Hi all,
Need some advice please….
My 5 year old daughter who is in year 1 has been a fussy eater since the age of 2. She went from eating everything to now barely anything. This is what she eats in a typical day - cereal and smoothie, lunch would be a seeded roll with jam, yoghurt, veggie sticks, grated cheese and some dried fruit, dinner fish fingers, chips and frozen peas. Snack would be a lolly and some raisins - so anything plain and not saucy, her range is very limited eg pizza, chicken etc and it’s all safe foods (beige!). Most of the time she just picks at dinner and some days will eat like a bird!
She also likes to pick eg have a plate that has lots of different things on. Note she has a smoothie a day and very good vitamins and minerals.
I have tried everything to encourage new foods, however, we’ve been told she’s happy, healthy and hitting milestones so not to worry. Some people just like small meals, pick at food and aren’t big eaters?
Before Christmas she had episodes on the last 3 days of school where she didn’t eat lunch as she said her throat hurt - she then got a cough and sore throat so we assumed it was that. Christmas holidays eating was normal as above, some days good eating other days barely anything.
Returning to school this week has been heartbreaking and worrying. The main issue is that suddenly she has become very anxious going to school (loves school!) and says she doesn’t want to leave me - to the point of hysteria in the morning which is heartbreaking. Peeling a child off you in the mornings when they are hysterical is beyond horrific.
The school have been amazing but we have worked out it’s lunch that’s the main issue.
She doesn’t want her packed lunch and just wants a smoothie. She says again her throat feels like a fish is swimming in it at lunchtime and she can’t eat (anxiety related I’m sure!) she seems happier about school knowing she can just have a smoothie. Once again, eats fine outside of school.
The school are happy for her to do it this way for now and I said I’ll slowly introduce lunches again over the next week (small portions) it does help that this term they can eat and then go out to play instead of having to sit and eat all their dinner and then be allowed to play after say 30 mins.
Her teacher says she is happy once she is in school and they did some feelings work with her today and lunch and leaving me was the only sad face produced.
Also, she’s very head strong (red head) and I feel the more I encourage or make a deal out of something, the worse she gets.
Has anyone been through something similar? A present there feels there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you xx