Monday, June 15, 2009

Food Battle Royale

It's time for "Plan B" on the eating front.

I've written several times about the eating exploits of Big Brother (and, to a lesser extent, Little Brother): 1, 2, and 3.

While I appreciate your positive spin on Big Brother as a "discriminating eater," calling a spade a spade: he's picky.

This weekend, Mom-E and I opted for a major change in our approach, because what we were doing isn't working. If anything, Big Brother has been even a little more restrictive in his eating lately.

Not to mention Little Brother tends to follow the lead of Big Brother*, so it's not helpful to him either.

(*Except at daycare, where Little Brother will eat fish sticks, chicken nuggets, pancakes, scallopped potatoes, chicken pot pie, etc?!? Go figure.)

My mom would often fix separate meals for me as a kid if I didn't like what we were having. We're not going to repeat that for Big Brother.

So we went to the pediatrician last week to talk about this. In short, Big Brother is healthy and growing just fine (how I'm not sure?) (about 50th percentile for weight, so he's not starving).

We're just going to give him what everyone else is eating (which, of course, includes some things he likes. We don't eat a weird diet of seaweed and kelp or anything.) He can eat what he wants and refuse the rest. We won't make a big deal about it. Eventually, he'll grow tired of being hungry and will start to try some new stuff.

To give you an idea, for lunch yesterday we had pb sandwich (no crusts, cut into shape of dinosaurs), goldfish crackers, carrot sticks, watermellon, and chocolate milk). He ate the watermellon and milk (and a bit later the crackers).

If he gets hungry later, we'll offer to heat up his "left-overs." However, the rest of the crackers, chips, granola bars, etc., are all now on the very top shelf of the pantry where he can't reach them.

Being a precocious and logical future engineer, Big Brother's first strategy was to build a "tower" with step-stool and chair in order to reach the coveted items in the pantry. This attempt failed He sucessfully found one way that did not work.

So far, things have gone a hair better than expected. We've had some yelling and frustration, but a few signs of positive change:

1. He's not screaming continuously in protest of "yucky things" on his plate. He just pushes them aside.

2. We went to a wedding this weekend (more details in a future post), and he got the children's meal (chicken tenders and fries). He actually ate some of the fries. This is progress because he pretty much only eats fries from Chik-Fil-A, so, to eat "foreign" straight-cut fries is progress.

3. He ate 2 homemade waffles last night (albeit it was about 3 hours after dinner, before he went to bed). Again, he's had these before, but usually prefers the Eggo variety.

I'll keep you posted.

Have a good week!

Busy-Dad-E

P.S. Don't forget to vote in the "What Are We Having?" Poll on the upper right of the blog. Many of you have already voiced your opinion that it's a girl, but let everyone be heard. Mom-E and I will keep silent about this--we just want a healthy Bab-E.

7 comments:

  1. Thats great that you are seeing some change. Now, in regards to the baby's gender....let me get this right, you are going to find out, but not tell us? Now, that is not fair. Rosi

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Rosi: I didn't phrase that very well. We DO want to find out boy or girl, and we WILL let everyone know in a few months. What I was trying to say is that Mom-E and I don't want to come out and say "we want a (boy or girl)." I wouldn't want my child to read this blog someday and find out, for example, "I'm a girl, but Mom-E and Dad-E wanted me to be a boy." We want a health Bab-E, and will be happy with either a boy or girl.

    Right now, I think Bab-E is a girl, and Mom-E thinks Bab-E is a boy. Of course, I predicted twins the last 2 times (3 if you include Aunt-E), and I'm 0 for 3. All I know is it WAS up to me, and is now completely out of my control.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good luck with the eating. I live in fear our son will be a picky eater. I hope I never have to deal with that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So he ate the waffles 3 hours after they were served...that's progress! Good job Mom-E and Dad-E. I voted for a girl, but as a mother of 3 girls and no boys, I know that 3 boys is a good possibility. As you said, we just want a healthy Bab-E.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I sympathize with you and your picky eater. I have two picky eaters in this house and there are only four here. Your method is sound and should be successful. Good for you and Big Brother.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I feel for you on the picky kids. I just "fed" my kids lunch. The older one ate lunch(PB&J and grapes), the toddler decided she didn't want lunch today. I caught her sneaking pretzels up to the play room. :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am a picky eater. !/2 my children are picky eaters. Your approach is perfect. Do not be surprised if he doesn't come around, I never did. As long as he is growing he will be fine.

    ReplyDelete