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Parenting

Fussy eater at home - fine at nursery

6 replies

HairyMaclary1 · 31/08/2016 13:41

Does anyone else have a 3+ year old who is fussy at home but eats anything and everything at nursery? I've tried getting him cooking with me, which he loves, and being completely calm when he leaves his plate untouched. Nothing works and its getting worse. I give him two small snacks - morning and afternoon.
When he doesn't eat at mealtimes, he goes on and on about being hungry. I repeatedly make the point that he has to eat at mealtimes and refuse to give him anything apart from the small snack at its usual time. Then mealtime rolls around....and the self-proclaimed hungry child (who has been exhibiting all the typical hungry behaviours: tired, floppy, crying etc) refuses to eat.
There are some things he'll eat but anything outside of that repertoire, and he pushes the plate away. Even completely bland stuff. And always all the veg, even when I've coated it with cheese or mayonnaise, or ketchup.
It's totally doing my head in. His little sister (1+) eats like an absolute monster but it makes no difference to him.

OP posts:
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CarrotPuff · 31/08/2016 18:17

Don't give him snacks then. He won't starve himself, he will eat eventually.

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lifeisaconundrumattimes · 31/08/2016 18:23

Do you sit with him? When my son has something new I plonk it infront of him, say yummy and then I go back into the kitchen to sort out his drink/clean up. He sometimes fusses a little but will generally try things if I'm not hovering over him. He makes a point of not trying things that I ask him to if I'm sat next to him Hmm

I often give him very little on his plate at first except the new things/veg and I say I'm just making the rest I'll be in with it in a minute.

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isthistoonosy · 31/08/2016 18:25

I sometimes put things I know they are mad about on a shared plate and qe all start with that. Nothing like the 18mobth old shovelling all the food in to get the 3 yr old eating.

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boopdoop · 01/09/2016 18:33

Yep mine eats everything at nursery and is a bit fussy st home. Won't eat fruit at home but apparently eats it every day at nursery! And isn't very adventurous with trying new things (even things I know he eats at nursery). It does annoy me but I try to not make a big deal of it as I don't want food to end up a battle, I hope he'll just get better at eating at home in time...

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isthistoonosy · 01/09/2016 22:34
  • sorry I meant to say things they aren't mad about
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RiverTam · 01/09/2016 22:41

He is more secure at home and so knows that not eating if he doesn't want to is something he can do.

At that age I ended up doing a lot of spoon feeding whilst reading a book...

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