How long to make picky eater sit at table and eat?

[Anonymous]

I know what food my son will eat and what he won't eat (for the most part). If he doesn't eat, he can get up when we are done or sooner if we are taking a long time. It's not a battle I want to engage in. My mother used to make me sit at the table until bedtime. I wouldn't eat the food (or I'd try to give it to the dog or put it in a napkin). What a waste of many nights of my life. Not worth it IMO.

[Anonymous]

I would make him sit there for 3 hours. No talking all alone with lights off. He can get up before if he eats every bite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One half hour. If you want to make sure your child eats something for dinner, give him something he likes, even if it is just bread and butter. My child spent 2 years in the feeding clinic at Children's and one of the things the co-director says is include something your child likes at every meal.

Eat something you hate and see how you like the experience. I did this to myself and at a panini with mayo and mustard (I hate the taste and texture of both of them). I coughed down half a sandwich and it gave me a new perspective on eating stuff you don't like. Imagine if every meal was like that for your child.

Food is not supposed to taste good. It is simply fuel to keep you alive. Imo no one should ever eat food they like. Only eat food you hate do you don't get fat. Eat enough to stay alive.

[Anonymous]

I recommend reading the book It's Not About the Broccoli.

I was a picky eater as a child and one of my kids is a picky eater. I'm am trying to follow what my parents did because I feel it worked in the end. They never pressured me to eat something I didn't want to eat. Around the age of 12 my palate started to change and I started eating more healthy foods. I eat healthy as an adult and actually don't like sugar.

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Broccoli-Lifetime/dp/0399164189?ie=UTF8&keywords=it%27s%20not%20about%20the%20broccoli&qid=1463881071&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know what food my son will eat and what he won't eat (for the most part). If he doesn't eat, he can get up when we are done or sooner if we are taking a long time. It's not a battle I want to engage in. My mother used to make me sit at the table until bedtime. I wouldn't eat the food (or I'd try to give it to the dog or put it in a napkin). What a waste of many nights of my life. Not worth it IMO.

Yep. Dog, napkin and excuse yourself to go to the bathroom so you can spit the food into the toilet....

Old tricks that I used a few times myself and was not exactly a picky eater.

[Anonymous]

My kid is not that picky but sometimes we have things I know she doesn't like, I always put something on her plate I know she likes, same when we try something new. We had quiche last night which she has tried a couple of times and just doesn't like. I gave her the same salad stuff we ate, with some cheese and nuts instead of quiche. I don't feel that's catering to her. To give your son 3 things you know he doesn't care for and nothing he likes is just mean, you're setting him up to fail.

[Anonymous]

You need to read a couple of books:
http://www.amazon.com/When-Your-Child-Wont-Eats/dp/1475912455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463921471&sr=8-1&keywords=chatoor

http://www.amazon.com/Child-Mine-Feeding-Revised-Updated/dp/0923521518/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1463921515&sr=8-3&keywords=ellyn+satter

(pp whose child was in feeding clinic)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My fourth grade child is a picky eater. Always was a picky eater. We make him eat what we eat for dinner. I'm not here to debate this with anyone. My question is, how long do we make him sit at the table to finish his food? The portions are super small... The food is so basic.... But he can take a hour and a half to eat. No tv on, no one around him, no distractions. He just claims he doesn't like the food and takes forever!

When your child hits 18 and leaves home, take a good long look - because you won't be seeing their face again. If my parents had raised me in this 18th Century manner, they'd not have seen me for dust either.

[Anonymous]

I'm a picky eater. As a kid I had to stay at the table until I finished my vegetables. Everyone else would be finished and gone, kitchen had been cleaned up, and I was trying to choke down crap I hated.

Guess what? I still hate vegetables and am still a picky eater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a picky eater. As a kid I had to stay at the table until I finished my vegetables. Everyone else would be finished and gone, kitchen had been cleaned up, and I was trying to choke down crap I hated.

Guess what? I still hate vegetables and am still a picky eater.

Same here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would make him sit there for 3 hours. No talking all alone with lights off. He can get up before if he eats every bite.

Pp whose parents made me sit there.

What does your approach accomplish,?

[Anonymous]

Op, con you give more information on his health and eating habits for breakfast and lunch? Is your child
'S weight or growth varied or anything to share on this? I have a picky eater but depending on what your response I'd, I may offer different tactics. My kid was a nugget, fish stick pizza kid until age 5 when I drew the line as well. But it took stages and we are still in stages. Good news is picky ester eats pad Thai, salmon, fish tacos, most meats including lamb chops and now broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, salads .. Granted these dishes are missing visible herbs and I chop items very small to try to hide them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say half an hour. Set a timer. Don't get angry if he doesn't eat "enough" for you during that time.

Out of curiosity--what does he like to eat? What are you serving?

So the food goes in the trash after 30 minutes? He will totally prolong it and barely eat. He loves pizza, fish sticks, nuggets, fries. We served fish, broccoli, and plain rice

That sounds bland and yucky. Can you add a pinch of salt to his food?

Salty processed food is bad, but we need a little table salt now and then for iodine.

I bet if you sprinkle a little magic on it he will eat more.

[Anonymous]

I made a deal with my picky eater at age 7. I would cook one meal (previously had been short order cooking) and picky eater could eat it or not eat it. If the meal was eaten, picky eater got a dessert. I don't serve dessert mostly because getting an evening meal on the table is enough work without also planning a dessert. I promised that the dessert would be a real dessert -- a portion of ice cream, cookies, a popsicle, etc. I promised that the dessert would not be a non-dessert to a kid like fruit and yogurt. If the meal was not eaten, picky eater was promised an acceptable meal replacement, but no dessert. So, if the served meal was one picky eater was unwilling to eat, I made a grilled cheese and fruit or served some mac'n'cheese or some other known quantity.

I know all the food people are recoiling in horror at the bribe, but it is the only thing that worked. Picky eater looked forward to trying new things and became *much* less fearful and anxious about new food when given some autonomy and some incentive to be open minded. And when the meal was a fail, picky eater asked for a replacement and was given one with no argument and *never* tried to wheedle dessert. The best part is we have really left behind the bribe. We don't need it anymore.

If I were you, OP, if your kid did not want to eat the meal, I would put it in the fridge and bring it out later if a snack was requested. Our family would only stay at the table for the length of a normal meal. We wouldn't wait an extra 30 minutes for a kid pushing food around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would make him sit there for 3 hours. No talking all alone with lights off. He can get up before if he eats every bite.

This was my parents approach to my picky sibling. She also got fed leftover vegetable for breakfast. Now she is 40 and very obese with food issues. You are a terrible parent.