I've probably posted in the past about this but I'm seriously definitely over this

DS (3.5yo) has not eaten properly since he was 18mths old. This is SERIOUSLY all he has eaten in the past 2 years
  • weetbix
  • yoghurt
  • cruskits
  • bread (with nothing on it)
  • milkshakes
  • water
  • sweet biscuits (occassionally)
  • chocolates (again - only as a treat occassionally)
  • scrambled eggs (only at Grandmas for some odd reason)
  • avacardo (used to eat lots, but now only sometimes)
  • banana (again if he's in the mood)


He hasn't eaten a scrap of meat, any vegetables or fruit (other than the occasional avacardo or banana). I've been waiting for him to 'grow out of it' or to see what other children are eating and want to try it, with out stressing him out about it. But i'm over it now. He is really really white and while he was a very chubby baby, he is now quite small for his age).

Today i tried to bribe him (not my usual preferred parenting method) but we nearly got somewhere. He was desperate to play in the curly tunnel slippery dip at Hungry Jacks so i told him he could do that if he just TASTED a bit of a chicken nugget. He was LITERALLY TERRIFIED of this chicken nugget. He was crying and shaking and it took me to talk him through step by step ("pick it up in your hand, put it to your mouth, bite a little, chew it, swallow it...") and he couldn't do it. It was like he just froze, he couldn't swallow. I stayed there with him for about half an hour (his choice because he wanted to do it so he could play) and by the end he could get to a stage where he could hold it to his mouth and nibble (as in literally scrape TINY bits in to his mouth). He played for awhile after that and enjoyed it.

I wish i knew what had happened to him to make him this way - he used to eat everything as a baby (although he was always quite particular about it being mushed up, he wasn't a big fan of finger foods).

In the past i have tried;
  • withholding the food he wants, and only offering him what we were eating
  • giving him what he wants for dinner (ie ONE CRUSKIT) and also a plate of what we were having
  • giving him what he wants and pointing out what other kids were eating
  • getting other children to offer him their foods
  • bribing with toys and food (ashamedly)
    • naturpath


I KNOW it won't last forever, I KNOW he won't freak out about a chip or a chicken nugget forever. But right now, I just want him to eat like a normal child!!!! I want to be able to have lunch at a cafe, or at someones house without having to take cruskits in my bag everywhere.

He is such an easy kid in every other way. He sleeps great (we co-slept for a couple of years, but now he happily goes to his own bedroom), he is well behaved and has great manners, he toilet trained easily (including nights), and he has accepted his little brother in to our family sooooooooo well - i am SO proud of him. The food issue is driving me BONKERS. And no, he doesn't know that. Today i've sat him down and told him how important it is for him to eat meat and veggies so he can grow big and strong and be healthy and learn lots of new things when he starts kindy. he just cried and cried. But i am thinking it might be time for me to start getting tough with him. Maybe he NEEDS me to take control of this one for him in a way??? He is terrified of food, and it makes me so sad

If anyone has ANY suggestions or personal experiences or advice, please please please let me know what you think?!!