How do you deal with a picky eater? What if there are 4 picky eaters?

Question

My b/f lives with me & my 4 kids. He has 3 kids from a previous marriage as well. I have 5 kids altogether, the oldest in the USAF. Out of these kids 4 are very picky, to include myself & my b/f, making "picky eater count" 6! This is creating stress on my part since I am the one buying the groceries & preparing the meals. I've been spending WAY too much on food. I "lot" my self $438 in food each month. (We don't have all these kids at once except maybe once a month.) I'm running WAY over budget! By $200+...all b/c of "this one ONLY eats mac n cheese or salsberry steak, that one ONLY eats beef products, the other ONLY eats french fries, each person has their favorate junk food, even cereal is becoming an arguement..."y'know I don't like any of the kinds you bought", seems like there is always ONE person LEFT out at meal time. I'm frustrated & hate it when the kids think I'm "playing favorites or forget about them". I just can't remember nor have the money to buy for EACH individual.??

Answer 1

They eat what you provide, or go without. Everyone gets their favorite now and again to be fair, but no nitpicking. My mom would cook dinner and we had no choice as to what it was - it helped us learn that we can't always have what we want - an important thing to know when you're an adult.
Keep giving them what they want, and they'll turn out to be spoiled brats.

Answer 2

This is a problem created over time and one that will take just as long to fix. The goal is obvious: Get everyone to eat the same meal. You can go about this a few different ways. Try to set one day of the week for each persons favorite. Require that the children, all of them, eat each meal every night. You need to be the parent and enforce the rules here. You also need to practice what your preach and eat the meal with your kids. Don't ever say you don't like food in front of your kids. They will pick this up and be picky too.

Answer 3

I went through the same thing. Trust me, before your drive yourself crazy you are just going to have to put your foot down. The first thing I did was cut out the junk food in the house... period. Most of the stuff they were picky for for dinner I cut out as well because it tended to be more junk type food as well. Mac n Cheese, hot dogs, frozen pizzas, TV dinners... I got rid of all of that stuff. And yes, there was a LOT of complaining and a lot of refusal to eat etc. It took a few months but eventually my son learned that beef was not so bad, my other son decided he could try chicken or pork, and my husband... well he still refuses to eat anything green unless it comes in a Caesar salad but that can't be helped. Don't let them drive you crazy. One bonus of going through that, both my boys can cook a full dinner because of the "whoever cooks the dinner chooses the meal" rule.
I hope that helps

Answer 4

Here is what I do...I have 4 picky eaters and got sick of making multiple meals. I made a list of common meals..meaning ones that most kids like. Chicken, hot dogs, rice & tacos, etc... then I make it and if they don't eat it, I do not allow them to make an alternate meal (unless it is salad).

This went over like the proverbial sh^t brick at first, but then they started getting used to it when they realized no amount of begging was going to convince me to let them make a p,b & j sandwich. It doesn't take but one or two hungry nights before picky kids decide to not be so picky.

Answer 5

I have the same issue with the picky eaters ( I have a total of 6 picky eaters)......I prepare meals with something that each one likes and I have even been able to get them to at least try it once and then if they do not like it I always have a quick back up for them whether it is a frozen pizza or somthing quick to fix. Mine, knowing this are more receptive to try it and then decide. Good luck with your picky eaters....it can be very stressful !!

Answer 6

There is no easy answer to this question, and believe me I have looked, becaue I myself have (3) children who are extemely picky eaters. If you Google this question, you will come up with all kinds of advise from people who I would swear don't have any picker eaters in their house!!!

While it may sound a bit harsh, even downright abusive to some in this day and age of excess and pandering permissiveness to the needs and wants of our children, I believe that children should have a choice - eat what is put before you or go hungry. Again, while this may sound a bit harsh, a lack of boundaries and insufficient discipline will create long term character issues that will have far more devastating results on your children's future than a missed meal or two.

While any person, child or otherwise, will have any number of food items that they do not particularly care for (and this should be empathized with and accounted for), to a certain -- if not significant -- degree, pickiness is a choice and should be dealt with as such. While starving one's self to death is technically a choice as well, I am not aware of any child ever having gone on a hunger strike because they don't want to eat their peas -- at least not one that even remotely approached a situation that was unhealthy, let alone, God forbid, actually successful!! :-)

I wish I didn't have to admit my hypocrisy, but alas, I am frustrated by my own inability to follow these stated beliefs because my children are growing up in a blended family, a situation that you appear to be in as well. I share custody of my children with their mother and have them on a week on/off basis. Even on my weeks with them, they will often visit their mother - a very short walk away - after school and/or whenever they want to. The problem: If they don't eat what is put in front of them at my house, they just fill up with snacks at their mother's house at their ealiest convenience. Hunger is therefore not a motivation for them.

So....what have I done? I employ the strategy of the person who responded by saying, if you don't like what is on the table, you know where the sandwich fixin's are, and allow them to make their own dinner. A couple of stipulation with this agreement. 1) They must try at least one bite of everything on their plate. I do make concessions if there is a particular item on the dinner menu that evening that they really dislike. My youngest son for instance never has to try his peas. 2) Their choice still has to pass muster for nutrition - a bowl of Fruit Loops doesn't count. 3) If they do not eat what is prepared for dinner, there is no dessert. Dessert is served only once or twice a week. It is ultimately their choice.

Your frustration is totally understood by those of us who share your situation. However you may choose to attack this problem, be firm but fair. Once you set the ground rules, don't budge.

One challenge you may face that may make your situation a bit more difficult is that you indicate your and your b/f are actually picky eaters yourself. It is a fact that children can be picky eaters even if their parents are not. Inasmuch as children take their ques from their parents, it may be important to assure that you are dealing with your own pickiness constructively.

Best of luck.

Answer 7

kids eat what they are told to eat you shouldnt let them run all over you like that.
Try making some of these meals
pizzas (where they make there own)
french fries, steak, carrots and mac n cheese
Spagetti
Roast beef with roast potatos gravy n veggies
toasted sandwiches (ham, cheese, tomato, salami etc)
Hamburgers (make there own) kids like to make there own stuff!!!
Chips and roast chicken with gravy or salad
Usually if you say if u eat all your dinner i will give you a suprise they eat everything on there plate...
if its the weekend hire out a dvd for them make some popcorn and give them a block of chocolate to share or something.. it works out cheaper and they love it!!!

Hope this helps!!!!
Goodluck *smiles*

Answer 8

In my opinion, they all need to learn to adapt a bit.

You can choose a meal that is healthy and filling and prepare it the way you like.

You are the parent. The rule is, "this is what we're having for dinner. you can either eat it or be hungry, and no dessert or snacks if you don't eat your dinner". period.

If you feel that they're just going to starve (trust me, they won't..they'll adapt), then perhaps prepare each one's favorite meal one night a week. This way, everyone gets equal treatment and they learn to adapt as well.

Good luck.

Answer 9

Make a buffet style dinner where there are 2 or more items on the table so they could have a choice to what to eat.

Answer 10

I give each person a day to have what they like then everyone gets a turn but then if they keep complaining I do like my mother said to me if you don't like what I have cooked then you need to learn to cook and fix your own food.