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It is really frustrating - isn't it? :glare:
I have a few toddlers who ate FANTASTIC here - they gobbled up rice and beef goulash, rice and chicken stir frys, spaghetti etc and they were eating 2-3 servings each time.
Now they turned 3 and they look at it and say they don't want it.
:blink:
Hello? You were just gobbling it down and eating me out of house and home up until a couple of months ago and NOW you suddenly decide you don't even want to try a spoon of the exact same recipe?
:(
If parents would stop being so concerned about a child's eating at home and stop catering to them we would have a lot less trouble at daycare. Too many cook separate foods for the kids and adults instead of making the kids eat the family supper. If I thought I could get something better there are a lot of suppers I wouldn't eat either and I cook them too but the familly likes them so that is what we all eat.
I agree with you ladies who have experienced changes over a few years in the children. I am noticing that too and it never happened with my own children, so this is a whole new ball game for me. Taking care of other people's children is a different story.
But what do you do? I serve a protein, a bread and 2 veggies at every lunch meal, but my baby girl won't eat broccoli, carrots, peas, or any of the other standard veggie servings. I still put a teaspoon full on her plate every day but she won't touch them. I double up her fruit every day because of her veggie deficiency. But I'm frustrated. At least this little girl's Mom keeps me in the loop and she's having exactly the same problem at home.
But my little boy who won't eat combined foods has parents who cater to his every whim and he's gotten consistently worse over the past few years. When he started here he ate everything. These parents who give their children ALL the power are frustrating too.
My stepson, who is 13 is still the same way (his mom caters to him bigtime)...the kid will not eat a fruit or vegetable or any meat but chicken. But at our house we all eat family meal together (which he always drowns in ketchup to gulp down). Fortunately, our other 3 boys are fantastic eaters.
I have one child who started off as a really picky eater. Wouldn't eat anything that wasn't served at home. Every meal and snack was "mommy doesn't cook this, I don't like it". And he would point blank refuse to touch it. Not a bite would cross his lips. I don't have the time or the desire to cater to picky eaters so he went hungry for those meals and I would ensure that at the next meal or snack time he got something he would eat. After a few days I talked with his mother and she told me she can't get him to eat any fruit or veggies at home, no real chicken only nuggets etc. But she gave me free reign to tell him he had to try it. He was not allowed to leave the table until at least a bite of every food had crossed his lips. We started there and worked up to a couple bites etc. He is now only picky at home haha. No matter what I put in front of that child he gobbles it up faster than any other child and asks for seconds. He's usually done his seconds before the others are done thier firsts.
I've only been doing this a few months but as far as eating goes I've been lucky so far. All my kids eat whatever I put in front of them. In fact 3 of the 5 love veggies and fruit more than any other food. I do fruit and veggie platters for snacks a lot and they devour them so quickly! I cube some cheese and add some veggie crackers to the platter, they love it. The pickiest of them all if my son and even he's not too bad. He loves all the foods I serve but just doesn't want sit in one place long enough to eat it, but that's really a whole other issue :laugh:.
I'm dreading the day the truly picky eater comes to my house, I'm going to be so unprepared haha.