I'd love some ideas on this

[Tinks]

My 8yo DD has become very finicky with food recently. Every time I cook something she askes a zillion questions. I have to go through where I bought it, if we've had it before, do I always buy it, will she like it thing every day.

She's at the point now where she won't eat tea at all. Tonight I made chops and veg then cooked up some curly fries in the hopes that she'd eat it. I'd never made curly fries before so the questions started. She tasted them and liked them but wouldn't eat anything. I tried and tried to get her to eat. It wasn't until she asked me if she could get food poisoning from curly fries that it suddenly dawned on me that she's not eating because she's scared of gettin food poisoning again.

We had a bout of food poisoning a couple of months ago from a cooked chook I bought.

She's fine with eating breakfast and lunch but just not tea, obviously because that was the meal she got sick from. Even after tea she doesn't ask for food like most kids would if they didn't eat tea. Before the food poisoning incident she'd eat anything I dished up.

Please please please help me. What do you think I can do to help her overcome this? I need her to eat her tea!

[*LittleMissSummer*]

I do think she has grown to fear getting food poisoning. I think subconsciously (sp?) she thinks if she eats dinner she will get sick again. So that would be why she has all the questions for you. I can totally relate to it as i got really bad food poisoning from porridge when i was 11 and i wont ever touch it again whenever someone mentions it i can remember how i felt.

Maybe you could see a counsellor or your GP, somebody who she can speak to and overcome her fear. Have you tried taking her shopping with you and get her to pick the food you buy so she can see that it is fresh and they are foods she is familiar with.

BIG for you DD it cant be easy for her

[ss_storm]

sounds tough I was a bit the same, although not to the extreme of your DD. I was sick after eating a couple of prawns when I was about 7 (I doubt it was food poisoning or anything sinister) and since then I just can't bring myself to eat them.
Hopefully with time and a bit of convincing she will be able to get over it, might just be something she needs to get her head around and realise that every dinner isn't going to make her sick. Will she help you prepare it? Maybe talk through food safety stuff with her and show her that you are doing everything you can to ensure you prepare healthy, safe meals for her.

[black_rose]

I agree, is there someone who can talk to her about it? If you have a good gp that could be a good starting point, as that who makes her feel better when she is sick, they can hopefully explain that she won't be sick again.

That's how I got dd to stop putting sultanas up her nose, he is the only person she would listen too.

[Mak]

Would she talk to you? Maybe talk about cooking chicken at home and make that the deal from now on?? Or perhaps get her to have something like breakfast cereal for dinner just to get her confidence up, so she knows it is safe?? Then you could work from there.

[mrsmac]

My cousin's DD had a long long phase like this where she lost huge amts of weight and was hospitalised. It was counted as an eating disorder but a fear one cause her twin was anaphylactic to nuts and she was scared she could die from eating. She was 8 when it started and it has been a long road to recovery. I will ask my cousin for tips on what helped, she was having psychiatric help and still is. I know its much more extreme than your DD's but its similar.

[Mother Goose]

How about getting her involved in making dinner? If she can see what's happening she might feel more at ease.

[Maruschke]

How about promising her that you won't buy that chicken from that shop ever again? Teach her about food safety and let her watch you do those things, washing your hands etc. Convince her that you have done everything you can to be food safe. Just a thought...

[Madham]

Maybe make it a special day thing that one child chooses what to have for dinner, for example get each child to pick a recipe and then take them to the supermarket to buy the food recquired for each meal. Giving them a day each to have there special meal so to speak, get her to help you prepare and cook the food. Maybe by actually selecting the food and purchasing, preparing and cooking the meal she will gain more confidence in eating dinner again. By getting the three of the to do this it wont single her out, as she may realise what you are trying to do and refuse.IYKWIM
Just a thought.

[~me~]

How about getting her involved in making dinner? If she can see what's happening she might feel more at ease.

I agree. I have a friend who ended up taking her little boy to a psychologist as he only ate cereal. They discovered he was worried he thought his Mum was going to 'trick' him into eating something he didn't like by hiding it in food.
So they have introduced foods that he can see and he also helps her with the cooking so he knows what exactly has gone it. It is working.
Perhaps even talk to her about you prepare the food as in washing your hands and so on so that she knows that home cooked food is fine to eat.

Hope things improve soon.

[RhiChiChi]

Would she talk to you? Maybe talk about cooking chicken at home and make that the deal from now on?? Or perhaps get her to have something like breakfast cereal for dinner just to get her confidence up, so she knows it is safe?? Then you could work from there.

Good suggestion Mak!

Was so thinking along the same lines - what she eats for breakfast or lunch offer her at dinner - hopefully she will associate that food with dinner then you can slowly introduce 'dinner' type meals

[Tinks]

Thanks heaps for the ideas!

Last night I actually did go through each item on the plate and explained how noting there could cause food poisoning. She did try the curly fries which surprised me and actually loved them but wouldn't eat the whole lot.

I will do what you've suggested and get her to help prepare the meal.

Madham your idea of getting her to pick what she wants and help cook it is great. I'll be doing that.

I had to lol at all of your food safety talk. All day at work I use my food safety training yet at home I don't even think about it.

[Tish]

How about getting her involved in making dinner? If she can see what's happening she might feel more at ease.

I was going to suggest this too

[~clover~]

Have you explained food safety to her?
Maybe if you explain food poisoning, how it happens & how you make sure it won't happen at home she'll feel better?