are having for meals bust 9 times out of 10 these days he refuses everything. Doesn't matter what I try...games, bribing, threats, punishments, happy praise in cheery voices, etc if he doesn't want it he WONT. DO. IT.

A'ight, so for the last few weeks I have just been offering him good food when it's time to eat a meal or for snacks and I've pretty much stopped giving him any hint of junk food. I figure he'll eat if he gets hungry enough so long as I keep offering him good things, right?!? Sounds reasonable.

Well, these week he has been sort of an angry nightmare and I really think it's because he's not eating enough. The kid is constantly hungry. How do I know this is the case? Well, because when he does manage to take a nibble of this or that he acts so much happier, he is is old fun self again. It last for about an hour or so then his body has used up the goods and its back to anger kid.

I think I'm being pretty darn patient too (as patient as I can be, only 2 1/2 weeks away from my due date anyway) so I am sending a message out there to all you blogger mommas!

Help me! Any suggestions? Any similar experiences? What should I try (if anything) differently!

Thanks, your in-put is appreciated!

8 comments:

Katie said...

Sam went through the same phase...but he kept growing and was healthy. I gave him gummy bear vitamins and a shake (carnation instant breakfast chocolate or some other flavor) sometime during the day so I knew he was at least getting the nutrients that he needed. And he loved them. Then I didn't stress so much over meals because I knew he already had something more substantial in him. The phase kind of passed but he is still a really picky eater. But still growing and healthy too...good luck! Sam and Julia have always loved fruit smoothies too and you can stick lots of good things in them! I miss you guys!

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain Em! Quintin is pretty much the same... I've decided though its not a battle I want to fight, esp with new baby girl here. We give him a vitamin too, like your friend, and I'm totally going to use her instant breakfast idea... genius. As long as his belly is full he is happy and I am happy. Maybe one day he'll try something new. Love seeing your family's fun adventures!

Anonymous said...

ps... what is it with hot dogs with ketchup?? It's one food in Quintin's list too. I feel better about it when I buy turkey dogs - more money but a bit healthier :)

cari said...

Anthony went through a similar stage and I just made sure that he got two sippy cups full of milk and ovaltine. I figured at least he was getting calcium, protein and enough calories to keep him from completely withering away. Hang in there, he'll outgrow it.

Info for you said...

I'd keep giving him what you make and stop any type of snack foods...but for his meals I'd make sure to give him something that you know that he'll eat. He'll figure it out, he's testing his boundaries again, sorry to say that it never stops :D
Reagan has been our worse when it comes with food and when she turned 4 we put our foot down and she has no choice now, she eats what I make. (some nights you don't want to be here during meal times!) It gets easier though, I promise!!!

Tiff said...

Oh Emily I couldn't understand more...3 weeks from my due date also he might just be eating what he finds on the floor pretty soon. Tye has NEVER been a good eater and his list of foods is pretty much exactly the same. Everything else gets spit at me or thrown across the room...it's great.
We've also tried the carnation instant breakfast drinks which give him something and I've put the carnation into smoothies so he doesn't just get used to drinking flavored milk. Honestly I don't have any great suggestions cause I'm looking for my own, but just known someone COMPLETELY empathizes with all your feelings!

Mike & Emily West said...

Thanks for the suggestions! Super helpful actually...I have started using carnation instant breakfast (which he LOVES...thankfully) and also gummy bear vitamins! Now I at least feel like he is getting some nutrients. It's a good feelings.

And Tiffany...we can do this!!! :-)

B Robinson said...

Hi Emily, I am a little late commenting here. One of the things that you mentioned is that you have cut back on "junk foods". That is a big thing. Only stock the foods that you are comfortable with him eating. If he knows that when you offer him carrots (or something) that a 30 minute tantrum will get him chips or a hot dog or whatever then that is what he will do. Don't give in! he won't starve. Keep trying new foods. Liesel hated most veg at first but loved muchrooms. Who knew? I have seen too many parents give up on veg all together b/c their kids wouldn't eat the 4 veg they tried to give him. Also, try different preparations. Liesel doesn't like cooked carrots but she will eat them raw etc etc. her picky eating phase (when she was 2 1/2 yrs old) lasted 6 weeks of 3 times a day tantrums. We were very consistent. A tantrum means she left the table until she could calm down, then she could come back (this would happen 6 + times a meal sometimes) after 2 weeks things were much better. 6 weeks and she knew we meant business. Now she eats what she is served. She dosn't always like it but she eats it.

good luck! cousin beth