Food aversion

[nothing2lose]

Trav, just a thought.... Is he interested in cooking at all?

Getting him involved in menu planning, shopping and preparing snacks/meals might help?

Similarly, growing veg might make him want to eat the efforts of his labour?

[Traveller]

Have tried all that, he loves to cook but still refuses to eat

[Rivlas]

If he likes bars etc get him to google ones he can make himself seeing he likes cooking.

There are some really good recipes out there and when he gets a base he likes get him to experiment.

[chody47]

Just a quick note from my experience. I remember in early high school I started hiding food, specifically my school lunch! It wasn't that I didn't want to eat, it was more that I was sick of my sandwiches and fruit. If I brought it home I got in trouble for wasting food. If I was caught throwing out my lunch at school I'd get in trouble from the teachers. In the end is bring it home and hide it in my room. When I had the chance (and no one was around) id sneak it outside and put it at the bottom of the compost heap. It was a awful lot of trouble. Mum found it once and told me just to bin it if I didn't want it. I think she also let me start to pack my own lunch. It stopped then for some reason....

[Traveller]

Thanks Chody, I remember doing similar but I think with DS1 it's gone beyond that point. He has made his own lunch since prep, he has a choice of sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc but he will only eat cheese sandwiches, will only take an apple and a yoghurt. He doesn't like kids yoghurt so we get the adult ones in a big tub, he is in control of how much he takes, which fruits (and we have a lot of options). But he has limited himself to just a few options and half the time he doesn't want to eat even them so he is left with nothing.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

Without letting your own early food issues cloud your judgement (which i am sure is very hard ) What is your 'mummy instinct' telling you? We can all give you advice on different approaches, hard nose, softly softly etc, but only you truly know your child and our instincts are very seldom wrong i'm a firm believer in going with my gut (but that's just me )

[Traveller]

My mummy instinct is that he has a psychological block when he thinks about eating and he gets anxious rather than rebellious. I know I need to set a better example so wr have discussed foods I want him to try and in exchange I will try fish which is massive deal for me. Hopefully if he sees me making an effort then he'll do the same.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

My mummy instinct is that he has a psychological block when he thinks about eating and he gets anxious rather than rebellious. I know I need to set a better example so wr have discussed foods I want him to try and in exchange I will try fish whicetdpjph is massive deal for me. Hopefully if he sees me making an effort then he'll do the same.

It's so hard isn't? We're trying to set an example for our kids whilst dealing with our own demons too and i hear you on the fish thing too - i force myself to eat it just so DD1 will too

[Pholi]

I see where you're coming from with the deal about you eating fish, but one *could* interpret that as making him responsible for your food behaviour, which is adding even more pressure.

[Butterfly Dawn]

I'm another food hider. Mum never listened to what I liked- just what she thought was "good" food. It got so bad that the teachers use to sit with me until I ate my lunch.
Could it be textures? some he can't deal with?

With my fussy eater, he gets a star if he finishes his meal (I give him small portions) he is super proud on days when he goes for 2nds.
Both my boys eat a 2nd dinner if they are up after 8pm, they get hungry- and 1 eats a huge dinner.
Perhaps its portion size related?

Its can be so tricky working these things out