So sick of my child’s picky eating

[Anonymous]

i haven't read all comments, but it could be a sensory issue.

i remember when i was a kid most foods made me want to gag. my parents made me sit at a table for hours trying to make me eat. it went away with age, i don't remember when exactly. parents showed me to all kinds of specialists, and it happens to kids, something with the sensory sensitivity.

[Anonymous]

I haven't read all the responses yet, but I'm chiming in to say that you're not alone, there's lots of good strategies out there, and if you have health concerns that move beyond normal "picky eating" into avoidant / restrictive territory, then definitely start with your pediatrician.

And, if you're interested in my story / commiseration:

I have a 5.5 year-old with some serious preferences. It's frustrating because as a baby / toddler / preschooler, he ate ANYTHING, and copious amounts of it. A

While he was in preschool, he got 2 fresh, hot meals at school every day, and I didn't have to think about what he was eating so much. Now he's in kinder, much more active, and I've got to feed him every meal (breakfast & dinner at home + packed lunch & snack), so I am more aware of what he's eating / not eating. That alone has been a bit of a trigger to me.

Also, there's really no rhyme or reason to what he likes or doesn't like at any given time. Some of the things he likes best at the moment are pretty spicy, with varied meats / veggies / textures, so there's nothing that consistently ties those three things together.

He's one of those kids who has eaten or will eat everything, just not at the same time. So sometimes he'll want waffles and sausage for breakfast for 6 weeks straight, and then he decides he wants an apple and chocolate milk for the next 6 weeks... one day he eats 4 apples and then he doesn't want to look at apples again for a week. He's currently not into sandwiches so his school lunches are basically homemade lunchables.

We have 3 "regular" dinners each week that he does consistently eat: Taco Tuesday (made by me), Chicken Tikka Masala (made by spouse), and Pizza Friday (usually Domino's). On those 3 nights, it definitely seems like he eats enough for two grown adults. 3-4 other nights a week, he may eat if it's something he prefers like spaghetti & garlic bread, or he may say no thanks if it's something he doesn't like salmon and quinoa. At least he says "no thanks" instead of "ew" 85% of the time.

I figure it evens out over the course of the week / month, and try not to stress about it. We are pretty much of the school of thought that we make what we make and he eats what he eats. As long as he's growing along his curve and healthy, I try not to stress about it. Easier said than done, I know.