Picky eater driving me crazy - rules in your house?

[HipHopHooray]

I really need a sanity check....

DS (9) has just sat down to another lovely home cooked meal, looked at it, announced he didn't like it without even trying it, and refused to eat a single bite.

I'm determined not to make this an issue as getting cross/upset doesn't work, but what do I do??? I used to let him have bread and butter so he wouldn't be hungry, but he is quite happy to refuse everything else and have that for dinner every night, so that stopped.

Tonight I told him he could only have fruit as dessert while the others had something chocolatey, so he happily demolished half the fruit bowl which is great but isn't helping him get a balanced diet...

What are the rules in your house? Do you offer an alternative?

Well I have a DS1 aged 10, 11 next week and we've just had a courgette stand off. He's been a faddy pants lately, but I've put my foot down of late as I want to get some nutrition in him. He will sit there and refuse, but I take no prisoners till he eats. I have given up sometimes, if he has eaten the majority. Buy he was getting too fussy and moany, he did go hungry ish so he soon learn to at least try a few mouhtfulls or else no tv, computer, x - box etc etc etc.

Eat what you're given or don't eat is the basic rule - I do accept that there are some things that my dc genuinely don't like though.

grants1000 - I don't blame your son for the courgette stand off, they're vile (one of the few veg I refuse to eat).

my dc are younger but the general rule is: adults decide what, dc how much. they have to give new things a good go (2 spoon/fork full) and I always serve something 'save' like plain carrots.

Eat what you are given or go hungry in this house too.

Although, I obviously try not to serve a whole meal of things that any particular person doesn't like..... so, for example, vegetables, there will always be a choice, and it will always include broccoli so my fussy one will at least eat some veg. ..... one dc can't stand baked beans (this is about the only thing we've ever found that he won't eat) so there will usually be an option of tinned spag or something if the meal involves baked beans. We will only have a curry on one of the nights fussy eater isn't eating with us - I wouldn't deliberately set a meal with nothing they will be prepared to eat in it, but that said, I'm not running a cafe either.

fusspot has been known to live on yoghurt, bread and fruit.

Stand offs are pointless DD2 is beyond stubborn and quite capable of living on fresh air, at least for longer than her soft hearted dad will let her. Also she BF past school age so she could and did cheat.

Long ago just got to the point of cooking boring food in one pan and mushrooms, peppers etc in another and chucking them in after serving her.

At least at 12 she realises she is a pain and is getting better. Weirdly despite refusing to eat cream sauce she likes chicken korma and the orange glup the comes with sweet and sour batter balls. She also limes medium Nados.

Maybe one day she'll even eat a pea, my DSIS does and I still find it wrong. She never ate anything green when I lived at home.

1. Eat what you are given or go hungry.
2. Do not complain about food.
3. Any persistent fussiness met with fun cooking time with daddy..... Funny how edible salad is when you made it....