to start serving my child completely different foods/meals?

[Clementiny]

I have DS, 8, DD, 4, and DD, 2. DS eats a pretty good variety of foods and has many staple meals he likes - pie, mash, veg, spa bol, carbonara, scrambled eggs, gammon, roasts and so on. DD4 has autism and eats a very limited variety of foods and resists trying new foods. Because DD2 eats with her sister most frequently, she's slipped into the habit of wanting the same as her to eat but now she's becoming bored of the same repetitive things.

DD2 has barely eaten anything at all during the evening meal this past week. I'm thinking of serving the same meal for me, DH, DS and DD2 and hope that eventually she'll try it. As it is she isn't eating anyway so I figure it's worth a try but DH thinks it's cruel to suddenly chance her diet so dramatically. What do you think?

This is so tricky. My friend had the same issue...her DS aged 5 has Autism and her DD aged 3 does not. She had fallen into the habit of givine her DD the same, bland meals as her son because that's what she was used to making.

Then she realised she wasn't giving her DD the opportunity to try new things...so she switched it up.

I agree with you. Your DD is better off having the same meals as you, DH and DS.

Not cruel at all, giving her boring food she doesnt want is more cruel. Although loads of kids seem to lose interest in food around this age for some reason anyway.

I think you are making a sensible call. If your family staples are the foods you have listed as DS liking, they're hardly going to shattered her palate, sounds like pretty standard fare and the kind of dishes most kids do like. Good luck!

Of course you should do it