Congratulations!
Your baby eats absolutely everything you put in front of her? You must be the most talented parent EVAAAH!
How ever did you manage that?
Oh, I see, when you started her on solids you gave her a huge variety of fresh, healthy food and never, ever made her a second meal if she didn’t like the first? Because children should learn to eat what they’re served? Hmm. I thought I could just feed babies nothing but cream cheese for months and then throw a stalk of broccoli their way and it’d be all veggies all the time…. I’m such a silly sausage. I bow down to your brilliance.
YOU ARE A MASTERMIND.
Surprise! I jest.
You are not a mastermind. You simply. Got. Lucky. You lucked out and got a child who likes food. Zero credit to you and your ‘skills’. Sorrynotsorry.
You can stop doing your self-congratulatory dance every time you read about a stupid, lazy parent who doesn’t know why their child will eat nothing but rice.
You can also give up on the comments like “Fussy eaters are the result of lazy parents who feed their kids hotdogs all day long.” (cough* fuck you Curtis Stone* cough)
I am not a lazy parent. I simply got a kid who’s not that bothered with eating.
Not even hotdogs Curtis! He’s never even eaten ice-cream BECAUSE HE WON’T TRY IT. I once pressed a spoonful of delicious, creamy vanilla ice-cream to his lips and he snapped his head back like I was trying to force-feed him Napisan.
Some kids aren’t built to devour everything in sight. Some kids just don’t care that much about food.
Other kids have serious food issues that have ZILCH to do with the aptitude of their parents and everything to do with things like Sensory Processing Disorder. Some kids can’t stand broccoli because it’s yuck, but for other kids the texture of it could literally make them vomit. No parenting technique is going to fix that.
Some kids are simply wary of anything new. It’s apparently an evolutionary trait that protected cave-kids from poisonous plants and rancid meat (so basically, my kid is smarter than yours Curtis Stone, because he’s not going to die from chowing down on deadly nightshade).
Yeah it’s true, some parents avoid the nightly battle and just cook whatever their kids will eat and of course that makes those kids pretty set in their ways.
But don’t lump us all in that category, thanks. Most of us do all the things you’re doing. We offer a variety of healthy food. We don’t give in and make second dinners. We don’t argue and yell and make dinner a battleground. We do ALL the stuff that you think you’re so clever for doing. We do it religiously, we do it no matter what. Sometimes it doesn’t work, because it’s got nothing to do with the parent, and everything to do with the child.
So climb on down from your high horse and stop rubbing salt in our wounds, because no one wants a picky eater. It’s stressful. You worry your child isn’t eating enough and that they’re going to waste away on a diet of air and toothpaste. You over analyse everything you’ve ever fed them and at what point you got it wrong…
But I didn’t get it wrong. I didn’t miss the memo about how perfect parents get their kids to eat. My child is not wasting away. He’s just not that into food. It’s who he is.
And you know what? It’s who I am too. I’m a grazer. I always have been. I don’t sit down to a massive meal, I eat little bits all day long. Turns out my child took after me. Quelle surprise.
So, no, you’re not a brilliant parent and you don’t have the secret so you can stop all the faux-concern over my sub-par parenting skills. I am fully aware of what I’m supposed to be doing. Because if there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about getting a child to eat, it’s the parent of a fussy eater. Because, you know, we’ve read everything ever written on the subject.
Not all kids work the same way. Just like some kids laugh at farts and other kids cry every time you vacuum (my kid would be the former, not that latter).
Besides, if being a brilliant parent simply means doing the bleeding fucking obvious, then wouldn’t we all be brilliant?
“Don’t feed your kids junk food”, they say…..Ground breaking stuff.
Next they’ll be telling me to watch my kid while he’s in the bath.
Do you have a picky eater? Do you believe that picky eaters are born or bred?
Psst…. hop on over and like The Thud on Facebook because it’s lots of fun. You can also sign up for Thud Mail if you want to be part of the in-crowd. It’s exclusive, but I like you….
79 comments
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Oh gosh, this made me laugh. I have 5, 3 are grown adults now. My oldest, 3rd and 5th are all great eaters. My 2nd and 4th have always made me feel like crap with their eating habits. Bahh, my 4th, whom is 2, only eats mac n cheese or noodles, sometimes I can sneak things in but mostly he won’t even touch it. The mil always going on about what he should be eating ( like I don’t know or something) their father is a chef and I have worked in hospitality/kitchens all my working life :/
Well obviously your MIL would know SO much more!! Hahaha….
YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO WATCH YOUR KIDS IN THE BATH?! Well I’m really fucking this parenting gig up…
I know right!? That one tripped me up too 😉
Thank you! Loved this post. I am so sick of feeling like an inadequate mother because my child is a fussy eater. I related to you on so many levels. My child has never had icecream or chocolate or cake mainly because he would not even try it!! Feeling less like the worst mother in the world now after your article. Thank you
Born absolutely! I nannied for 10 years before having my own children. I had my nanny babies/kids eating spinach and brains and anything else I wanted them to eat…. My 1st born refused to wean at all until 12 months and would gag on everything except for carrots and courgette. He is now 9 and responds to the same foods like I am trying to poison him- even though I offer it to him EVERY DAY. He went for a week without eating a single thing when I tried eat it or don’t eat anything. It is sooooo BORN and not bred!!!
It’s enough to drive you mad isn’t it Kirsty! I just wish some of these judgemental parents could come around and give it a go with my child and see what their smug attitude does about it. They wouldn’t be feeling so superior at the end, let me assure you!
You are definitely NOT the worst mother in the world Tegan!
If I could stick a quinoa kale bliss ball straight down the gob of every other parent who says shit like “my kid’s behaviour has nothing to do with luck” or “if you spent more time with your child you wouldn’t have this problem” I might just scream. Just because someone has an easy time with their kid – doesn’t make them a better parent and doesn’t make anyone else worse. FULL STOP.
Loved this article and was bidding my head all the way through!
My first is the fussiest eater I’ve ever come across. I’m guessing peanut butter has some magical qualities because she’s still alive. Makes me so mad when people suggest things like hiding veggies in spag Bol – as if she’d eat pasta with sauce on it!!! We did have a win this week when she ate an apple with the skin on – my peeling days might be behind me!
My second is much better, but is also quite in awe of his big sister. So if she says its yuck – he won’t eat it either!!
Hahaha, had this same issue tonight Michelle. Plain pasta AOK. Pasta with sauce? POISON.
My eldest son is on a self-imposed white food diet. Yoghurt (strictly french vanilla), pasta (with no sauce), apple (must be red apples, white on the inside), bread (ok, that’s wholemeal), milk, cheese (it starts off white). It drives me batty. I just keep telling myself that no adult eats such a ridiculous diet and he will one day grow out of it. I can only hope!
Ah, it seems our sons are from the same food belief system. It’s actually kinda racist if you ask me. The coloured foods are delicious! Trust me!
I felt heap better knowing not only mine eating pasta without sauce, only red apple, not trying new things vice versa. Let’s just hope they will grow out of it!
You mean giving my kid vegemite sandwiches every day for school cause it is the only flipping sandwich filling thing that wont come home uneaten is wrong? Damn it.. and here I was thinking I had nailed this parenting thing. Bloody hell – you cant win can you lol. Never mind – my kid will hate vegemite by next week so maybe broccoli will get a look in then 😉 xx
That’s definitely what will happen Sonia. I bet broccoli is at the top of his list. 😉
They do what they do when they do and then they do it again. Ok, not a good sentence but you tell it like it is and I swear we mothers (and Im a grandmother too) worry more about the ‘food’ going into them than we ever need to. Case in point? Most of the grandkids have come unstuck at something and give it a go another time…one granddaughter would not have a bottle when she came to our house despite her elder siblings being fine with that…but she would wait until Mummy came thanks very much for her breast feed. She did give water from a cup a go, ate bits of fruit, chewed on iceblocks in summer…and thrived… so, it’s individual as the blue print that makes each of an individual.
Just stick on a plate or on the table and see what happens but no more guilt or ‘forcing food’ that for me, would always be a turn off. Saw some of that growing up and hated it. Love your genuine take on this. First time reader! Denyse
I think you’re exactly right Denyse. Everyone’s different and forcing kids to eat stuff they don’t want to eat will only make things worse. Just relax and know they’ll eat eventually. Hopefully… 😉 Thanks for stopping by lovely! xxx
Born! I have a picky eater and have tried my best to get her to eat all the right stuff to no avail. It made me so mad when I read what Curtis wrote. Love him to come to my house and try to get my daughter to eat better.
I think that’s a great idea. I think there are a few parents who would love to throw their kids at him and say “here! You give it a go!!”
What I don’t get is that if adults go on & off of food (I sure do, fruit in particular) then why are kids different? We are the same species…
So true Vanessa, and one of the most important things I was told as a new mum… babies are HUMAN BEINGS. Just like adults. They sometimes sleep badly. Like we do. They sometimes go off certain foods. Like we do. They sometimes get in shitty moods for no reason. Like we do.
Expecting them to always behave exactly like every other child is just like expecting all adults to behave the same. It’s not possible and it’s not fair to expect them to act like that.
I have a mix. My eldest was once a good eater but now is quite picky, my middle child will eat practically anything and then have what her siblings have left and my youngest is the pickiest. I can’t complain in regards to his pickiness however as he will happily eat veges and lives off cucumber, tomatoes, carrots and cheese so at least it’s not so bad.
As the (actual) pickiest eater in this house I don’t believe it’s bred. I’m slowly branching out and trying new things and (surprisingly) liking many and that gives me hope for my picky eaters.
Great job Becky! That’s like the best combo you can get with a picky eater – a picky veggie eater! 😉
One out of 4… Good odds I think … But I’m
Too lazy to care whether my kids like it or not .. Lol
Hahaha, that’s the attitude Natalie 😉
Brilliant post, I was laughing the whole way through because it’s so true. I had a baby who would eat everything including veggies and now I have a toddler who spits out his carrots. The more effort I make the less inclined he is to eat the food. He would live on ham sandwiches if he had his way.
Totally Denise! It’s like he knows when I’ve put a lot of effort in. The more special it is, the more he’ll hate it.
Great post, Lauren, but I would like to point out a factual error: ALL kids laugh at farts, not just some. (LOL)
Anyway, I’m one of those people who started off with salad-loving toddlers, and ended up with one (8 yr old) white food fan who can spot a shred of grated zucchini a mile away, and one middle-of-the-road 9 yr old who dabbles in all food groups.
The white food fan also loves a few strong flavours like marinated olives, feta, etc (salty theme, i think), and the other child is a huge fan of quite potent curries I make from scratch.
I also do a massive eye-roll at the experts who state that getting kids involved in growing and preparing food will miraculously turn them into vegetable fans. Nope. It might turn them into gardening or cooking fans, but sometimes it stops there, at least when they are little anyway.
I had the kid that ate everything, and I remember at mother’s group someone complaining their child wouldn’t eat anything, and I remember thinking to myself ‘oh, you just aren’t trying hard enough’. Let me tell you, I am SO glad I only thought that, and didn’t say it. Fast forward 2 months and overnight, my son decided he was vegetarian and would not eat ANYTHING. Every meal because a hassle, there were maybe 2 vegetables he’d eat. Hardly any fruit. To this day I still think it was punishment from the Gods for my vanity (the thought police are all powerful). He’s now a totally adventurous eater, eating hatted creations that some adults would balk at. So there you go. I’m definitely in the born camp (and given my 2 year old once held out for almost 2 days when I kept reserving the same meal – I cracked before him, he would have starved himself, if he had to), and there is no easy work around in a battle of wills!
As a baby, my first would eat anything. When she hit three, she refused anything green. My bad, right?
Yep – I have a 10 year old Son who has only ever eaten jam sandwiches and Corn Flakes. I don’t know how he grows. Still waiting for him to grow out of it too…
Firstly I just want to say I’m loving your blog! Secondly I laughed at Curtis Stones claims because my first was fussy and my second was not and they were both fed the same! And just recently we turned a corner where my 4 year old will eat dinner and the two year old will fuss over what on her plate. Maybe it’s because I feed them sugar cupcakes that they fuss?! Great post. Xx
Love this post Lauren. I wanted to reach through the TV and punch Curtis when he came out with that statement the other day and then I thought no, karma will come back to bite him and his kids will be rejecting his food soon enough. I did the same thing with both of mine, did what those “in the know” said to do and they ate everything on offer when they were tiny then the eldest went through a phase of being a bit picky but will now at least give things a try at dinner time but really isn’t the least bit interested in food at all and can not for the life of her sit still at the table, the younger one is getting fussier by the minute and it’s completely random as to what she likes and doesn’t on any given day – I keep telling her she is not doing my credibility as a “food” blogger any good at all, she responds with “I just want kid food Mum”! Spag bol it is then!
Oh God Vic, I can’t wait to see if one of his kids becomes a fussy eater. Wouldn’t that be the best karma!?
We have two children who both love food. In fact my daughter loved foods like coffee, olives, salami, anchovies all before I did as a child.
Our eldest was allergic to foods as a baby (allergic to carotene) and now even though she has outgrown the allergy won’t even look at a carrot, sweet potato or pumpkin. My son who had anaphylaxsis to foods didn’t care at all and would still try to eat as many of those items every fricken chance he had.
My biggest challenge is getting my 3 year old son to SIT at the dining table. He wants to run, jump off the chair, crawl under the table and knives and forks – forget it. He looks like an absolute savage. All while his sister sits perfectly still across the table from him giving him an eye roll.
We are awesome parents. It is the kids. They just don’t let us be the parents we want to be.
Marvellous words. Hurrah for you…”Its the kids” Love it!!
You are totally awesome! And I struggle to get mine to sit still as well. We’ve recently had to put him back into his high chair just so he’ll stay in one spot. Sigh…
So how does Curtis explain families with more than one child, where some kids are brilliant eaters and some or not. They’ve been brought up in the same house, eating the same foods with the same parents. Doh! It’s totally not breeding, it’s just the way we are, all special and all different. As hard as it is for celebrity chefs to accept, not everyone wants to eat everything (except me!) I think your doctor nailed it, as long as your child is happy and healthy, where’s the worry?
Exactly Sammie. Is he saying parents can be really good with one child and really shit with another? Idiot.
I’ve got a dream child that eats everything put in front of her! She likes spicy food, raw veges, pickles, all kinds of weird shit and I love it as it makes mealtimes a breeze! My husband on the other hand is the worlds fussiest eater so I’m hopeful it’s not contagious! I’m pretty confident the next one will be that kid that only eats a certain type of cheese slice and a milkshake for dinner….but hey thats a 50% success rate!
My 15 year was the perfect eater up until 2 then everything went to shit & has NEVER gotten better. We seen EVERY specialist under the sun, even a fucking hypnotist when he was 10. I have felt like the worst parent in the world over the years, like I had done something wrong, done EVERYTHING wrong & I still have moments of utter despair. How can he survive on bread, cereal, milk & snack bars! HOW??? Even writing that brings me to tears because I feel like I’ve failed him somewhere even though Inknow it’s him & not me. I’m a feeder, food is my way of showing love so him not eating KILLS me! But he’s fine. We have his bloods checked regularly & there’s no issues, he’s 6 foot, plays footy & is smart ( pity he chooses not to be). No his diet is faaaaaaar from ideal but I live in hope that one day he’ll eat a nice variety of food. And if he doesn’t! He’ll survive.
Oh Reannon, that sounds so tough! But I guess if he’s healthy that’s the main thing. I’m certain he’ll eventually eat normally. I don’t know many grown blokes who are fussy eaters!
I put it down to luck of the draw. Both my tornadoes ate everything as babies but since they turned 18 months old, they became fussy as all hell. Both now refuse to eat rice or pasta (and a myriad of other foods) – what kids don’t eat rice or pasta?! Miss T had her tonsils out last year and things have slowly been improving since then but Mr TT is a challenge. We just have to keep trying, not making a fuss, plodding through and know that it will eventually get better. They are happy. They are healthy. And I deserve a wine after getting through dinner time.
So right Tash, there’s nothing you can do about it, so it’s best to just let it be and have faith that they’ll eat when they need to.
So true :). Stupid arse people who think they’re experts on what kids are like with food. Damn you Curtis Stone.
I just keep with the mantra…. ‘As long as my kid is growing, happy and healthy, I’m feeding him fine’
Definitely Kelly! I went to our paediatrician because I was so worried about the eating and he took one look at my son (who was bouncing around the room like a Tassie Devil) and said “Your child is fine. Look at him. There’s nothing wrong with this kid”
I stopped worrying so much then. I mean, as long as he’s a healthy weight and has energy to spare, he’s clearly doing ok.
For sure. Next we will be worrying our boys are eating way too freaking much when they are teenagers. Do a blog about that when your bub is eating you out of house and home 😉 xo
Hilarious as usual Lauren. Part of me worries about the whole feeding kids thing. It seems like a big confusing mess of conflicting messages. I’m hoping that instinct will kick in when it’s time to do solids and I’ll figure it all out.
But I totally agree that picky eaters are born. I was such a picky eater as a kid. I wouldn’t eat cooked vegetables, the only soup I liked was tomato soup and I was very unadventurous with my meal choices, probably right up until I was 18 or so. My (younger) brother on the other hand inhaled everything. We were like night and day with a lot of things, including sleep. I now feel sorry for my poor parents and all the pain I put them through with my fussy eating ways!
I was pretty picky too. I barely ate meat and pretty much lived on potatoes. My husband was also pretty fussy (and had a separate meal made for him every night because he’s such a precious boy!). So I guess it’s no surprise that our child isn’t a big fan of food. Plus he’s too busy being super funny and awesome to slow down and pay attention to his food. Life is waiting!
Shitty parent right here who has given up the battle on most nights. I was a fussy eater until I started traveling but I have nothing on my son. Used to eat it all until he was about 18months and then refused it all. We have a rotation of sausages, butter sandwich (that’s right, just butter) and chips. Fruit squeeze snacks and a couple of other things. Won’t eat ice cream either but is a chocoholic! I have my fingers crossed for the next one.
I figure that karma comes into play here Karin and seeing as you and I have picky first kids, the second kids will be total foodies. It’s only fair.
I kneel at your altar! One kid will eat anything, and the other is a breatharian. Same house, same parents, same meals served, same routines, but sure, I must be doing something wrong WITH ONE OF THEM. Love your work Lauren 🙂 x
Bahahaha, a breatharian!! I love that. I’m so glad I’m hearing from parents who have one of each, because surely that proves it has nothing to do with the parent and everything to do with the kid. Unless of course you are totally useless with just ONE CHILD!!!! That’s definitely it. Thanks Nicole xxx
I swear I mentally fist pumped all the way through this!
While there was some *shock horror* packet purees involved, I did so many things ‘right’. Different textures, flavours, healthy stuff – wholegrain, veggies and fruit in true form, veggies and fruit smuggled, low sugar, low sodium blah blah. My kid responded amazingly.
At 18 months the pickiness began. Now at 3.5, we’re clawing our way back. The other day he voluntarily ate RAW CAULIFLOWER. He’ll eat green beans and peas if you tell him he can leave the table after having some. You take your wins where you can get them.
Fuck all those smug idiots. They will learn. Or they won’t, But who cares? You do you, boo! x
This is so spot on Lauren, I too wanted to give Curtis fucking Stone a piece of my mind… what a wanker!! My eldest went from eating everything to eating only white foods – rice, pasta, chicken, bread and dairy. Won’t even TRY junk food (except chips, she’s all over chips ;)). Second child eats nearly anything you put in front of him ( but ironically has food intolerances so CAN’T eat quite a few things!).
You can’t make a child eat, and trying to force them will only cause more issues down the track. I’ll just keep offering all the healthy options and try not to freak out when she just has plain rice for dinner, for the 7th night in a row. One day they’ll eat!!
TOTAL wanker. And I used to really like him! But now he’s a smug sancti-daddy who is busy patting himself on the back because his kids eat fucking foie gras? Good on ya mate. You must be a genius. Probably should get a new job as a parenting expert.
P.S Never met a kid who doesn’t love chips!
I am a shitty parent and have 2 fussy eaters and 1 boy who’ll eat a sock if I let him. Great post.
I want a sock eater. Seriously.
I think he’s a bit right, and a bit wrong. I think SOME kids are fussy eaters, and would eat a lot ‘better’ (I guess that means healthier food, only at the times we want them to eat and so on) – and sometimes they develop their fussiness once they start kinder and become more influenced by others (my daughter is a case in point). Some kids are a breeze and eat all the healthy food you give them – and don’t like too many sweets, desserts, etc (ie, freaks of nature, but they do exist – my son is verging on this, so I sometimes wonder if he is really mine). And some have real difficulties, for a range of reasons, some of which you mentioned.
It’s like so many things in parenting – I thought we were perfect parents with the sleep patterns, with our son settling into a four hourly routine in the hospital, and sleeping for a solid 10-12 hours a night from about 4 months (except for teething, occasionally – which made us very cross), It was only a matter of teaching babies, right? Except when #2 came along, and threw all that out the window and it took a good four years or so to recover, It will be interesting when Curtis’ second child is eating more extensively – he might find things are different (or he might not – it depends a lot on the child)
Well that’s exactly it, isn’t it Helen!? Every child is different. Sure, some parents are a bit useless and make it difficult for themselves, but the vast majority of parents do everything you’re ‘supposed to do’ and still end up with a fussy eater (or a bad sleeper!) we can’t blame everything on the parents. Sometimes that’s just the way the child is wired and there’s nothing anyone could do to “train” them to be any different.
Holy crap you have to watch kids in the bath…!!!
I go with the old ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’ theory with kids eating.
Some weeks i’m super mum hiding veggies everywhere……. some weeks I don’t give a shit and it’s toast with Vegemite for dinner….on white bread…oh the horror!!
Haha, of course I watch him in the bath! Was being sarcastic 😉 You know, because these people say the most bloody obvious things, like they’ve cured cancer or something
oh lol I did get the sarcasm….I thought I had put a winky face tongue poking out thingy in there…which would have helped but my emoticon thing disappeared leaving just the exclamation points…technology and I are not friends at the moment…second attempt at winky face tongue poking out thingy…
;-P
You’ve nailed it. With my first child, I did the whole ‘organic, steamed, pureed’ home cooking palaver and gave him every veggie you can imagine. Fast forward to today, and his food intake lies somewhere between pasta with tomato sauce, pizza or any other junk food you can imagine. My 5 year old on the other hand, had store-bought baby food (sometimes), and non of the fuss above. She will quite happily live on crisps and broccoli. I hate meal times. HATE them.
Oh god I hate meal times too sometimes. Particularly because it changes every night. One night he’ll inhale a delicious lasagne and the next night he’ll push it off his tray like it’s rat poison. And it always seems to be when I’ve put a LOT of effort into the meal. All from scratch and delicious and healthy and a bit special – and he won’t even put a crumb in his mouth and I’m in tears because I’m thinking “if you just TASTED IT, you would LOVE it!!!”
OMG yes yes yes!!! I have one that would eat spaghetti bolognaise for every meal of every day and one who lives on Vegemite on toast! Yet every night I make them something new because I own every single damn kids cookbook on hiding veggies and then I end up reverting to the old favourites just to get them to eat SOMETHING! And both mine ate every form of fruit and veggies when I started solids… They just decided to start torturing me one random day!!
Same here Jacinta! He ate everything to start with and my family would say “oh he loves his food doesn’t he!?” And then one day just decided he couldn’t be bothered anymore. It’s not so much that he won’t eat anything, it’s more the amount he’ll eat. One or two mouthfuls is all I’ll get some nights. Drives me mad! But I have to just assume he’s not hungry and try not to take it personally 😉
I could kiss you for this post & I might even try to slip the tongue. My first child eats virtually anything. I have a little video of him at 2 stuffing tuna sashimi into his cute little gob saying “It’s war fish mummy. It’s ‘sheemee. I love it!” Oh didn’t I feel SMUG?! This is a kid that took an avocado-on-multigrain sandwich to daycare every day at 1 year old (before he was diagnosed coeliac – BYE BYE BREAD!) Fruit – no problem, the kid eats at least 3 pieces a day (doesn’t care for melons, that’s fine). Veggies? No dramas. Clearly it was my superior parenting that lead to this situation… Or so I THOUGHT, until son 2 came along. I attempted to introduce solids at 6 months. Well… At 15 months he FINALLY started to eat SOME food. At first it was apricot chicken. That was it. Then he went off that & discovered spaghetti bolognese. For a year, breakfast, lunch & dinner. Then he went off that, and ate nothing. I was still breastfeeding him out of desperation to get nutrition into him. One day on a road trip, where he was crying helplessly because be was hungry but didn’t like ANYTHING, we did something I SWORE I would never do. Hello McNuggets, you miracles. For 12 months that is all he ate. Chicken nuggets from the freezer or Maccas or Hungry Jacks. While his brother dined next to him on beetroot risotto, sushi, fruit & vegetables. Finally now, at nearly 4, he will eat a good dinner. He often skips breakfast though. Lunch is a struggle (today was half a cup of grated cheese & 2 twiggy sticks). And he still won’t eat fruit. He will taste it but literally GAGS at the sweetest banana or the most delicious grape. Hates it. Fussy eaters are BORN. The end.
Oh god Natelle that must have made you crazy with worry! But you can’t force them can you? It’s not like you can pry their mouth open and shovel food down their throat. If they won’t eat, they won’t eat. While other kids will gorge themselves on anything and everything. I find it particularly telling when there’s one of each in one family because it’s not like the parents got it really right with one child and really wrong with the other!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! My shithouse parenting skillz managed to breed one fussy and one NON fussy eater, so I’m clearly fucked at this parenting gig. The fussy one came second, so at least I had three years to pat myself on the back for being the best parent and role model ever before reality slapped me in the face.
OMG, you are my perfect case study! I was actually going to do a call out to see if there were any parents in your exact situation. Perfect first child and fussy second child, because it’s not like we can say you got shitter at it. Can we? Clearly it’s the child.
Yep. Did the same thing with them both. Definitely the child! LOL.
Yep – the child (we were the same – see my comment above). No wonder we stopped at two kids!
I’m the same too! Oldest eats all his food the youngest is so fussy! We’ve recently bought Fortune Cookies (true story) as a reward for those that finish their dinner. It’s a struggle and takes ages for 3 yr old to eat it. He’s even ate it spoon fed while he pretends he’s a dog on the floor. Whatever makes him eat it!
Then we just tell a white lie when we read out their message. “One who cleans his toyroom will have the most amazing day tomorrow” hahaha! Cracker post love xx
Bahahaha, I’m imagining you all on the floor trying to feed your ‘puppy’ 🙂