I learned on a parenting course that if your children are picky eaters then controlled choice may help. It is also said that the portion sizes have to be realistic to that of a child, so making sure that there portion is less than an adults.

What I came up with is this, I made a load of flash cards with the different choices on them. Sinead then, o gets told what is for dinner, for example chicken dippers, she then has to use her choice cards to decide what she would like to go with her dinner.

Anyways this is what it looks like I hope that it is usefull to some one.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t6/madmamma2007/001-2.jpg

Hmm. That's interesting and sounds like it would work for picky eaters. Wouldn't fly here in our house as Daddy is a firm believer that children should eat what we put before them or they don't eat. But hope it works for Sinead.

That is a wonderful idea, Zoe! I have read up a bit on picky eaters, something else I think would be useful is to let them help you prepare the food! Hope you have some luck with Sinead!

our kids help out around mealtime, as long as it is safe. Everyone gets a little bit of everything on the table when they have eaten what is on their plate, then they can ask for seconds of what they want. if it is something they truely don't like we don't force them to eat it. Jake is our pickiest, or should i say our hardest to feed. some of his sensory issuse invlove food textures. potatoes he is likely to gag and throw up, so we don't give him potatoes. lately because there is no pressure to eat he has successfully tried and discoveed that he likes some new foods. it is awesome to see him ask for more cauliflower or broccoli

Ive personally found that the only thing that helps with picky eaters is to sit on them.... and make them eat it... thats it. Sure they cry... and end up wearing most of it... But YEAH!! SO!!


always trying to be helpful!!:mrgreen:

LOL gen... along the same lines we've discovered that... a truly hungry child is not a picky child! lol. so we just put the plate in the fridge and they can choose to eat it or hold out until the next meal (which they might hope has something more yummy). It is not as if we are starving them. We offer them food, they can choose to eat it or not. Can you imagine some starving person in africa rejecting food? It just doesn't happen. So we don't let our kids be picky. The time may come when we have limited choices and can't spoil them... easier to do it now than later.

Funny thing happened this morning... I was reading this thread... and Josh was eating his cereal... well we were all getting done what needed doing before school. I ended up running about looking for something, or to the toilet or whatever, cant remember, but Josh says 'This cereal tastes wierd'... I ask if it tastes wierd bc he actually put too much honey in it or if its the cereal... of coarse he's going to say its the cereal... so I say 'fine, put it on the side, we'll use the milk in Sophie's'... then added, bc I thought of this thread... 'Thats all yer getting! Dont ask for anything else!' The obligatory 'ok' was sounded and nods all around... we get to leaving and he shouts 'mum, can I have a roll for on the way to school' and of coarse... I had forgotten about this thread... and said 'yes' and only remembered on the way home that I told him not to ask for anything else.... Thats what it is like in my home... I am often like a headless chicken... and their dad is just as bad as that OR WORSE... I mean as bad as the kids in that he wont eat his food... when he's asked for it made special... so what do I do but Sigh... and throw my hands up and say 'Lord Help me!'...

I do hope everyone knows I was kidding about sitting on my kids and force feeding them.....


I usually just starve them until they are hungry....

Well as I say its just an idea I came up with and thought it may benefit some one on here. Sinead is not just picky she is food phobic and struggles with certain textures in her mouth.

This system is working fantastic for us, I am in control and know what she wants. Its is making my life a lot easier and no more arguments in this house.

Zoe, I totally know what you mean about food phobic. Some people are just like that, with alot of different things. And to be honest, forcing them to eat anything if they are like that will only exasperate the problem... I was joking... Dont sit on her to make her eat her food...

What I came up with is this, I made a load of flash cards with the different choices on them. Sinead then, o gets told what is for dinner, for example chicken dippers, she then has to use her choice cards to decide what she would like to go with her dinner.


What you are doing will be good for her in a lot of ways, having her help you make meals will also help her with her food phobia. I think some among us are just old fashioned... Nothing wrong with that either! My dh is pretty fussy with foods. Always has been, which is part of the reason I cant exactly make mine eat what their given, just bc Ive given it to them!... I mean if their dad wont... I have resigned myself to the fact that I am somedays a short order cook, but I have simplified it... I am totally taking this off the straight and narrow... But its fun to talk about the different ways we run our homes!