My ds seems to hate food :(

[themaltbycrew]

My son has recently started to look terrified at every meal. He puts the smallest amount of food on his fork and then bearly opens his mouth to put it in. With every forkful he looks like he could cry.

Everyday there is a new meal he doesnt like, everyday he spends forever at the table while his dinner gets cold.

He is 4yrs old and already one of the smallest in his class. I dont want to force him to eat as I dont want to create an eating disorder (thats if he doesnt have one already). Ive spoken to him and he says nothing is bothering him hes just not hungry.

All he will eat is fish fingers, chips and sauce. Surely a little boy cant live on just one meal.
What do you think caused this? and what should I do?

If he is that anxious I would let him have a period of just eating what feels safe with the option to try other things if he chooses to do so.

Keep providing other foods and get him to help prepare and serve the meal everyone else is having but make sure at each meal there is something he feels relaxed about.

He sounds like he is trying very hard to do eat what you give him so praise him for that and let him know you'd like him to keep having a little bit of other foods if he feels able.

Has he had a choking incident recently?
That can really throw a child mentally regarding food.

Perhaps you could look at pictures of food together and see which foods he would like to eat or try?

Perhaps you could serve fish fingers but add another food that he doesn't like and see if he will try it?

Perhaps do picnics of bits of food or make it into an experiment where you both taste foods and give it a tick or a cross on a chart about what you think about it.

I have a picky 3 yr old but he's gradually accepted the "try it, if you don't like it then it's fine." attitude. We go to to grocers twice a week and he picks out fruit ( won't touch veg except carrots) and has become a big fruit lover - it's melon at the moment that he cannot get enough of. We also cook and bake together alot now which seems to have encoraged him to try things.

It is really hard to not worry but keep calm. Leave the room if you can feel yourself getting upset or irritated. It could be just one of those phases but if you are concerned see your Dr.

Yep. I agree - let him have a couple of weeks of just eating that meal and nothing else. Perhaps other things on the table that he can help himself to/fruit bowl available etc.

Take away any focus on food at all for the time being - just give him the meal that he is happy with. Reassess in a couple of weeks and see if you can start offering something else with the meal (one thing at a time though).

I assume he's starting school in September - is he worried about that?

Thankyou for your replies, He has been in full time school all year, he will be 6 in november and moving to yr1 soon.
There has been no choking incidents or anything else food related I can think of so I just dont know where its come from :(
Think i may try the fruit bowl on the table Idea and give him fish fingers and something differnt to try each day...
Ill let you know how we get on.
Thanx again x