Would like feedback on eating concerns with my son.

[rafiki]

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[Parrothead]

Let's see. He can have pancakes, oatmeal or rice krispies for breakfast. Add a banana in there and that is probably more healthy then a lot of kids in the world get.

 

Will he eat block or American cheese slices? Cheese, salami, ham or pepperoni on bread makes a sandwich. Any way to have him add another fruit to the list? What about a veggie with a dip?

 

Rice cakes for a mid-afternoon snack. Is he eating any kind of chip with the bean dip?

 

Dinner can be either eating what you prepare or he has to fix his own sandwich, cereal or fruit choice. Try to offer something he likes with each dinner.

 

Tell him that you will do things this way only until you have clearance from the doctor. If he has no allergies then he will have to try something new once a week. Take him to the grocery with you so he can read the descriptions of the various fruits. Let him pick one unusual to try that only he gets. He must give an honest opinion and if he likes it he has to add it to his list. I'd also tell him that even though he is only 7 he is making things difficult for you and for his future wife by not having a variety of foods to choose from.

 

I'd also tell him that he has to eat 3 meals and one snack every day. If he wants to skip meals and become moody then he has to spend his mood in his room where he won't inflict it on the rest of the family.

 

Something else came to mind after re-reading your post. Could this be a call for attention? Is he the only one of the siblings to have only one food allergy? Maybe he is trying to get your attention through food.

[NevadaRabbit]

This sounds very much like my dd (10). She has sensory issues which contribute to her pickiness, including sensitivity to texture, flavor, and difficulty recognizing hunger/satiety. She gets downright ugly when she is in need of food, but sometimes convincing her of that is an exercise in :banghead:. She eats small amounts of a limited repertoire, but she is healthy, growing, and intelligent - so I deal. :)

 

Step back a bit. How's his color, his physique, his activity level, his general health? Is he sick, weak, tired? Or healthy and alert and bright-eyed and active?

 

Given that you know what will happen if he skips meals, I'd set some guidelines and teach him how to prepare the foods he does like. [i see no reason to be hard-nosed with a kid who is wired like this. If I had a dime for all the times I've heard "stop spoiling her, she'll eat when she's hungry," I'd be rich and my daughter would have starved long ago. Nor do I see any reason to prevent the rest of us who do enjoy more variety from enjoying what [i]we[/i] like.] I keep a stash of foods she likes, and if she doesn't like dinner, I help her choose something else. You can encourage him to be more well-rounded in his choices by allowing him to choose a certain food only once a day - no PB&J for bkfst, lunch and dinner!

 

Re allergies - is he showing symptoms of food allergy or intolerance? Rashes, hives, swelling, upset tummy/gassiness, skitters?

[PamJH]

Have to agree with Parrothead. If there are no allergies and the doctors rule out other problems, then Parrot's program sounds reasonable to me.

 

My kids are both vegetarians. I told them that was fine, but since they're old enough to cook, they'll have to put together a lot of meals. My daughter has discovered that she loves to cook, so that's a bonus. The same daughter was toying with the idea of being a vegan, but I put a halt to that simply because it's too hard for the rest of us. I also don't want to serve separate meals to different people. Too much cooking time even if she helps.

 

My 13-year-old nephew decided years ago that all he'd eat are mac and cheese, cereal, a certain kind of hotdog and peanut butter sandwiches. Now and then he'll deign to eat spaghetti. My sister went along with it because she said it was easier than arguing with him. Now his food preferences run the household.

 

I agree some people have sensory issues. I have an SIL who can't stand certain fabrics against her skin and doesn't like the texture of certain fruits. Certain upholstered chairs also bother her. But unless the doctor agrees this is the problem, then I think a tougher stance should be taken. Gentle, yes, but tough.