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daycaremom85 07:25 AM 02-04-2015
I have a child in my care 2.5 y/o who doesn't eat anything for me. He sits at the table and cries and screams, and even throws the plate on the floor! All because he doesn't want to eat. He goes a lot of days without lunch, he eats breakfast at home. I found out why he won't eat. DCM lets him eat a bag of donuts for supper, or string cheese, yogurt, fruit snacks, etc.... I will tell DCM that he didn't eat that day and she says "oh we will go to the gas station and get a snack!" Really?! There are no balanced meals and 90% of the week they eat out. She said she would start packing his lunch. I don't allow this, but gave in because I felt bad he was going hungry. Well day one of his own lunch consisted of a bag of fruit snacks, chocolate pudding, doritos, and a juice from the gas station?! Absolutely not! I told her she could not bring lunches anymore. I had a table full of kids asking why he got snacks and they didn't at lunch, that's why I didn't allow it in the first place. I am so annoyed and tired of tantrums at lunch time every day!
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jenboo 08:28 AM 02-04-2015
Just excuse him from the table. It's not your stomach that will be hungry. You cannot change the parents eating habit.
Don't stress over it.
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daycaremom85 08:51 AM 02-04-2015
I try not to, I should have figured I would be going through this with him because I watched his older brother when he was 2 up until he started school and he still to this day at 10 years old will not eat anything but "snacks". It drives me insane.
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Unregistered 08:58 AM 02-04-2015
If he is misbehaving send him to time out. He will eat when he is hungry. I wouldn't tell the mom about his meals unless she asks....
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Tin Blues 09:17 AM 02-04-2015
You can change what he eats at your house, but it takes quite a while.

I had a 2 and a half year old boy start with me when I first opened 5 years ago. Basically all he ate was carbs or snack items. Close to 97% of his diet consisted of those items and nothing else. No veggies, almost no fruits except applesauce or raisins, almost no meat. The 1st thing his mom did when she picked him up and buckled him in his car seat was hand him a juice box and a snack. This was at 5pm when we'd just finished snack at 3:30 p.m. The drive home was 5 minutes.

One day the mom let slip that this child's dad had gone through a phase when he was little where all he'd eaten for 2 years was mashed potatoes and rice. I knew I couldn't change what the mother did at home. I could terminate, live with a picky eater, or work on changing the child's behavior. That's how the picky eater plan came about.

Starting in July, I put one bite of each food group on his plate, and wouldn't give him more until he'd tried one bite. It could be one single piece of corn, one pea, or one blueberry. Didn't matter, he didn't get 2nd's on carbs until he'd tried a bite of everything. The message I was trying to send was in this house we try everything, we don't just fill up on our favorite thing.

It took until November to see progress. I had to be super consistent, very matter of fact, no power struggles period. No hovering or coaxing, a small amount of praise for success, but not too much. Not too invested or interested, just this is how we do it here. Rinse and repeat, every day. In November, I had a kid that was eating meat and fruit and asking for 3rds on vegetables.

This was the most severe picky eater I've ever had and I think something was a little off about him. Don't know if he had some type of sensory processing disorder or if he was on the autism spectrum.

It is possible to change behavior at your house, it just takes time and consistency.
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Leigh 09:31 AM 02-04-2015
You may want to consider using USDA resources to teach the kids about nutrition, they're free and they are good.Check out the 2-bite club materials:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-nutrition
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Rockgirl 10:08 AM 02-04-2015
I used to stress over whether they eat or not. I don't anymore....it's my job to prepare and serve the food, it's the child's job to eat it or not. Here, if a child acts inappropriately at the table (throwing a plate would fit in here!), they are done with lunch, and ready to move on to nap.
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Play Care 11:18 AM 02-04-2015
Originally Posted by Rockgirl:
I used to stress over whether they eat or not. I don't anymore....it's my job to prepare and serve the food, it's the child's job to eat it or not. Here, if a child acts inappropriately at the table (throwing a plate would fit in here!), they are done with lunch, and ready to move on to nap.


My regs and food program rules really prohibit *most* things that are suggested for picky eating.
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ColorfulSunburst 11:37 AM 02-04-2015
I have a boy who throw his plate on the floor during his first lunch here. I just sent him sleep after that. If a child doesn't want eat what is provided I allow him do that but don't allow any comments. He just need to wait when others done with food.
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cara041083 12:31 PM 02-04-2015
I have this same kid! He doesn't eat or drink anything while at my house. At home he eats chips or whatever junk he wants, when ever he wants, and drinks pop all night long. His mom even tries to bring him pop every day to my house and every day I send it back with her! At my house he has a cup of water or milk. If he drinks it great, if not then oh well. Same with meals. I use to make him a plate every meal and he would refuse to eat. Now when I am getting a meal together he flat out tells me "I don't want to eat" and I say OK and that's that. I still make him a plat, but I leave it in the kitchen and then he colors while everyone else eats. Its there if he wants it but I am not going to fight with him.
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Leigh 12:40 PM 02-04-2015
I don't fight with kids to get them to eat, either, but I DO educate them on why we eat healthy foods and what it does for their bodies. Just today at lunch, the first kid to the table told the other kids to "come eat because we need energy to grow and play!". We talk about how healthy vegetables are, and though they may not understand the science of it, having an adult put it in a positive light and make it sound important is a great help. We're planting a garden this year, and I can't wait for the kids to choose veggies to cook.
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kchlmom 09:40 AM 02-24-2015
I have a little girl 3yrs old who will just sit and pout at her plate. Never eats. When I used to tell her to eat something she would just look at me and glare. I have since given up. Mom says all she eats at home is hotdogs She has absolutely no rules at home and gets away with everything. Mom said she wont eat dinner with her and husband so she just gives her hotdogs every night and makes them their own supper. I just smh at some people! Te child is way under weight and size compared to other 3 yr olds here. Developmentally behind as well
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