My four year old and food

[bakewellbride]

I just went to have a secret cry in the kitchen because my son asked for porridge then refused to eat it. He's fussy and every meal time is just work and effort. I just feel so defeated and wondered if anyone else feels the same. I hate it.

Fussy eating is so hard.

Are there any SEN or is it just usual 4 year old stuff?

If just usual 4 year old stuff then take a deep breath and reset.

You can try a carrot and stick approach.

Carrot - involve him in cooking. Let him taste the food as you cook it, grow some things with him etc.

Have a sticker chart for each meal he tries to eat some of. End of each week he gets some kind of treat (doesn't have to be huge)

Stick

The meal you present is the meal he's having. Concentrate on eating your meal and ignore any bad behaviours from him. If he doesn't eat - fine. He can have it for lunch the next day.