Hello, just looking for any advice/ideas from anyone who has experienced similar or maybe can see things I might be missing.
Wasn't sure whether to post here so if someone feels it should be moved please let me know :)
My DS is just 12, and my main (but not only) concern is his diet. From the age of around 3 he went off quite a few foods and at 4 decided to become a vegetarian - this was completely his own choice, he wasn't influenced by myself or his dad.
From then his reluctance to eat certain foods became worrying, but I still thought he was just a 'fussy eater' and so did my family and health visitor. It never occured to me that it was so deep psychologically, and part of me hoped he would grow out of it, as MANY people told me he would. The other part of me however had a feeling that it would only get worse. I was right, as he became very controlling about what food he would eat.
We tried lots of things, but unfortunately I wasn't strong enough to completely stop buying the things he liked for long enough, and would never let him go hungry for too long. Typing that makes me realise that ultimately I am to blame for his issues :(
Now he eats the following - cheese on toast, cheese and tomato pizza (homemade usually), over chips, wholemeal pitta bread, cherry tomatoes. That's it for lunch and dinner. For breakfast he has cereal or an apple and grapes. Snacks wise he loves crisps, chocolate, ice cream and asks for these often, but I have to limit them obviously or they are all he'd eat.
Getting him to eat the meal items is a challenge, he frequently says he doesn't want them and will only have a few bites. He then says he's starving, and I believe him. He is quite tall, I think he's about to start puberty as his voice is getting a bit deeper and he's hormonal and moody, and his body must be crying out for food.
He is aware he has an issue, but says he can't control it :/ He checks labels for EVERYTHING he eats and it has to say it's suitable for vegetarians or he won't eat it. I have tried getting him involved in shopping, cooking, creating recipes, told him he can choose new ingredients to try - I can tell he wants to want to if that makes sense, but then he can't actually do it.
Don't want to drip feed but am worried this post is too long, but there is more to it and I have control issues over food too which I am sure have caused his. I feel so guilty and feel I haven't been a great mum to him in this way and want to undo this mess I've caused him.
Oh btw, he has seen several health professionals over the years who have been quite blase about this and said he's healthy and growing and for me to chill out about it, so that is why I have let it go on for so long as they insist the less pressure I put on him the better.
Thank you for reading.
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Parenting
Son has EXTREMELY limited diet & seems obsessed with ingredients
MakeThemEatCake · 14/06/2015 23:03
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