Hello!

Hi other mums , I have two boys , 3.5 and 2.5 yrs old – both overly fussy eaters and every meal time is a battle. They won’t feed themselves and they cry every meal time. I have tried everything , from getting them to help me cook to having a reward chart. It is very frustrating and driving me crazy ! Any advice is very appreciated! :)

 


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  • Don’t force; just give them the choice to eat it or not. Stay neutral, no attention to it. Do not offer something else when they don’t eat. In the meantime, involve them in grocery shopping and cooking.


  • Stick with what you cook and just dont let them win and once they start eating better you can try to get them to start to feed themselves


  • Your children might have food sensitivity.
    As a child I couldn’t stand certain textures in my mouth and as an adult, there are still things I avoid. Maybe they have sore gums or teeth. Could even be food intolerance so they feel yucky after eating and that is why they are crying. Try taking them to a dentist for a check up and if all good, go to your doctor and they will be able to run some tests and refer you to a specialist if need be. Keep strong, mumma! You got this!


  • If your child loves mash potatoes add cauliflower or broccoli and say it’s turtle food. Ninja turtles eat this.


  • One of my favourite mum friends spent a fortune at a psychologist and enlightened us regarding this “phenomenon”
    Very simply… kids are smart. If you are reacting … good or bad … they like it
    With meals, because it’s a big deal to you that they eat… you react and they have a slither of power over you
    The solution
    Serve the food. Any food, whether they like it or not
    Take on the attitude … I don’t care if you eat it or not!
    Set a timer for 20 mins.
    Sit with them and eat too or just chat kindly about stuff.. not food related.
    When the timer goes off, calmly take the food away
    Do this repeatedly for every meal
    They then get the message that you are in control and whatever they do has no power over you.
    It works a treat!
    Good luck ????


  • Just keep serving them what you’re having for meals. I’ve read that kids need to try new foods several times before they’ll like it


  • Aw, I see this is an old post. Hope your kids are good eaters by now !


  • Offer lots of foods! There really interesting comments on this!


  • I suggest offering several small healthy meals/snacks throughout the day; varying between finger foods and other foods. Hopefully they will start to enjoy their food again. Also; stick with your regular meal times. Try to get the enjoyment back into eating. This worked effectively for me. Best of luck!


  • yeah it is fun dealing with this lol


  • I would probably stick at it and keep trying.


  • I would just keep offering and not giving in by giving them snacks after meal time.


  • Are you children any better or still being fussy like most little kids?


  • Never make a big fuss and just keep offering it. They do eventually outgrow it. Sometimes they do it for the attention they get when they cry ect.


  • I would definitely let them go hungry until they try out new food


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