3yo surviving on bread and fruit

[Peachyqueen]

I'm at my wits end. My 3 year old will only eat bread and butter, yoghurt, some fruit, crisps, gherkins, cucumber and very rarely he will eat porridge with honey. He's been like this for nearly 2 years now.

We've tried everything - offering, leaving food around for him to graze on, bribery (which I know is wrong), giving him a selection of food on a plate and letting him choose. Nothing works. He is incredibly stubborn and ends up shouting and screaming.

We know we haven't helped his behaviour as we rarely sit together and eat as a family. His older brother is autistic and is very fussy with food as a result, and DH has digestive issues which means we often end up eating different meals. We are trying to rectify this and sit at the table at least 5 days out of 7.

I honestly feel like we've ruined him for life. He used to eat everything I put in front of him - salmon and peas was his favourite - but he gradually phased everything out.

We do give him multivitamins to try and help. He is a healthy weight.

Is it time to give in and talk to my GP?

No you shouldn't talk to your GP. He's a healthy weight...my DD was the same. She'd only eat white pasta and cucumber...oh and chocolate pudding if she could get it.

She was like this for quite a long time. When she started school, she improved...being around other kids all eating their lunch changed her.

Oh and BIG tip. Never bring emotions into it. Never let him see that you care what he eats or how much of it.

That's the road to damage.

@FortunesFave

Oh and BIG tip. Never bring emotions into it. Never let him see that you care what he eats or how much of it.

That's the road to damage.

Thank you. I admit we are guilty of this sometimes as we get frustrated. We are trying really hard to do what's best but sometimes it's the hardest thing.

Is there any possibility that he may have ASD as well?

My DS spent 18 months eating plain pasta, weetabix and bananas as a toddler. I was absolutely at my wits end.
I spoke to a HV who advised me to take the emotion out of it, just serve him food and take it away again after a reasonable amount of time. Serve fruit or yoghurt as a pudding regardless of what he had eaten from the main meal. It was hard but worked. He is 6 and a half now and eats generally pretty well.

@PanicBuyingSprouts

Is there any possibility that he may have ASD as well?

This is constantly on my mind. DH & I talk about it often. At present we have no concerns and neither do nursery, but we are actively "monitoring" things. We are also aware that DS1's diagnosis may be clouding our judgement and that DS2 is NT. The food issue is the only thing making us wonder at present.

Make food fun again. Involve him in cooking simple pitta pizzas...let him handle the food and top the pizzas/spread the sauce. Let him help you bake and allow him to make a mess and get involved with his hands.

Remove the stress factor and make food an enjoyable experience like this.

At meal times, make sure you all sit together but don't watch him eat or comment...not to say good boy or anything...say not a word about his eating or what's on his plate.

Have fun conversation of course...but nothing about his eating.

Hi
how’s your son now ? Has he improved in his eating ?