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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to hate having to decide what the bin eats every day

228 replies

3kidsinsane · 11/10/2021 22:11

I have 3 kids and it drives me nuts having to come up with things to eat that suit everyone for dinner every night. Guaranteed somebody doesn't like it. I feel that the bin is the best fed in our house. DD2 has texture, colour and shape issues with food (if they are "wrong" then it's in the bin) If I get it wrong once then that's the food off the safe list because she doesn't trust it anymore. The other 2 aren't too bad but have phases. I can't remember the last time we had something like a roast dinner where everyone was happy

OP posts:
Morph2lcfc · 12/10/2021 09:21

[quote Unsure33]@CeceJoyce

I don’t think people are denying the food issues but we should be asking ourselves why surely ?

What would have happened during rationing ?

And if it was not a problem then , why is it a problem now ?[/quote]
We don’t know it wasn’t a problem though. We only know now because people share things on the internet/ask for support help. People back then must have felt very isolated and thought they were the only ones going through this issue, there was also perhaps some shame so it wasn’t mentioned

FuckingFabulous · 12/10/2021 09:23

I know what you mean. I've got three dairy intolerant and two gluten intolerant people in my house, I've got two mushroom haters, one egg loather, one fish hater, one "chunky bits" motherfucking baby who ought to grow up, he's thirty fucking seven hater.....

Seriously, preparing dinner is such a minefield and there is always someone pulling apart their food looking for anything "suspicious" or "scary" . There are always comments on at least one article of food on the plate from someone. Usually flat out negative. And I'm a damn good cook. I know I am. Funnily enough, they'll all scoff down any dessert I ever make. They've not got an issue with treats.

The bin is definitely better fed than any of the people I live with. By their own choice!

Doggydoodah123 · 12/10/2021 09:24

I feel your pain. Deciding what to cook every evening knowing full well there will be some saga or another is slowly draining me. I don't know the answer but I can tell you I'm sick of making two or three different meals each night.

MolyHolyGuacamole · 12/10/2021 09:26

cereal is "a breakfast food" god help me if I have a bowl of cereal during the day. There's definitely more to it than just being fussy

Oof, this hit me. Worked with a boy with autism who kicked off because I'd eaten a hotdog just before 12 which made it 'the morning' and hotdogs are not a breakfast (aka morning) food. Honestly had a tantrum which lasted ages. I feel for you, hopefully you can get a diagnosis soon and get some additional support

MrsLargeEmbodied · 12/10/2021 09:35

i put lots of different things in bowls, that was the best meal, jacket potato and a choice of toppings, all on the table

MrsLargeEmbodied · 12/10/2021 09:40

the assessment and possible diagnosis isnt going to do much imo,you need to research making meals fun, take the stress out of them, picnic style

SixTwirlingTutus · 12/10/2021 09:43

@3kidsinsane

I have 3 kids and it drives me nuts having to come up with things to eat that suit everyone for dinner every night. Guaranteed somebody doesn't like it. I feel that the bin is the best fed in our house. DD2 has texture, colour and shape issues with food (if they are "wrong" then it's in the bin) If I get it wrong once then that's the food off the safe list because she doesn't trust it anymore. The other 2 aren't too bad but have phases. I can't remember the last time we had something like a roast dinner where everyone was happy
Have not read the thread but I hear your pain. My Ds1 has sensory issues with food as well, due to a number of SEN and it is driving me crackers. (as well as my day job I am a freelance food writer ironically). We had my godson stay at the weekend and he ate everything without fuss.

I am so tired. I am tempted to just feed him pasta with cheese and a vitamin tablet every day for a week.

SixTwirlingTutus · 12/10/2021 09:45

Now I am back to read the thread for tips. :)

ApricotShandy · 12/10/2021 09:51

@3kidsinsane

I feel like I need to expand. Im now used to this way of cooking. DD2 always has safe food available and I really dont make a big deal about food. At least once a week we all have something that's from the safe food list so she isn't always the only one eating her food. I suppose I just find it exhausting that I love cooking nice food but there is no point because I would pretty much be the only person that would eat it. I know none of my kids would starve but id just like to be able to cook something new and it be enjoyed.
I really feel for you. It's so hard. But this:

I love cooking nice food but there is no point... id just like to be able to cook something new and it be enjoyed.

This is causing you such anxiety, isn't it? I think you would be happier if you were able to let go of this. Invite your lovely adult friends round for dinner and cook nice food for them, and have that as your creative cooking outlet. I also used to get very upset when I had made something delicious and my DC dismissed it as disgusting. Now I know, they're just not the right audience. Kids have different food needs from adults, and their own anxieties are involved, but a relaxed dinnertime is so much more important than what the actual food served is.

Also I wanted to second the other PPs who suggested serving things in different bowls for people to help themselves to what they want and not have to have it all mixed it together. That approach really helped us too.

SixTwirlingTutus · 12/10/2021 09:58

@SpidersAreShitheads

Ignore the "if they don't eat it they go without" crew. They clearly have absolutely no idea about parenting a child with additional needs who has sensory or food difficulties. I've got two autistic DC and we've gotten to a relatively good point right now, it's a been a right bastard over the years. I could have written a list like you a few years back - I sat on the pavement outside my house once and cried with frustration.

Bit of a weird suggestion - do you allow electronics at the table? Or have a TV on? I know this is terrible blah blah but actually we found that the distraction worked a bloody treat! Without the complete focus on the food, and being distracted by a favourite show, my DC have gradually gotten better at eating. It might not work for everything, but for those borderline things it might help - and it might help with any anxieties which are present. Texture/sensory issues aren't going to magically disappear but distraction is a very effective technique which I rely on for all kinds of issues!

Also, you might already do this and if I've missed it, I apologise but I never, ever comment on how much they've eaten, or look frustrated with food that's left over. Expectations and demands ramp up anxiety in autistic children/DC with associated sensory disorders and it makes it even more of a battle. One of the primary presenting features for autistic girls is anxiety, and that typically manifests as control. Although it sounds as if she has sensory issues, it also sounds as if there's a lot of anxiety/control issues for her too. Anything you can do to lessen demands/expectations/anxiety will help.

You'll have to judge what works best for you re filling up her plate vs doing a help yourself buffet style. I used to get very anxious with a big plate of food when I was with my ex as he expected me to eat most/all of whatever was on there. (I'm autistic). My DP now doesn't give a shite what I eat, and I feel totally fine with a full plate of food now because there's no pressure.

In contrast, my DS will eat what's served onto his plate and not a mouthful more. We're only just venturing into buffet-style eating now - he found that quite hard. One of the things that is usually recommended for autistic children is a defined "finish" - no matter what task you are doing. That can make a buffet tricky for some, because how do you know when you're supposed to have finished? Not having a defined amount of food can be more stressful and provoke anxiety about how much you "should" take. Different approaches work for different kids, depending on their anxieties. It's worth trying both and seeing what works better.

Good luck, I know how hard it is. And do push for the appointment - my DS was diagnosed at age 4, but his twin sister wasn't diagnosed til she was 10. Girls get missed by the system because it just looks like fussiness and anxiety but there's so much more going on beneath the surface.

Interesting what you say about the distractions. I have experimented with letting DS1 eat at the table while on his devices at the weekend and he does eat a bit mindlessly and more goes in.
SpaceshiptoMars · 12/10/2021 10:09

Somebody upthread mentioned they'd been diagnosed with ARFID. I thought, what on earth is that, and looked it up. Thank you, it's revelatory. This TED talk on it, and how fixable it is with therapy, is stunning:

This psychologist treats the food issue as a phobia, and gets results 90% of the time with adults in one session. And at least 50% of the time with children - they can take a bit longer. He says he's treated over 4000 cases.

BoredZelda · 12/10/2021 10:11

OK, you haven't said whether your child has SN. Does she? If not, then that takes the piss.

A child doesn’t need to have SN to have issues around food. I have some textural issues with food, these can make me physically sick. It has been the same since I was a child and my mum dealt with it by making me eat the food anyway. She believed the kind of crap people here are posting about “eat it or go hungry”. I spent hours at the dinner table not eating a meal then went to bed hungry.

1forAll74 · 12/10/2021 10:32

You should stop messing about doing all different things to cook or eat for children. As someone else here mentioned, they should eat what is made for them, and that's it. Food wastage is not good.

Pinkprawns · 12/10/2021 10:32

She didn't eat dinner, still had breakfast lunch and bedtime snack (no other snacks though)

I think this ok OP, try not to stress too much. If DD can voluntarily go without dinner for days on end, it means she's probably alright!

Sounds like she eats lots of good foods the rest of the time.

I think give yourself a break, try some other foods for the whole fam, and as long as she's having a good lunch then she can choose to eat - it might be good to take the battle out of dinner for awhile, break the cycle! Don't make a big deal if she doesn't eat it, but she can stay at the table and chat. Then if you're really worried in a month or so then maybe tentatively go back to offering options.

banivani · 12/10/2021 10:36

OP, YANBU.

I've had a child like yours. Hunger does not work, unless possibly you're willing to wait it out for weeks or months and I don't have the stomach (heh) for that. The hungrier they get, the more nauseous they feel and eating becomes even more difficult.

I always pop on these threads to recommend a series of youtube videos on "kids trying different foods". My child randomly discovered this and the coolness of it being on youtube combined with seeing children who obviously were not keen on tasting stuff actually doing so tipped him over into trying some new things. I'm not saying it all stuck, but that slight shift in mindset was a tremendous relief.

We weathered the worst years by always having fish fingers in, or making some quick pancakes. The rest of us could eat whatever then.

Stroopwaffle5000 · 12/10/2021 10:44

@Harlequin1088

Yeah sorry I wouldn't be putting up with that. I'm in the camp of eat it or go without. I don't believe in making different meals for everyone in the household. You're not a restaurant. You'll drive yourself crazy doing this for the rest of your days.

What do you suppose children in disadvantaged homes/poor countries do? Do you reckon they get hung up on the shape of their food? Or do you reckon they're grateful for every morsel? There's your answer.

What an ignorant comment! Maybe read up on psychology and food before engaging in the topic, which you clearly know nothing about!!
MissCreeAnt · 12/10/2021 10:56

I think @halfsiblingsmadecontact has it spot on, aim for a mix of safety and control.

You've had lots of good advice and I think you need specialist help. In the meantime I'd suggest a 3 week menu plan to take the mental load off you a bit. Brainstorm a list of ok foods with DD2 and get everyone to write down their favourite easy meals. Plan out on paper some easy adaptations for DD:

  • easy veg subs eg salad, grated carrot
  • easy carbs subs eg bread, microwave rice, noodles, oven chips, crackers
  • easy protein subs eg plain baked meat, fish fingers, hardboiled egg, ham, tuna, cheese, prawns/seafood sticks, ?fridge raiders

Then cook what you want to cook, mostly, and adapt where it's easy. As long as DD most gets a protein, a carb and some veg/salad that's good enough, even if the combination looks a bit weird. And it's boring but a meticulous plan does help.

With DS (autistic) the easyness of substituting is important. I need to be able to say to him that it's no bother. He's usually keen to help and will grate his cheese or whatever. He is also in charge of getting fruit or yoghurt for everyone.

To our parents' generation it's hopelessly pandering, but these things were less visible then. My DH grew up as an incredibly restrictive eater,. He took the same sandwich to school every day and they never ate out, ever. His advice is don't shy away from giving your child strong flavours, but do control texture. Bake spices onto meat, or marinade in Nando's sauce for example, rather than making a wet curry or chilli.

MissCreeAnt · 12/10/2021 10:57

Shit sorry, wrote far too much Blush

Pbbananabagel · 12/10/2021 10:57

I was a fussy eater at 11, my mum told me what meals she was planning for the week and I decided which ones I wanted to share, I then had a budget to choose groceries for myself and had to make my own meal plan for the days I didn’t want what she was making.

Pbbananabagel · 12/10/2021 10:59

(And I had to make it all myself too)

Aisforharlot · 12/10/2021 11:05

I get it, OP. My kid has ARFID too.
Ignore the 'well she wouldn't get away with being so fussy in my house' sniffiness. They have no idea.

daisyjgrey · 12/10/2021 11:11

@AveryGoodlay

If I'm honest this is one of my massive overriding memories of my mum... Not the days out she took me on, the Christmas and birthday presents she bought, not the nice things she did for me... This is one of the biggest memories I have and it's not positive. Think about whether that's what you want in your relationship with your child. I assume you're an adult now? If so then you're obviously aware of where your mother took you etc. You're choosing to keep that memory so prominent. I have never met a single parent who hasn't upset (for want of a better word) their child. Imagine if that one time was the thing your child said they remember the most about you.

....that's not how childhood memories work...

redpandaalert · 12/10/2021 11:11

Have a late diagnosed ASD son and food is one of his issues. I rotate le the same basic foods for him for a month and served the rest of my family nice food and that helped. He did then start complaining about eating differently to everybody else… over the last 3 years I have slowly increased the meals he will eat. I do variations like we will have Mexican chicken and he will have plain chicken with the same sides.

School lunches a good idea it has helped and sometimes he says he ate something new at school and he liked it and then I try and replicate it.

I do still get frustrated. It has partly killed off my love of cooking. I always think will DS eat this when I think of what to cook.

lentilsandeggs · 12/10/2021 11:12

@MissCreeAnt gives good advice.
My DSD8 is nowhere near as fussy as your daughter but she is fussy and mealtimes can be tricky. I already compromise my dietary preferences to cook things she will like so it can be so frustrating when she snubs something specifically orientated to her tastes. One thing that finally worked for us was that I persuaded her to come up with 7 vegetables that she likes (one for every day of the week). We got there, though the last couple were definitely not on her preferences list. So now, at least, we have had an open conversation about her preferences and she accepts that she needs to make an effort to have a varied diet as she is part of the family and the rest of us need variety. And in listing out the veg she likes, I became a little less stressed that she is fussy and more relaxed that actually there are options to work with!
I am careful though eg if I make cauliflower cheese I will keep some cooked cauliflower aside so she can have it plain if she prefers. I pick my battles!
We used to be able to persuade her to try something new by promising her that she could spit it out if she didn't like it, but now she refuses. But you could try that. So we just focus on not letting her reduce the variety in her diet. I don't think we are in multi-vitamin territory but perhaps you should consider that?

BonnesVacances · 12/10/2021 11:17

DD has AFRID and we were recommended this book by the health professionals we've worked with as it's the one they use. Some good practical things in there you can do. It's not going to go away by itself unfortunately and they don't "grow out of it".

Food Refusal and Avoidant Eating in Children, including those with Autism Spectrum Conditions: A Practical Guide for Parents and Professionals
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785923188/ref=cmswwemrrmtdpp2ZSAAHGX4YY0WTH1G2C0?encoding=UTF8&psc=1

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