I am getting really desperate with Dawson's food choices as of late. I swore I would never be that mother that makes 300 different dinners, none of which for herself.
This is what he ate for lunch.. The picture of nutritious, right?
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| Peanut butter and saltine crackers |
Dinner I feel like I have a decent amount of control over. Dawson has whatever I make, a vegetable, and sometimes fruit. If he finishes it or eats at least the majority of what he is given, he can have something like crackers, pirates booty, goldfish, or graham crackers. He knows he has to at least try everything on his plate but if he doesn't like it, it's okay not to eat it. If I know we are having something he doesn't like, he usually has a Gerber toddler meal or something equally easy to fix.
Breakfast and lunch are another story. He has a snack drawer in the kitchen that has mostly healthy snacks. He goes to the drawer every morning wanting something out of it. Only REALLY unhealthy thing in there is unfrosted strawberry pop tarts (I see you judging me! Daddy eats them so of course Dawson wants them too.). Naturally that's what he usually wants. Probably once a week he gets his way. I offer to fix him eggs, waffles, pancakes, or toast and he refuses. Yogurt, bananas, muffins, cereal, and apples are ALWAYS in our house. Usually he will decide on something and then once he has it he takes two bites and says "Want sumpin else to eat, mommy." If I give in and get him something else, it's like we just rinse and repeat the previous routine. Lunch is the same. It usually ends with a very cranky kid and a frustrated mama.
Short of planning out his breakfast and lunch like I do dinner, I'm not sure what else to do? Does anyone else struggle with this, or is it just me?!
I deal with this EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. it makes me wanna scream! My son is 5 and is the pickiest child on planet earth. My daughter is almost 2 and she eats anything and everything. I know how it goes that you want your child to eat healthy, but then it gets to the point you just want your child to eat. No matter what it is...lol but I just take a deep breath and keep in mind that they will grow out of it!
ReplyDeleteAaaahhh! I was hoping for good news! Haha! The thing I guess that frustrates me the most is I know 90 percent of what he's offered he does like. It makes me wonder if he is just bored at home so he thinks he needs to eat. If we go out or go to grandma's, he eats everything in sight!
DeleteI am the mom who fed my kid McDonalds for a month because it literally was the only thing he would eat without throwing up. Fun times. These days, he still eats bad stuff first, but I found that by giving him the choice between two things (ie, Frosted flakes or fruit loops) he will choose one and thinks he is in control. My theory is that is all they want, to be in charge. I have to do the same thing with Alynn's clothes lol
ReplyDeleteThat said, I supplemented Drew's diet with a pediasure for almost a year to make sure he was getting what he needed. Now, we just give him kids multivitamins since he won't eat fruits or veggies. :/
You are not a bad mom for giving him what he will eat, as long as he is eating! :)