Please - I need help

[OneGlamMama]

I am at my tether with my 4 year old. He’s an only child. I just need some help.

Since he was little we’ve had issues with his eating. When he came off milk, he has literally survived off of cucumber, cheese, tortilla chips, bread and McDonald’s chips. He will not try anything new, he won’t even pick it up or lick it.
However he complains he is hungry CONSTANTLY. If we try something new on his plate, he refuses to eat it, which stops his eating altogether for that meal as his mood changes. This is mostly at dinner time. We have tried to say if he doesn’t eat, he wont have tablet time or tv time.

And this is where his aggression comes out. He bites, kicks, punches and lashes out with his nails to dig in so hard that he can make you bleed. He is quite literally Jekyll and Hyde.

Preschool say he eats his packed lunch fine and he doesn’t show aggression; but at home it’s like a different story.

Do we go to a doctor? And say “hey my child literally abuses me, because he won’t eat”?

I do not know what to do. Anyone got any advice?

What do you do if he refuses to eat anything new? If you are then giving him foods you know he will eat this might be your problem.

Personally I would try putting both foods you know he will eat and new things on his plate at the same time and try the no pressure approach, calmly and kindly explain he doesn't have to eat it but if he doesn't there's nothing else. Same with snacks, same with every meal. Talk about how much you're enjoying the food and what it is you like about it but no pressure to make him eat it.

It's hard and frustrating when you just want them to eat. My DD1 goes through phases of this and now sometimes won't have a snack because she's not impressed with my two fruit options but rarely won't eat anything if her dinner - actually that's something you could try, give him a bit of control - would he like an orange or a banana for snack? In the end with DD1 I made myself relax about it - she wasn't going to starve herself, it was her choice how much to eat but it was my choice what she ate in that I decided what we having for dinner etc.

With the aggression, I'm not sure what best to suggest. I would hope that the no pressure on the eating front but solve your problem here.

I do the "if you try it, and you don't like it, that's okay" approach. He never does try so I say he doesn't get another meal or anything else. But he will cry that he's hungry over and over.

The worst thing is he has started waking me up just to tell me he's hungry and then trying to get him to go to bed when he's sobbing for food is awful.

It's so frustrating that he won't just pick it up and eat. I think I'd happy cry if he ate something new.

I think you're going to need some professional help with this one. I'm sure if you told your GP all of the above they would take it seriously.