My least favourite time of the day is dinner time. It is a challenge both mentally and physically. My twins are now four. My son has been a fussy eater since he could eat. When they were smaller and in the baby seats at the table, I would have to strap my son in a little bit tighter so he wouldn’t wriggle out. He could be an hour eating dinner in between giving out, moaning, screaming and shoving food across the table.
His sister was completely the opposite. She would try any food and not even leave the pattern on the plate. How could they be so different, they are twins!!! I thought they would be doing the same things and maybe just maybe it would all be a breeze. I must have been on a different planet as it didn’t go at all like that in every aspect of there learning and growing up.
I would cook three different dinners and hope the fussy one would eat one of them. Even now two years on he likes the plainest of food and nothing different but he eats.
His sister, on the other hand, is now the fussy one. She won’t try anything different and doesn’t like the food she has been eating the last two and a half years. How can they have so much control over you at age four? I always say I’m been punished for all my sins, I must have sinned a lot.
I have spoken to nutritionists, doctors and lots of other parents. We all seem to have our own secret way where we learn to cope the best way we can and say nothing. I always believe a problem shared is a problem halved. If you have a fussy eater, give them what you are cooking and make sure they understand that the kitchen is closed after dinner and there will be no more food if they don’t eat their dinner. Sometimes this will work and sometimes not. Another tip from a nutritionist I spoke to for introducing new food (veg and fruit etc) is to put a small amount of it in a bowl beside their dinner. Even if they don’t try it the first or second time, they will eventually. It’s just to get them to taste and feel the different texture in their mouths.
So, this is my next challenge in the world of bringing up twins. Any tips or advice would be welcomed here. To read more on fussy eating click this link
And heres some more links…
www.bordbia.ie/consumer/aboutfood/nutrition/pages/nutritionfortwotofives.aspx
www.annabelkarmel.com/coping-fussy-eater
www.parenting.com/article/7-ways-to-end-picky-eating