Okay, I'm Seriously Tired Of This!

[SilverSabre25]

Most of my dcks barely eat at my house...I have no idea what the heck they eat at home but apparently it's nothing even close to the healthy, yummy, variety of stuff I make here.

Today, one is crying because I'm not sitting at the table with him and one is crying because he apparently doesn't want to sit at the table and eat, or doesn't like the look of lunch, or something. I'm not really sure. I get so tired of making lunch that no one (except my own DD) eats.

Both of these dcks have been here for a long time now so they oughta be used to what I serve.

ARGH!

I just have no patience for this today. I'm giving them ten minutes and then if they're still doing this, it's nap time.

[snbauser]

I have the opposite problem. My dck's eat me out of house and home and my own kids are super picky.

[daycare]

I have issues with getting them to eat in a timely manner.

I dont make a big deal out of eating. All kids are required to sit at the table, if they don't want to eat, then they go for nap. They eat when they get up. You know the saying. you can lead a horse to water you cant make them drink. Same with eating.

I would offer the food and leave it at that. Unless they are sick, they will eat. this is from my experience..

[youretooloud]

What are you fixing? Just curious.

I make a mix of junk and healthy foods. I have exactly half the kids who will eat only the healthy foods, and the other half will eat only the junk.

One kid's mom said "he eats anything you give him". But, she forgot to say "except anything healthy".

I have some kids who will eat just the cookie and throw the whole lunch in the trash. Some who will eat the lunch and throw the cookie in the trash.

[daycare]

all of my kids have been with me for awhile so I went through trial and error. I saw what they didnt like and what they did. Made note of it and now I try to always serve those things that I know they will eat. Even if that means we have the same boring menu weeks in a row...

[lucky]

I have the opposite problem. My dck's eat me out of house and home and my own kids are super picky.

Exact same thing here. My dck's will eat absolutely anything.

[SilverSabre25]

youretooloud, today it was bean and cheese burritos with sour cream, corn, and banana. My DD ate everything and wants more, the 18 mo ate nothing, the 2 yo just ate the banana (but cried when I got him down from the table).

I have tried noting what everyone likes, but a couple don't seem to like anything...the 2 yo will eat bananas, crackers, and spaghetti and that's about it. The 18 mo only eats if I'm at the table...and if I don't down fast enough he gets hysterical and won't eat, period. The other two dcks eat a better variety but it's hit or miss...what they gobble one day, they won't touch the next time it shows up.

*sigh* It wouldn't be bothering me so much today except that I'm feeling very short-tempered and irritable.

[E Daycare]

Most of my dcks barely eat at my house...I have no idea what the heck they eat at home but apparently it's nothing even close to the healthy, yummy, variety of stuff I make here.

Today, one is crying because I'm not sitting at the table with him and one is crying because he apparently doesn't want to sit at the table and eat, or doesn't like the look of lunch, or something. I'm not really sure. I get so tired of making lunch that no one (except my own DD) eats.

Both of these dcks have been here for a long time now so they oughta be used to what I serve.

ARGH!

I just have no patience for this today. I'm giving them ten minutes and then if they're still doing this, it's nap time.

I have the SAME issue! My ads and contract state I feed healthy guided foods and snacks. I also ask, "what does dck not eat? What are their favorite foods?" and always get "oh he/she eats everything!". So when I serve egg whites with veg and turkey sausage for breakfast and they pick around at it I learn that no, they dont eat everything. DS on the other hand will eat all of that and then most likely eat theirs too.

I feel I waste so much. Im not licensed and dont use the food program so I dont get much for my food. Im not making 15 meals so I offer a wide variety and hope they try new foods. They wont starve but Im not feeding chicken nuggets and easy mac here. I refuse.

[SilverSabre25]

I have the SAME issue! My ads and contract state I feed healthy guided foods and snacks. I also ask, "what does dck not eat? What are their favorite foods?" and always get "oh he/she eats everything!". So when I serve egg whites with veg and turkey sausage for breakfast and they pick around at it I learn that no, they dont eat everything. DS on the other hand will eat all of that and then most likely eat theirs too.

I feel I waste so much. Im not licensed and dont use the food program so I dont get much for my food. Im not making 15 meals so I offer a wide variety and hope they try new foods. They wont starve but Im not feeding chicken nuggets and easy mac here. I refuse.

Yep, that's our situation exactly--right down to your own kid being likely to eat everyone else's food too!!

At least I can stop feeling like my group of kids are weird...there are others in my situation, too. Phew! I was starting to feel like I was doing something wrong.

[youretooloud]

he 18 mo only eats if I'm at the table...and if I don't down fast enough he gets hysterical and won't eat, period.

I never sit with them. He'd be a very hungry boy if he had to eat lunch here. I wonder if he some anxiety over this, or if it's a control thing?

[morgan24]

I have the same problem, only one will eat whatever I serve and the other one will eat maybe the fruit. Today I made homemade noodles, with chicken and peas and oranges. I even made my own broth so it was pretty good. One ate everything and the other ate one piece of orange. I don't make them eat. She brought mini pepperonis and a cheese stick and thought that was what she was going to eat for lunch. I give up trying to figure out what she will eat and just offer what we are having and let it go.

What you served sounds yummy. I would eat at your house.

[SilverSabre25]

I never sit with them. He'd be a very hungry boy if he had to eat lunch here. I wonder if he some anxiety over this, or if it's a control thing?

He does seem to have some major anxiety issues...he cries hysterically if he's on the other side of a gate from me, if I walk out of his sight, etc (naptime is the exception; he's fine then). He is VERY attached to his lovey, a blanket--attached to the point where he simply MUST clutch it tightly at all times or he gets very upset. He even needs it with him at meals (and it's taken me four months to get him to the point where having it tucked behind the booster is acceptable; for awhile, he wouldn't eat because he'd be clutching the blanket). Diaper changes are a nightmare because he panics since he's not holding the blanket. It's a problem at home, too, but mom doesn't seem to know what to do about it.

[BentleysBands]

Guess I'm the odd ball. I only serve "lunch" foods .maynot be healthy to some but its what they like and eat it all every day. And the parents do not care. We all believe the meals u guys serve are dinner meals. And that its the parents job to do all that. I use to once upon a time do what u guys di but also wasted most of it. So for the last year I changed things and its been great since.

[youretooloud]

He does seem to have some major anxiety issues...he cries hysterically if he's on the other side of a gate from me, if I walk out of his sight, etc (naptime is the exception; he's fine then). He is VERY attached to his lovey, a blanket--attached to the point where he simply MUST clutch it tightly at all times or he gets very upset. He even needs it with him at meals (and it's taken me four months to get him to the point where having it tucked behind the booster is acceptable; for awhile, he wouldn't eat because he'd be clutching the blanket). Diaper changes are a nightmare because he panics since he's not holding the blanket. It's a problem at home, too, but mom doesn't seem to know what to do about it.

Poor guy! I've had kids with anxiety problems, and it seems to follow them forever. I feel bad.

[awhitcomb]

I have taken the "no thank you bite" approach with my dcks, and it seems to have worked very well. Their first week may have a few glitches, but I explain to the parents the way I do meals and why, and I have found that the parents are thankful. Most of them have instituted the rule in their house as well.

Kids are so quick to say they don't like something b/c of the looks, or b/c of what someone else says, and then the look of amazement after they've tried something new and liked it always makes me laugh.