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Feeding a child


SaligoBay
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Soooooooo fed up here. What do you feed a 9-yr-old?

Won't eat cheese, won't drink milk, won't eat fish, won't eat egg yolks, will only have quiche or omelette if it has lardons in it. Any veg are a fight to get into him.

He says he'd like a life where you just didn't have to eat at all.

Can you really survive on bread and cucumber and a mouthful of meat a day? He's very very skinny, you can see his ribs.

SaligoBay, failing as a mother (as well as everything else)







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I had a friend whose son would eat NOTHING but breakfast cereal or white bread cheese sandwiches (without butter, and the cheese had to be coloured cheddar ie not pale) for many years - until he was in his early teens. It wasn't until he was taken to away matches with his rugby team that he started to eat in any way normally.

He has survived. He now lives near Toulon where I am quite sure he can't be eating white bread cheese sandwiches.
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I feel so sorry for you. I never had this problem with either kid. They both had things that they didn't like, but in general no problems. And I never have had.....touch wood, problems with any child that has stayed here either, even fussy ones, there's always the first time ofcourse.

Is it the school holidays, maybe, you should let him not eat. Only I wouldn't have any 'bad' food or drink in the house, if I was trying that, so when he gets hungry there is only nourishing things to eat or drink. I don't quite believe that an active kid won't refuel and would waste away.... I only mentioned this as when mine were babies, I read something that some researchers had given toddlers food choice and over a week, these tots had actually ate a perfectly well balanced diet.

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I take it this is your child that you have brought up. Have you always let your child dictate to you what he will or wont eat? I was brought up in a house hold that you ate what you were given or you went hungry! Our children have been brought up to eat what we eat(within reason ie spice,curry /hot) our youngest wont eat liver and the eldest pull her face at cabbage, but make a cabbage grattan and she is asking for seconds!
sorry to sound hard but when you have two good eaters it is hard to undertand, we have had friends of our children for lunch and they say idont eat tomato, cheese, salad, peas,etc and the list goes on with different friends and half an hour after lunch they are eating biscuit,cake etc .Put your foot down ir you will be making different menu every mealtime!
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Here are a few points that were mentioned to me by other mothers when I was having a problem with my son. He would only eat marmite sandwiches!

1. Encourage them to cook with you so that they gain an interest in the food. There is a book called Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes by Felicity Dahl (Editor), Josie Fison (Editor), Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator), Jan Baldwin (Photographer) ISBN: 0099724219, my nephew was quite a picky eater but loved making and eating food from this book. I'm not suggesting that you cook together everyday, but it may encourage him.

2. Play a game of taste tests by blindfolding and getting them to try small bites different things and guest what they are. Sometimes children refuse to eat something before even trying it, because they don't like the look or the colour.

3. Cut vegetables up very small (can use a blender, if necessary) and make a sauce for pasta. This one worked well with my son.

My niece would only eat 'dry' food (no sauces etc.) for several year, which gave my sister no end of headaches but slowly she has managed to expand what she will eat. I know how frustrating
it can be, especially when you have another child who eats everything, including what's left her brother's plate!

Good Luck and try not to get too despondent.
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>Soooooooo fed up here. What
>do you feed a 9-yr-old?
>Can you really survive on bread
>and cucumber and a mouthful
>of meat a day?
>He's very very skinny, you
>can see his ribs.
>

Dear SaligoBay

I was (apparently) just as disillusioned with food as your son when I was much younger - I grew out of it, though it did take years and years. I was very thin but very healthy. Now I have the opposite problem - pounds creeping on as I get older and more sedate. (Memo: must try to be less sedate.)
My son used to look just like the kids in the Oxfam posters - just skin and bone - still does at 28 - but he is still very healthy.
So, please try not to worry.

Sue
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SB, you have my sympathies. Child number 1 always ate everything put in front of him. If he played around, I just had to say, ok meal finished, get down. And that was enough threat.

I thought I had it cracked and felt very smug looking at my sister whose second child was a very fussy eater.

Shock with the arrival of my number 2. She has a very small appetite and a wide range of things she doesn't like. I tried the "it's that or nothing" technique (we don't allow snacks so that wasn't a problem) But since she's not interested in eating, it didn't bother her at all.

She's better if you let her have small meals little and often because she fills up quickly. She prefers food served with a sauce and she enjoys helping me cook. All this helps her be a bit more interested in her meals. But it's just not a priority for her.

My mum says I had to be dragged to the table screaming "not another meal" (she once tried starving me until I ate whatever it was I should, but she gave up after 48 hours.) I'm still alive.

Oh and number 3? She'd eat the plate too if she could. (with both hands )
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