My 2.5 yr. old's food "choices" need to change. Is it ok to let him refuse the new stuff for a day or so?

Question

Good ol' grampa loves to sneak him chicken nuggets SEVERAL times a week while I'm at work and my husband doesn't seem to mind. He thinks it's cute. Now my son only wants to eat 2-3 specific things and turns his nose up to everything else. I end up giving in because I don't want him to be hungry. He's at a healthy weight so I figure if I'm headstrong about only giving him organic healthy foods, eventually he'll get hungry enough and eat whatever I serve him...Right? Help! He's my first child so I'm trying to learn all this stuff...

Answer 1

Oh yeah, just don't give in. He'll realize when you say there are NO nuggets that there really are no nuggets and he'll have to have something else...and he may even like it! *gasp* lol. Just make sure there really ARE NO NUGGETS! :P 'Cause if there are, believe me, he'll smell 'em a mile away so make sure Dad and Grampa aren't having any either! If grampa insists on 'sneaking' him some nuggets, it can be a grampa thing, like a special food only they share together you know? If it's several times a week maybe you could ask grampa to just share like 1 or 2 with him, kinda like "Snack time with Grampa". But trust me on the giving in part, once they figure out that if they keep bugging you about something, you'll let them have their way, there is no end to it. They'll walk all over you. Be strong Mommy!

Answer 2

PLEASE stick to your guns, Mom. I had a similar situation when my own son was little and I gave into him. Today he's 16 yrs old, eats mostly junk food, is overweight and has a cholesterol problem. He will eat absolutely NO vegetables or fruit, but he will drink some fruit juices. He eats three kinds of meat: Hamburgers, hot dogs and plain or breaded chicken. He loves pasta, most junk foods, etc. Stick to your guns. My son will likely be struggling with this all his life and it certainly is mostly my fault. Oh yes, and about those chicken nuggets - for a very long time the only chicken my son would eat was the nuggets from McDonald's, so grampa's sneaking is anything but cute. Stop him now.

Answer 3

As a mother of 3 (two are grown) I can only wish you the best of luck in keeping your child eating only "organic" and natural foods. Unless you keep him under lock and key, chances are slim. Make sure that what you offer him is wholesome and tastes good - not an impossible combination. Make sure he knows that you are in charge, not him. Which means 'you have 45 minutes to finish your meal and then I am taking it away." No more food until the next meal. 3 or 4 days of this and he will eat what is put in front of him. This is not cruel. This is parenting! Good luck.

P.S. I got my son to eat broccoli this way. I chose WHAT I would serve him, but I allowed HIM to choose IF he would eat. This eliminated so many problems. It was my job to offer my child a balanced meal. It was his choice whether or not he ate it. I could rest assured that I was doing my job, whether he ate it or not. No child on this planet ever starved while being offered 3 healthy meals per day. (Anorexic teens excepted).

Don't worry - be happy!

Answer 4

My rule when I was raising my daughter was that she had to try just one spoonful of anything new and then she could eat what she wanted of what was being served at the table. (I always have served a variety of dishes. Healthier that way.) Now that I have a grandson she has the same rule. It works. No sense in forcing a child to eat something they don't want. Life is too short to have power battles at the dinner table. Most the child will discover that the suspect food isn't so bad after all, and if they do decide to go on a binge of just one food remember they will survive. (I thought my daughter was going to turn into a bowl of macaroni and cheese. She turned out tall, attractive and healthy.)

Answer 5

It is not okay, you are only getting into more trouble. You let him get away with it while little He will keep that habit forever. You have to teach him to eat healthy. Lots of Fruits and vegetables. I have a rule at the table everything in front of them they have to try. at least a bite. I have learn that with time they get use to it. My son never ate his broccoli, now he is at 2 florets. My middle daughter did not like her carrots now she eats like 6 with ranch dressing. If you don't force them, they will do what they want, and not always make the healthy choice.
TIP.. His weight may be okay, but he is probably not getting the right nutrients for his grow. If he is going to stick with the nuggets, you may want to start him in some vitamins.

Answer 6

kids often go through a stage where they only want to eat a few specific things.
my rule for my kids is that they have to at least try 2 bites of a new food, and i always give new foods at least twice before i dont make it again.
i know family can be hard to deal with when it comes to how you want to raise your children. what i have found is that being subtle doesnt work. i would suggest sitting down with grandpa and telling him firmly, but not meanly, that you want your child to eat/not eat certain things, that it is really important to you that your wishes in the way he treats you child are followed. after all, he is YOUR son and you should be the one making the rules for him.
and most importantly, it is essential that you and your husband are on the same page when it comes to what is to be expected from family and friends. if they see that the 2 of you arent both firm and united, nothing will ever change.
i learned that the hard way.

Answer 7

My sister was like that and now she only eats a couple specific things. It isn't very good for her because she isn't gettingn the right nuturtion and stuff like that...With a new food...try a new way around getting him to eat it.. I mean make a joke with him..play with the food ..show him that it is good and everything. Just him eating some specific stuff and nothing else..well in the future he isn't going to eat anything else. Which isn't good at all.

Answer 8

Children at that age WILL get the nutrients that they need, so yes, you are right. But make sure you don't make it a huge battle, otherwise, he will associate good feelings with bad foods and vice versa. I have a good cookbook that helps make food that kids tend to like more healthy. It's called "The Moms Guide to Meal Makeovers." I got it off of Amazon. There is a vegetarian section in it. It is mostly a book on how to get your kids to eat healthy (GREAT suggestions!!), but there is a pretty good recipe section in it, as well.

Answer 9

You are correct. Only offering healthy choices to your child WILL change his/her eating habits (hunger eventually wins out over pickiness). Of course, if the entire family isn't on board, this will be less effective.
My sister has two young sons (1 and 4 years) and when the oldest was about 2 she and her husband completely changed their eating habits (eliminating soda in favor of water, sugary snacks were changed to fresh fruit, no fried foods, etc.). They have no junk food in their house at any time. My oldest nephew adapted easily and now both of them have no desire to eat sugary foods or drink soda. If one of them is offered candy they usually refuse and if they don't, they rarely make it past the first bite. I am very impressed by the outcome of their efforts.

Answer 10

maybe your too strict with his diet and thats why grandpa sneaks him some treats, if you deprive a child of treats he will only crave them, why can't he have nuggets and veges for dinner a few nights a week, cook nuggets in the oven instead of deep frying them.Make you own nuggets with chicken breats and crumb them and bake them... let him help you make them.. Kids gotta enjoy the food so make it attratictive , like make faces with carrot eyes bean hair ,, get the picture.. make gravy with the vege water ,,yummo and healty..don't ever force a kid to eat stuff.I make mashed potato and I add zucinni choko and other white veges so my daughter does not notice hehehe and i don;t add butter or cream , just a dash of milk and a bit of chicken stock to make it tasty, let him have icecream if he wants, just add fruit with it,, let him have nuggets but serve with veges and salad or whatever, don't be so headstrong. make meals times fun, or that kids just going to play up every meal time.His taste buds are going to change , and give him new things to try every week or so and make it look like somethings he allready knows , if he don't like it try it again in a few weeks. If your worried about him not getting enough vitamins get hism some kids multivitamins for now, he 'll still thrive.Chill mum your going do just fine..lol :)