how the bloody hell do I get him eat?!

[Niknack]

I'm at the end of my tether with DS9.
After being a great baby food wise he's become a nightmare and it seems to be getting worse. I can literally count on one hand the meals he eats.
Tonight was just pizza, you know the little mini ones? But even that isn't ok now.
Too much tomato sauce apparently,
I just don't know what to do.
We are waiting for a paediatric referral as he spent some time with the school nurse working on bedtime anxiety last year and she suggested that he could be slightly on the spectrum.

[originalmavis]

Can he help prepare foods?

[Niknack]

The most I can get him to do is cake baking,
If something smells slightly different he's not interested. He's also a bit funny about touching things at times.

[originalmavis]

Maybe he might try building a pizza. Most stuff can be spooled on.

[Niknack]

Will give it a go with him.
I'm just a loss after another meal not being eaten. Feel awful because I've shouted at him for being silly and he's now eating another un-healthy meal of microwave chips and ham.
I feel such a bad parent

[balia]

Huge sympathy for you OP. You're NOT a bad parent.

What will he eat?

[Niknack]

He eats chicken, ham (but only certain ham that I have to get from a certain supermarket ) mash, carrots (tinned, baby)
Bacon, oven or microwave chips.
The yolk from an egg, gammon, turkey.
A couple of breakfast cereals. Apples bananas and grapes.
Doesn't like sandwiches so will have dry bread or a crusty roll. The roll can be buttered but not the bread.
Where's my toddler gone that would eat anything and steal peas of your plate?
Have a pandered to him too much and made it worse?
He decided last week he doesn't like baked beans anymore as well.
On my non working days will try to do chicken wrapped in bacon or chicken roast dinner but obviously it affects all of us as I'm making separate meals, we can't go out to eat wherever we want or have a family takeaway.
Friday's are a busy day for us working wise so tends to be something quick and easy, hence the pizza tonight.

[Ekorre]

The assessment process can be quite hard going on everyone, in itself and also all waiting, chasing appointments etc. You could ask the paed for a referal to a dietician. In the mean time it might be best to just let this go. I know it is hard, my ds has a lot of food issues (and going through assessment). The only thing that has worked is chilling out, giving him food he will eat alongside new things. Its hard not to panic when they reject a failsafe option, I know.

Could you have a chat with him about it all. Does he want to try new things? Could you come up with a plan eg if he will eat chips, would he try wedges? Baby steps are good to build up confidence. He may find the reassurance of the sameness of his favourite food very comforting, which is a good thing.

[Niknack]

Thank you
I do try and pick my battles with him as you probably know some things just aren't worth it.
I'm generally quite calm food wise with him but I feel we're going backwards with it.
Was told its 9 months waiting for paed appointment so we've potentially still 3/4 months ahead of us.
Obviously there are a few other issues but the food is the one that last getting me down more.
Bedtime is much better since doing the anxiety work with the nurse. He's calm but routinely still awake gone 11pm every night.