AHHH dinner times!!

[LG]

Ok here's the situation! For the past 7 or 8 months DS (2yrs, 2mths) has become soooooooo fussy with his eating. Prior to this he would eat practically anything so long as it was mushed up. Since then his daily diet (i mean EVERYDAY) has been
3 weetbix for breakfast
a whole avacardo and a yoghurt for lunch
2 scrambled eggs and a banana for dinner
snacks are only dry cruskits, fruit bars and the occassional sweet biscuit or chocolate at grandparent's houses.
He has ABSOLUTELY refused to eat anything outside of this, despite me frequently offering him a plate of whatever we are eating alongside his scrambled eggs.
Until now i have been fairly relaxed about it. He is growing well, and i figure he'll eat properly eventually... A couple of years ago i probably would've said "well if he's hungry, he'll eat!" thinking that if the eggs weren't an option, eventually he'd eat what is avaliable. I have started to doubt this theory!! He was BF'd until about 3 months ago so i didn't worry too much about the nutritional side of things until he weaned.
Now the past few days he has started refusing his avarcardos and scrambled eggs This means his only savoury foods are weetbix and cruskits in a day. I'm also starting to think that his lack of trying different textures etc is delaying his speech development slightly. And besides all of that I AM SO OVER COOKING SCRAMBLED EGGS EVERY DAY!!! I think also now that he is ready and understands enough to comprehend that he has to start eating 'big kid' food. He eats no meats, won't even try cheese, or even hot chips or anything most kids would love - we go to birthday parties and he won't even try fairy bread or cakes!! He also won't drink anything but water (i've tried milkshakes, juices etc).
In 3 months he'll have a baby brother or sister and life would be a whole lot easier (for me) if DS would eat properly!
So, DH thinks we need to start a scrambled egg ban...! I am with him, but my issue is ... what to do if (and it's more likely a 'when') he refuses what we eat. I'm not really comfortable in starving him!! But i also understand the need to be consistent - there's no point in telling him he can't have a banana until he's eaten at least a couple of spoons of his dinner, and then an hour later giving him a banana without him eating anything else (this was nearly the scenario this evening - in the end he's gone to bed having eaten only a cruskit for dinner).
It's exhausting and frustrating and i don't know really where we went wrong. He was having a very varied diet and no problems eating until 7 or 8 months ago.
Has anyone got any advice or suggestions? Could really use some fresh ideas!!

[lilima]

Gosh, It is a bit of a tough one. Maybe speak to your MCHN and see what they suggest?
Good luck

[MantaRay]

Linds, my first DS was like this too (different foods but exactly the same story) until about 18 months. I got lots of advice from GP, paed, MCHN and paed dietician. The advice was all the same. Firstly, don't keep giving him the foods he likes. Give him what we are eating and if he doesn't eat it don't offer anything else. He will eat when he's hungry. Don't make a fuss about it, put it in front of him, let him play with it, make a mess, whatever, but don't get upset if he doesn't eat it. And don't push him to eat it. Keep meal times fun and happy. Like you, I seriously had my doubts, and like you, I was most worried after he had weaned (14months) as this was when I really thought he was going to be missing nutrients. Truly, it could have been me writing your post a while ago. Secondly, they suggested giving him pentavite vitamin drops - this not only makes up for the vitamins he misses but can also stimulate the appetite.

Well, you wouldn't believe it Linds. Really you wouldn't. I think they were right. A couple of months after following the advice given to the letter, one day I put a bowl of salad on the table. Of all the things I had offered hundreds of times and never had him show any interest in, it was salad. So imagine my surprise when he said "want some salad". And even more surprise when he ate it all and asked for more cucumber. We have never looked back since then. Now he eats everything. I would never have believed we would see the day.

So I guess the advice I have for you is that it can happen. And they do eat when they are ready. I recommend trying what we did and see what happens. I know how hard it is to do, as a mum it is in our nature to feed our kids. But if it works it's worth it, and apparently there's no harm done. Also, I am sending huge hugs to you because I know exactly how you feel. And also take comfort in knowing that you are not alone - this is quite common. Best of luck to you.

[Hoody]

oh dear hugs for you. i dont really know what advice to give you as i have not had this problem or know anyone who has. But i do sympathise with you i often get frusrated with my DD as she often wont eat dinner!! A normal day in my DD eating habits is as follows
B/fast- 2 weetbixs followed by one piece of toast with vegimite (often gets played with more so than does eaten)
Lunch- half a sandwhich anything spreadable (avocado, cream cheese, vegimite, tuna etc) A yoghurt and maybe some fruit and or cheese depending on what she has had for snacks through out morning
Dinner- what we are having or somesort of pasta bake (i make them up and frz for her 4 when i knwo she wont eat what we are having) and for the lazy days maybe a jar of 1-3 yr old food.
Snacks- fruit, yoghurt, sultanas (and dried fruit) cheese, crackers and maybe the odd treat of a sweet biscuit or chocky.
My DD is allergic to eggs and i often wish i could give her scrambled eggs etc as something easy!
well as i said no real advice but what i do hear alot at mothers group etc is to keep meal times fun if they dont eat dont stress etc. he'll eat when he's ready. Good luck

[Mum0809]

Hi Linds. I agree with MelanieR. DSD was the same but we let her keep doing until she was about 3 1/2. It became too much. Now she eats what everyone else is eating and its so much easier. Sometimes she won't eat it but I know if she gets hungry she will eat it. Your son won't starve so don't worry about that. He will eat when he's hungry.