Do 6 yr old eat a full burger?

[Anonymous]

Calorie counting? For a kindergartener?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Calorie counting? For a kindergartener?

Weird and creepy.

[Anonymous]

I agree the calorie counting is weird and possibly harmful. I get that mom is trying to get her child to eat more to up their weight percentile, but I really hope there's no mention of calories, fat, etc in front of the young child. It's also very common for boys to develop eating disorders and unhealthy relationships to food.

Questions about adding calories should be addressed to a food therapist only, who will help with healthy ways to increase intake (if really necessary). There are many ways of doing this without discussing details or numbers in front of children.

[Anonymous]

OP,
You say that your DS is recently-diagnosed Celiac, so I'm assuming that you've switched to a gluten-free bun. Some of the GF bread alternatives can be heavier-feeling than he may be used to, or taste different enough to throw him off. If you're trying to figure out what he likes, I would try deconstructing the burger. Serve him a plain hamburger patty with a puddle of ketchup for dipping, and a side of veggies. If you want to keep trying the bun, serve it on the side like a bread roll (although I don't think it's necessary, meat and veggies is an adequate meal). See what he finishes, and go from there.

Your DS may always be small. My niece was diagnosed with Celiac at 4 yrs; she is now 12 and still small for her age - but she is healthy. I agree with the others, counting calories is not the way to approach this. I get that you're trying to gauge whether he is eating enough, but a better approach IMHO would be to make sure he has plenty of access to healthy nutrient-dense foods, then watch his growth profile over time. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP here again, got off call with ped and happily DS is 25th percentile on both height and weight, based on his current stats. Looks like his gluten free diet, added back diary, and less processed food choices have paid off. And the not throwing up of course. we continue to mention to him that he has to grow big and strong, not calories. Also will keeping offering meat/new foods twice or thrice a week.
btw, did not realize 3-4 lbs make such a difference in these percentile charts, so 38 is 10th and 42 is 25th, so unless I see a major drop, I don't need to worry too much.
Thanks again to everyone for the useful advice.

[Anonymous]

Why no sides? You cannot muster up cutting some fruit and veggies for your kids?

You also sound somewhat obsessed with food and eating expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why no sides? You cannot muster up cutting some fruit and veggies for your kids?

You also sound somewhat obsessed with food and eating expectations.

OP here, DS does not eat raw/grilled vegetables, have to be cooked with the food as a single dish, so apart from a single baby carrot not much scope to get vegetables into him with a burger. Fruits are served along with dessert, an hour after dinner, and not with dinner.
I am going to be concerned with my son's growth, to ensure he is growing well enough and is in a healthy place among his peers and not the puniest/weakest kid in class. And if some people think it is an obsession, I am fine with that, I consider it parenting.

[Anonymous]

My kids didnt finish a whole good size burger until around 10 years old each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 7yo always finishes her happy meal hamburger

Love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why no sides? You cannot muster up cutting some fruit and veggies for your kids?

You also sound somewhat obsessed with food and eating expectations.

Yup. I see eating disorders in your kids' futures.

[Anonymous]

Do you have an eating disorder OP? It sounds like your perspective on food and food intake isn't a very healthy one and this is likely skewing how you see your son and his intake. You sound very rigid in what and how you eat.

Of course you are concerned about his growth and it is great you have the Celiac being managed now. Being Celiac is quite restrictive in itself so I would be careful to not be too rigid or restrictive about other aspects.

[Anonymous]

OP, if your child is not very varied in the breadth of his fruit and veggie intake, it sounds like you need to be creative. There are recipes for burgers that incorporate vegetables into the burger. I even found a recipe that used babyfood prunes instead of an egg as the binder in homemade burgers and it tasted awesome!

Instead of focusing on your child being "puny", to use your word, I'd encourage you to focus on your child being healthy and fit and active.

[Anonymous]

OP here, just curious, what makes some of you think we have an eating disorder?

[Anonymous]

I think some pps are being a little harsh on OP. I have a very picky eater and if I had more time I'd probably be a little more obsessive about figuring out how to make her eat more too. Unfortunately as she was growing up eating primarily bread, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and potatoes, I lacked the mental capacity to fight these daily battles. Her tastes have continually changed and she eats a lot more now so thankfully I can back off, but she's still smallish for her age too.

Good luck OP. I think the question about an eating disorder is just because of this OCD approach you've taken to writing about the food intake and describing the food.

[Anonymous]

I wish my kids would eat a burger. When we make them, they say they are yucky and won't touch them.