Margot I do know what you mean. Easy when you are tired.
I cannot afford to be a stay at home mum but I only work part time - 3/5.
I used to worry about dd and food but she eats very normally and ds is getting there (although he tends to under-eat, I think, and is quite fussy). They both love sweets and I limit those and I limit juice and squash drinks but aside from that they tend to eat what they like, all in moderation.
I am sorry your ds is struggling a bit. You could think about other things that might be affecting him - tiredness, friends worries, bullying, etc etc.
At least you can watch out for these things and he is young enough for you to have a chat and hopefully he will tell you what is on his mind. BUT the good news is that possibly while you are looking into different areas of possible concern he will suddenly be fine!
If you think your ds does have problems that might come under dyslexia, remember dyslexia is a big spectrum and you may find he cannot really be accessed until he is 7. So in the coming months until he is 7 you may wish to watch out for any of the following areas of concerns.
www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/general-indicators-dyslexia
"Ages seven to 11:
Seems bright in some ways but unexpectedly struggles in others
Other members of the family have similar difficulties
Has difficulties carrying out three instructions in sequence
Struggles to learn sequences such as days of the week or the alphabet
Is a slow reader or makes unexpected errors when reading aloud
Often reads a word, then fails to recognise it further down the page
Struggles to remember what has been read
Puts letters and numbers the wrong way: for example, 15 for 51, b for d or “was” for “saw”
Has poor handwriting and/or struggles to hold the pen/pencil correctly and/or learn cursive writing
Spells a word several different ways
Appears to have poor concentration
Struggles with mental arithmetic or learning times tables
Seems to struggle with maths and/or understanding the terminology in maths: for example, knowing when to add, subtract or multiply
Has difficulties understanding time and tense
Confuses left and right
Can answer questions orally but has difficulties writing the answer down
Has trouble learning nursery rhymes or songs
Struggles with phonics and learning the letter to sound rules
Seems to get frustrated or suffers unduly with stress and/or low self-esteem
Struggles to copy information down when reading from the board
Needs an unexpected amount of support with homework and struggles to get it done on time
Is excessively tired after a day at school"
I think 1 in 10 people has dyslexia so it is quite common.
If you suspect that dyslexia may be involved pursue some help because it really is good to know and if not then at least you can stop worrying about that.
Good luck.