You know your child is a fussy eater when...

[melpomene]

You start wondering whether ketchup or popcorn can be counted as a portion of vegetables.

Your green wheelie bin is full to the brim with your child's leftovers.

Your toddler will only eat a banana whilst still in the supermarket (We do pay for it first). She will not touch bananas at any other time, however fresh they are.

Your other child's 'fruit eating' sticker chart has been gathering dust on the kitchen wall for 5 months, during which time she has not eaten a single piece of fruit.

One of mine eats no fruit either.

I do offer an alternative. I rarely throw food away and mealtimes are happy times (although they're teens now).

Haychee - how surprising to see you on a fussy eater thread.

Know your point haychee, but my dd1 starved herself for 3weeks before I gave in. Doesn't always work unfortunatly

melpomene - my dd had a phase of only eating beige food. Now there's fussy.

You want to puch folk who say 'Offer no alternatives - it's as simple as that'

You cartwheel around the kitchen when a meal is half finished

We compromise nowadays, she is 7 now. She was troublesome from 2-5 approx.

If you all really dont like to see them eat the way they do, then do something about it.

I HAVE been there, and its not good. Im out the other side and we can go to restaurants with no fuss or scene. We have family meals with no fuss.
It is worth it.

But if your all happy with it then fine, carry on. I will say nothing more.

2 days

Well I guess that shows people.

(Wonders whether to point out ds goes without eating for 2 days reasonably often just cos he feels like it )

My child eats fruit and veg happily the little sod will eat very little else though (toast, oven chips, waffles, yoghurt and occassionally cheese) - fruit and veg isn't the be all and end all.

My DS1 won't eat fruit either despite eating it by the ton for the 1st 3 yrs of his life. He really would rather starve than eat fruit but it isn't the only healthy food and he does eat veg.

You know you have a fussy eater, when they have had the same thing for tea for the last week.

You wonder if the sauce in pasta shapes counts as a vegetable.

You watch in awe as other children open their mouths for food.

Of course she didnt starve herself for 3 weeks! She couldnt have. Exaggeration or what? ?
She seriously had NOTHING????

YOu watch in awe as other children request food and actually eat a plateful.

You envy those who can say 'I worry whether my child is eating too much'.

Oh Haychee go away will you.

you are always amazed at how much chldren eat when they come for dinner and they think you are starving them.

Nothing, lost 3lb's and was dangerously underweight to start with. referred to childrens hospital after trips top doctor.

Has anyone heard of a child who, as a result of not eating fruit or vegetables grew up to be anything other than normal? I read once about a man who ate nothing but jam sandwiches all his life and is now 6ft something, healthy and happy. I know five portions a day are recommended but what dreadful thing will happen to our children if they don't comply?

YOu can survive on liquids for 3 weeks - fruit juice/milk would keep you going.

Children are hospitalised for refusal to eat and have to be force fed.

3 weeks isn't common, but it isn't unheard of.

What advice did they give you at the childrens hospital?

My fussy eater isn't actually my child but I feed him 15 meals a week and today although i know he likes what i fed him at lunch he still chewed it and spat it out then when i fed him dinner he chewed and spat that out too (did actually manage to get a few mouthfuls in before that though so dinner was classed as success) This has been going on for a min of 6mths and I am very consistant and I give him 3 chances then take the plate away, no fuss. It's not working.............. on the plus side he likes fruit just veg he wont touch.

Jam may count as one of five a day. lol

Surely that is going to lead to an eating disorder? I'll stick to my fishfingers.

Haychee and I are polar opposites on this subject.

I too can go out for a meal with no fuss. And have family meals with no fuss.

Do what suits your family best and gives you least grey hairs.

Children actually eat what they need, it's vey rare a child will starve themselves. Some kids just don't eat alot. Some kids like my ds would rather graze on snacks all day as opposed to eat a full meal.

My best friend would seriously only eat toast and digestive biscuits for most of her child hood.

She eats normally now and is fine.

Cut out her dairy and soya, turned out she had severe intolerances. Not too bad these days, still won't ever eat an evening meal though.

My friend's dd ate a petit filou for breakfast, a petit filou for lunch and a petit filou for tea for about 4 months. She's fine now!