I make great food for the kids and I can get most of them to always eat and enjoy, or at least try the foods I serve. But what do you do with kids that simply clench their jaw shut and turn their head away? I'm talking like a 24 and 30 month old.

I mean, I can't pry their jaw open and shove it in. One girl is new, been here a month or less, 24months old. She comes in with pop tarts, cheeze its, etc. in the morning and I'm sick of it. I'm sitting here with organic scrambled eggs, wheat toast, kiwi, and she doesn't want to eat any of it because she's working on her chocolate pop tart....

So I'm going to have to put a stop to it.

So I guess I have 2 questions:

1. How do you get a kid with bad eating habits from home to at least take a bite of a vegetable at my house when all they do is clamp down and turn away?

2. Should I just take the bad breakfast away as soon as mom leaves and stick it back in her bag. Throw it away. Or tell mom do not send snacks to my house in morning?

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I get on their level, help them hold the fork/spoon holding the item they don't want to try using hand over hand, and tell them firmly, "Open your mouth and eat."
It usually takes a solid minute of staring them very seriously in the eyes and repeating it one more time, but they will. After that first bite, they are good to go and love it! They also trust my judgement when it comes to new foods and I never have to repeat telling them to eat.

First, tell Mom that she cannot send in food in the morning. When it continues (it will), put all junk breakfasts in her bag. Eventually, Mom will get the hint. I've even put refrigerated items back in the backpack to "save" for pickup.

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I have a no outside food rule. Exceptions.. baby food/formula, a child with food allergies (I've never had this but would let that family bring food in) and if a family wants their child to drink special milk.. such as soy, or organic. But it would only be white milk. Otherwise, you provide food for all, or your child eats what we have here. I've never had a problem. I don't even allow outside cups (mostly for spill purposes).

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I have a no outside food rule too. If they come in with stuff they either have to pass it off to the parent or toss it in the trash by the door. A kid came in once with a bag of nutter butters at 7a.

This is my "doesn't eat food AT ALL EVER" kid.

Today I made foods he sometimes eats like hot dogs, grapes and French fires but called them worms (thin hot dogs boiled to curl), eyes (grapes in water) and fingers (French fries). Kid didn't eat nothing.

It's been 2 yrs like this with this kid (kid is 3 and still gets a baby bottle at home, prett sure he has some issues).

I've stop giving any cares.

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no food from home ever...

if they bring it I take it and give it back to the parents and remind them.

Don't make an issue out of meal times. Have them sit with everyone and offer them all the same foods. If they chose not to eat then so be it.

They will give in and eat when they are hungry. I look at it this way. If there are children in other countries that eat a bowl of rice a day and are still surviving then these kids are more than surviving.

We can't change what the parents do, but we can do what works for us at our house. I would have them child sit for at least 15 minutes and if they don't eat the food goes in the trash. it becomes a non-issue. I bet you they will eat at the next meal.

I do have a rule that you have to try everything at least once. Some how I get my way with this rule most of the time, but if I don't then I just let it go.

It does stink to have to throw so much food away after every meal.

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I am a parent to a child with serious food aversions and medical reasons behind it. She is too young yet for it to be preference so I am going to give my two cents based on the feeding therapy we have checked into and used on a limited basis and what I have seen in care.

If you read much into feeding issues the basics are control and attention. They control what they eat and they get attention for the whole food issue thing. Once you remove that they eat. Often there are allergy issues, texture issues, sensory issues (especially smell) which are not known or not tuned into.

In a daycare settting, you offer, they choose. If they never eat it, so be it. If because they have seen it on their plate for a year they decide to try it win for you. If not oh well. After my experience with it (with other peoples kids) I am certain the more you fuss over the eat or not eat issue the more fuel you add to the fire.

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I do not make them try it... They can eat it or not. you do not eat there are no seconds then on favorite foods.

If I know a child can or will not eat a food like green beans I may have a 3rd choice so they can still have 2 veggies or fruit.


This is the story of why. I insisted this 5 year old try his green beans. He said I will throw up. I said no you won't or you will clean it up.... So he took a bite and as soon as he swallowed he threw up. No I did not make him clean it up. Year later I ran into him when he was a SR in highschool. Remember when you MADE me eat greenbeans and I threw up... I told him yes I remembered and never again insisted a child eat a food. That was not what I wanted to be remembered for year later.

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I don't make, but you don't get seconds on anything unless you atleast try a bite of the offending food.

PP- that happened to my DD! She will still thow up if she eats them AND she still reminds me of it every time I serve them!!!!

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I love nutter butters!!!

I put everything in front of everyone. Small portions. If they want seconds of anything, they have to eat everything. I have good eaters right now. I had some 5 yo olds for a few weeks this summer who would not eat anything!!! I finally asked what kind of fruit of veggie they would eat. The boy said oranges. That night I went to the store, bought oranges, sliced and served them with lunch. Boy took one bite and gagged. Girl said, "you're not supposed to eat the outside". I was amazed. I gave up, luckily, they were temporary!

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At the advice of some others on this forum, I have adopted a two bite rule. everyone must take 2 bites to try something. As soon as the first kid does it, I make a huge deal about it and get all excited about how I can already see them growing big and strong, and that their muscles are getting the biggest ever. This seems to work well.

As far as the bad breakfast- tell the mom not to send snacks if it disrupts your routine.

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