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Behaviour/development

Fussy eater

4 replies

sleepoverrated · 01/10/2017 13:59

Does anyone have any tips for me, I'm at the end of my tether!
My 3 year old has become increasingly fussy with food to the point where she now refuses to eat most meals I set down.
I've tried ignoring, bribing, coaxing, spoon feeding but 9 times out of 10 it ends in upset.
I never make a different meal and we eat as a family with my 9 month old but it is becoming a time I dread each day.
Yesterday for example, she had porridge for breakfast (breakfast is never an issue), 3 mouthfuls of a 1 egg omelette I made for her and probably 8-10 mouthfuls of pasta after much coaxing.
She had fruit in between that but I've tried to stop giving her anything else so that I know she is hungry (something she often tells me but then still refuses to eat!)
Any advice would be really welcome

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InDubiousBattle · 02/10/2017 14:03

No coaxing. Or bribing, or cajoling. I just put food down in front of my dc and if they eat it they do and if they don't they don't! I generally, but not always, include something on the plate that i'm confident they will eat. If I'm doing stir fry for tea, which they will pick at and rarely eat then I give them soup and cheese on toast for lunch which I know they'll eat. They sometimes get pudding, but I decide that before the meal so they don't have to finish their main or anything like that. Also, 8-10 pieces of pasta is actually ok for a toddler I think! My sister made mealtimes with hers a battle of will and it was a nightmare.

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skankingpiglet · 02/10/2017 23:27

I also put the meal down and let them get on with it. It's my job to provide the food and theirs to eat it. I also set a 30min timer as some days the 3yo will spend so much time messing around that mealtimes take forever. When the timer's done the plates are taken away. I don't stress or cajole, only occasionally draw their attention back to the ever diminishing sand and remind them to be sure to eat enough that they won't be starving waiting for their next meal. I do one meal but ensure it's not 100% something one won't eat eg DD2 won't touch avocado but if it's on the menu she'll get a portion which gets chucked on the floor, but I live in hope she'll eat! but I don't stress as I know she'll happily eat everything else. Puddings of fruit or yoghurt are available to those that have eaten >80% of the main (don't insist on finishing it, but expect a good stab at it), and proper puddings served once in a blue moon.

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sleepoverrated · 30/10/2017 12:38

Thanks all, it’s been much better the last couple of weeks x

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Obie4 · 01/11/2017 16:13

My nearly 3 year old is the same. I wouldnt worry too much after 4 children all going through this at variouse points i think its just a phase they grow out of and back into lol. As long as she is eating something i wouldn't worry too much. As the person before said, don't make it a big deal let them get on with eating it themself, it could otherwise turn into a way of seeking attention. seeing you all eat as a family is all the encouragement she will need. Xx

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