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Post by vickia on Aug 22, 2008 13:10:51 GMT
Hi Guys, I'm here to ask for help.
Thomas has always been terrible to feed and only really got off 4 month baby food about 6 months ago. We managed to get him onto small lumps in food (eg, small pieces veg, peas, sweetcorn etc) gradually but he will not eat dry foods. He's happy to eat crisps, chocolate, sweets (jelly babies are his fav!) and raisins but thats it for dry foods. He won't even touch bread products (toast, sandwiches, crumpets etc), fruit, biscuits, chips, pizza, fish fingers etc (basically anything thats not slop). I find this really difficult to cope with and now he's even refusing small lumps. I know it sounds like I'm making an issue out of such a minor problem but believe me, its abosolutely soul destroying. I have to make meals that are easily mashed every night for the family (eg shepherds pie, fish pie, casseroles etc) which is not too much of a problem (although it does get repetitive) but for lunches he'll only really eat tins of spag bol, spaghetti hoops or pasta. This has been going on for so long now and I'm getting to the stage where its really getting me down and I just feel like crying every time I think of feeding Thom. I've seen the pshycologist who has just told me to persevere but we've been persevering for 2 years now and it not getting any better. We're going on holiday to Florida in Oct and I'm actually dreading going now because we'll be in the land of fast food and Thom won't eat anything. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me because this can't go on. He is missing more and more meals now because he's so fussy and I'm really worried about him making himself ill. On top of all his other problems this just makes me feel so helpless.
Sorry for the long rant and thanks for reading. Vicki xx
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Post by michelle1987 on Aug 22, 2008 17:25:56 GMT
aww sorry im no helo dd is 1 and eats everything she is the bin lol
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Post by lisajg on Aug 25, 2008 14:17:46 GMT
Hi Vicki, Do you know if you have a speech therapist in your area who specialises in feeding? There should be one that you can be referred to, Harrison saw one and she helped with tips on different textures to try and also trying food with strong flavours because that encourages chewing. There was a programme on recently about kids who are fussy eaters, did you see it? They said its 'normal' for kids to be fussy around toddler age because it's natures way of teaching them what is safe to eat, to differentiate between food and things they shouldn't eat - I'd never heard that before but makes perfect sense. Try not to beat yourself up about it, it sounds like you are doing great and Thomas looks v.healthy in his photos and not underweight. Can you take a few things with you on holiday that you know Thomas likes - then if he won't eat what is on offer you've got a few snacks hidden away and you won't have to worry about him not eating. xxxxx
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Post by Rilith on Aug 25, 2008 19:40:11 GMT
Holly wouldn't eat anything, with her being tube fed every meal time was a battle.
In the end we just plonked it on the tray infront of her and let her get on with it. Theoretically she wouldn't let her self starve.
Is it he doesn't like eating it, or he doesn't like to touch it???
Playing with the food might help, if he gets it all over his hands will he put it to his mouth???
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Post by claireyd22 on Aug 25, 2008 20:21:42 GMT
Hi, we have a similar problem with George but his problem is he won;t eat lumpy food. He always has a cooked meal at teatime - one that I've made him, I always cook his meals in batches, puree them and freeze them so that I don't have to make them everyday. Breakfast is either weetabix or ready brek but lunchtime is the real pain. He used to have jam sandwiches but would not have anything else in a sandwich but now he won't even eat them. Usually all he has for lunch is a packet of quavers, a yoghurt and some grapes or raisins or banana it all depends what mood he is in. We go to Lanzarote in 3 weeks and I'm taking the blender and little pots with me so I can make George some dinners that I can hopefully freeze. Could you do that or are you in a hotel? What if you take some baby jars with you, does he still like them?or the tins of spag bol etc and ask for them to be heated up when you go for meals. I know it can be a real nightmare when they won;t eat. George goes through phases when he won;t eat his dinners and I;m sure he would be more than happy to live on biscuits, crisps and cake! Good luck xxx
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Post by nikki on Aug 25, 2008 20:57:52 GMT
have you seen a dietian? we got refered to one because georgia wouldnt eat anything but yoghurt or spagetti hoops! she was brilliant. Now georgia eats everything that we have! she was about thomas' age when it started and the dietian said it was probably jsut a phase. xx
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Post by vickia on Aug 26, 2008 14:10:02 GMT
Thanks guys. It sounds like we've all had/got problems in our own little way. Thom is a little monkey with food. If I try to hand him a dry food (eg a biscuit or a sandwich) he'll try and knock it out of my hand. If I put it on his plate or tray he'll either pick the plate up and pass it back to me or just pick up the food and throw it on the floor. I've tried getting him to feed a dry food to a teddy or doll (roll playing) which he is happy to do and has no problem touching the food in question when we're playing but he won't put it anywhere near his mouth. I know Thom wont starve by not having dry foods but its so hard now if we go out anywhere. He usually ends up only having a yoghurt or something cos thats all we can take.
Here's Thomas' usual daily food diary:
8am - Milk & Weetabix and a small fromage frais or Readybrek with pureed fruit 12pm - 1/2 Tin of Spag Bol or Small Tin Spaghetti Hoops or simliar followed by either a yoghurt, pot of pureed fruit or custard pot 2pm - a small box of yoghurt covered raisins or packet of crisps (quavers, skips etc) 5pm - Main meal (either a casserole, shepherd pie or fish pie or roast dinner) mashed followed by a pudding (as lunch) 7pm - Milk and a small fromage frais
I think Thom is probably getting enough from his diet but even so I NEED him to eat dry things. We have seen the pshycologist who has said that its purely behavioural and to persevere. We have a new SALT starting next week so hopefully she'll be able to give me some more ideas. Its really making me stressed out at the minute on top of all his other probs.
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Post by vickia on Aug 26, 2008 14:13:31 GMT
BTW, I just thought I would add, Thomas is more than happy to eat paper, cardboard, carpet fluff, bath sponges, polystyrene, grass, sand, bits of plastic, nappy bags, tissues, baby wipes......just not ACTUAL food!!! aaaarrrgghh!
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Post by Rilith on Aug 27, 2008 16:34:19 GMT
To be honest hun, I would just give him what you have and let him get on with it. If he doesn't eat any he doesn't get his beloved yogurt and has to wait until the next meal. Its what we would do if they were (For lack of a better word) normal kiddies, we wouldn't put up with it basically. Temoer Tantrums or no temper tantrums, us Mummys have to put up with them in all directions. Holly has had some right paddys on me because I won't let her have a biscuit before her dinner, or I won't let her have a treat if she hasn't eaten her dinner. She gets treated exactly the same as her brothers and sister when it comes to food. But then again I am a mean mummy... LOL I am the boss not her
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