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Who can my DS see regarding his relationship with food?

29 replies

airhostess · 28/01/2015 19:16

Hello, I have a 3yr old DS and despite introducing him to all foods and cooking everything from scratch since weaning I have the fussiest child.
Has anyone ever been referred or paid privately to see someone that can help. We are at our wits end.
Thank you in advance x

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NanaNina · 30/01/2015 00:07

I think a lot of posters have advised to try to stop worrying about your son's eating habits. I hope you don't take offence but I couldn't help but notice a few things you had posted and felt concerned. You mention in one post that DS won't feed himself but he's been told "As of February you will.....?" How can a 3 year old have any concept of what this means, even a bright 3 year old, and what does it mean?

In another post you say what your DS has eaten and it doesn't sound too bad, but then he refuses 2 meals at tea time and you say (and forgive me if I have this wrong) that he was sent to bed at 6.00 pm and in tears (was that you or your LO? I honestly think it is unacceptable to send a child to bed because he won't eat. Negative re-inforcement isn't going to work. You say you asked him why he doesn't eat and he said he "didn't know" - well of course he doesn't know, why would he - he's 3! Many adults can't explain their behavioural quirks let alone a 3 year old. Children are concrete thinkers and can't possibly understand this kind of question.

The other thing was you said "DS is fortunate in the amount of love he is given" (or words to that effect) but he isn't fortunate is he.....he's getting what all children deserve, the love and care of good parents. You are the fortunate ones to have 2 healthy children.

Look I'm sorry as I know this sounds very critical but your DS sounds SO much like my DGS - he is 10 and has been a fussy eater since he was 14 months old. He wouldn't feed himself till he was about 7 and even then he messed about (still does). The thing is he's not interested in food - at all - (unless it's sweet stuff) and messes about, taking ages to eat anything even now, and will use all sorts of distractions, fiddling with something/anything on the table etc.

I really hope you can relax and just not get so worried about your DS and I apologise in advance if my post is overly critical.

Violettadoesthekondo · 30/01/2015 06:56

Yes you shouldn't be sending him to bed if he doesn't eat his tea.

Have a meal and aim to not discuss food at all. Don't pass comment. Accept how little he eats. Don't offer crisps or chocolate.

fattymcfatfat · 30/01/2015 10:44

Dont offer junk, if he eats good if not no worries. He is a normal 3 yr old I honestly dont think there is anything wrong from what I have read. You are reading too much into his behaviour and babying him too much (feeding him) because you feel guilty.

justwondering72 · 30/01/2015 11:28

What the others said. Offer him real food (not chocolate biscuits, crisps, etc). Ignore hiw intake at the table, don't comment on what he has eaten or not, but encourage him to stay there with chat and other interaction - what we did today, what's hapening this weekend etc. Leave him to it. It's your job to offer, it's his job to eat or not.

Another good book is 'My Child Won't Eat' by Carols Gonzales. It totally took the stress out of having a fussy (normal) child for me.

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