I see there is a similar message from another mom whose toddler refuses to eat anything but a handful of foods. My situation is a step further. My son has confirmed food allergies, and has always been picky. He doesn't eat junk, but lately he has a limited diet which consists mainly of fruit, turkey and cheese sandwiches, cereal, cheese pizza, mac and cheese, or nutrigrain bars. Aside from the deli turkey, he is almost exclusively a vegetarian and refuses almost all meat. Although I realize these foods aren't horribly unhealthy, I am trying to encourage him to branch out and try new things. Lately, we have been trying to stick to our guns and give him what we are eating. He is reluctant to try new foods, but if we encourage enough, he will sometimes try it. If he does try a new food and and doesn't like it, he will vomit immediately. There is never any crying or screaming involved when this happens. He always apologizes afterward after he vomits, and helps clean it up. I don't think he does this on purpose, but I can't stand to see him vomit, so I end up giving him the old standby- esp since he just lost what he has eaten. And so the cycle goes... He doesn't have any sensory issues or anything like that- he has always had a sensitive gag reflex, but it's just getting worse now that we are trying new foods with him. Most meat makes him vomit, although he has been known to eat a hot dog on the rarest of occasions. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to encourage new foods, or have a kid that is/was similar? Should I just let it go? I am at my wits end!
Vomiting is not normal. A sensitive gag reflect IS a serious sensory problem. Get a second evaluation. Some OT intervention might be just what he needs.
I would just let him eat what he wants. He will eventually want a variety on his own. But, if he vomits, that is worse than eating only a few things. I believe in trying new things, but if they make him physically ill, stick with old faithful. Good luck and God Bless.
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I agree with the recommendations to consider going to an occupational therapist to help desensitize him and get over that gag reflex.
But I also wanted to mention a few things that maybe you could do at home also to help desensitize him to new foods. Serve up his regular food and then just put one bite of the new food on his plate also. The first time, just tell him it just needs to sit on his plate while he eats. The next time, ask him to touch it as he 'circles the plate' - by that I mean he should touch it and then take a bite each of his other food but before he takes another bite of his favorites, he needs to touch the new food. The next time, it would be to smell it, then next time lick it, then next time take the teeniest tiniest bite he can do and wash it down with water. Of course, praise when he successfully does any of this.
When he gets to the tiny bite step, make it a game. Like, let's see who can take the tiniest bite and you do it also. And then 'Wow, you took a tinier bite than me. You won!' And praise him for swallowing it. Stick with the tiny bites until he doesn't wash it down with water, then praise him for that too. Then the next meal up it to slightly bigger bites and ask him if he can finish that small piece of food during the meal. Praise, praise, praise. Eventually, you should be able to put a normal size helping and he should take normal size bites. This worked for my son. I hope it helps.
Someone I know is in his mid-40's and has suffered a strong gag reflex his whole life. I don't think anyone knew about occupational therapy. He has an extremely limited diet and tends to avoid social events where people eat together, will not try new foods. So I can tell you what DIDN'T help him as a child: being forced to eat things. Power struggles became the main issue, and he never developed any motivation as a young person to try to solve his eating problems. His only motivation was to win the battles.
The other thing I can tell you that might be encouraging is that my daughter wouldn't try new foods for a long time but now she's a bit older (just turned 4) she's willing to try small bites of new things in exchange for dessert or special treats. She also gets lots of praise for "being brave".
I always let my sons help in the preparing of the food so that they saw what it was. They were usually more willing to try it if they have helped to prepare it. My kids loved chicken also. If you are basically not giving him a choice except to try the new food he could be stressed out about it. We would just give a small spoonful of the new food along with the regular stuff. If they liked the new food then they could have more, if not then they would of at least tried it and have the foods that they can tolerate.
Just let him eat what he is eating now. At least he is getting nutrition. I know you want him to try new things, all parents do,but the reason you are worrying about it is for YOUR sake, NOT his! At 3 yrs old why are you making food something he is going to despise? When parents get all worked up over food they make it an issue that kids WILL refuse to deal with by NOT eating at all. It is very possible that he will develope a complex about eating anything at all and then what are you going to do? Worry more, make it a bigger issue?
Let him go, let him eat whatever he can and will eat (granted not junk all the time). Goodness, if he has allergies and his food options are limited anyways, why refuse him what he will eat?
We parents need to learn when to lay off of our LITTLE ones! YES, I had to deal with this as well, I had to learn to let some things be. Do you feel that this is the moment in you and your child's life that you can't back down? That it is really worth all the frustration and anxity that it is causing for everyone at meal time? Honey, I KNOW your intentions are good, so were mine, but I had to let go. Our children have the rest of their lives to eat healthy, wear the right clothes and make the right choices. I'm not saying to stop being a good parent and letting the child rule the roost, but what I am saying is that to be a good parent you have to learn when to pick your battles..and this just doesn't seem like a good time. The day I realized putting healthy chicken nuggets in the toaster oven for my 3 year old while I was making my hubby and I black beans/rice and Mojo Chicken for dinner would significantly change the atmosphere of our meal was the day I came understand it doesn't have to be a fight everytime we eat. She's 5 now, she loves alot of new things, she asks to taste some of the things we eat and other times she doesn't, but she eats ALL of her meal and that makes us all happy. Then again, I also have accetpted that I am in the only one in the family that likes broccoli, squash, cauliflower, etc....
Good luck!
Hi Dawn!
I have two very picky eating toddlers and my husband and I have found that the more they help make the meals the more they will eat of it! Even if it was something we had made before that they absolutely wouldn't touch. Especially my 3 yr old, he loves eating the food "he" makes. It takes a bit to restrain yourself from trying to do it all and allowing for many messes, but my husband and I are too happy about them eating to care what the kitchen looks like after dinner!
Hope this helps and good luck!
A. H
Enhancing Lives - One Family at a Time
www.HealthySafeFamily.com
