3 years ago I first began introducing solid foods to my first born daughter, Sierra when she was 6 mos of age. I did it the way every darn parenting book and website said to. Small amounts first for her to get accustomed to the texture, starting with rice cereal, then working my way through vegetables and fruits. She turned her head and wouldn’t allow the spoon near her mouth. I tried just about every fruit, vegetable and infant cereal imaginable. I even offered chocolate pudding. She absolutely refused to eat. I assumed she had an oral aversion to the spoon. So I tried putting food on my finger. I tried and tried and tried. The frustration I experienced was incredible. So you would think I’d be used to it by now.
Sierra is now 3 yrs old and has been on a hunger strike for as long as I’ve known her. She would put Gandhi to shame.
Last night’s dinner was pretty typical. I cooked a meal, set the food out for the girls and called them to dinner. Brooke eagerly toddled over and screamed “Uuuuuuhhhhppp!” for me to lift her into her high chair. Sierra refused to come to the table. I turned the TV off and practically dragged her to the table kicking and screaming. “I don’t want to eat Mommy! I’m not hungry Mommy!”. (Yet 30 min earlier she was screaming for me to stop at McDonald’s for dinner on our way home). Eventually she got to the table. By then Brooke was 1/2 way through her meal. “I’m not eating Mommy!”, Sierra informed me. I asked her to try her food. She refused. I told her to try her food or go to her room. She happily left the table and went to her room. She came back down crying. I took it as a good sign. I was wrong, she was crying because the light was off in her room. I went upstairs with her, turned her light off and closed her bedroom door, telling her to come down when she was ready to try her dinner. I came back down and Brooke was finished eating and my meal was cold. I took Brooke out of her chair, and brought my dinner to the playroom to inhale while Brooke brought me book upon book to read. Twenty minutes later there was still no noise from Sierra’s room. I went up to her room and she was happily playing. My “punishment” didn’t work because to her it wasn’t punishment and she had no intentions of eating. I just about blew my freaking top!
I’m at a complete loss. I have no idea how to get this darn kid to eat. I’ve cooked just about everything on this planet. Sometimes she eats, most of the time she doesn’t. I’m stumped. Any ideas folks? Is it any wonder that my hubby doesn’t come home until almost bath time? I sure wish I could avoid the whole dinner scenario by hiding at work!
Oh and btw – it seems my favourite New Kid has a new blog post up – I love, love, love that he’s a blogger too! My “Get Your Head Right Ladies” post was track backed on his post, I wonder if he’s been to me site? That would totally rock! Hi Jonathan 
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Your brother didn’t mind being sent to his room either, as he would just play. Used to drive me nuts!
Sierra must be eating sometimes cuz she’s healthy and active! And I used to you a fussy eater! There is no point in fighting her – she’ll eat when she’s hungry, but you already knew that.
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Just provide her with healthy snacks. Becca will always eat, however Ethan quite often refuses. I *try* to not make a big deal of it and let it go.
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My daughter was the same way – she’s not that much different now, even though she’s 15. However, if there’s junk food to be had, she’s eating everything in sight.
Make sure you’re giving the kids a vitamin every day, some ‘fun’ vitamin. Then you won’t be too worried about whether they’re eating right.
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If you figure this one out, let me know. My five year old won’t eat hardly anything but candy, crap, and carrots.
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One thing we had to do was cut down on the snacking. With babies, you’re feeding them all the time and it’s hard to get out of that mindset (here’s a cookie, here’s an apple slice, here’s some grapes). It doesn’t always work, nut the solution for our kid is that if he hasn’t eaten in three or four hours, he’ll usually sit down and have a pretty big meal.
My oldest will still eat as much junk as he can. And if given the chance will hide candy for him to eat later.
Something that worked for me was to put him in time-out till he wanted to eat (no toys). He usually got hungry pretty quick then wouldn’t ask for a snack before bed. GOOD LUCK!!!
I think as long as you have no crap available in your house then when she inevitably does eat it’s going to be good stuff. She’s obviously healthy & happy!
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We ask that Owen tries everything. Even if he has tried before…because he has been known to change his mind. He used to hate carrots, now he loves them. But there is always an old standby in the meal that we know he will eat…rice, cucumbers, chicken…if nothing else he eats those. We sit him at the bottom of the stairs if he acts up. Nothing fun to do there, so sooner or later he apologizes and tastes the food.
We were doing the stairs – but since most meals I fly solo I couldn’t hang around to keep her safe, or the toddler/baby safe in the kitchen. One time Sierra was goofing around on her time out and fell down the stairs. I’m at a lost on how to discipline when she acts up ’cause I’m alone almost all the time with the kids. That said, I think my message about at least TRYING the food got through becasue with every meal this weekend she said she would come and try it and most of the meals she actually LIKED the food! Yay!
Thanks for stopping by!
Janice