Advice regarding toddler nutrition
![[Post New]](/nanny-forum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Hello,
My friend is a nanny for a two year old. She started a year ago, and unfortunately by then the parents had the child on a pretty terrible diet. Instead of working on introducing foods to her, they let her have chips, white bread and fast food chicken sandwiches (! ) as her everyday diet. Interestingly, the parents are thin and cook at home. My friend has managed to get the wee one to eat some fruits and yogurt in the past year. I was talking with her and she is frustrated that the mom is pushing calories over nutrition, and blames the nanny for her child's tantrums, saying she isn't feeding her enough. She wants the nanny to force her to eat. Force her. What say dcum? I have my opinion, which is that the parents need some crash courses on child nutrition. It's really a sad situation. |
Anonymous
|
So this is a family to which you have zero direct connection, and in a household where you have zero influence, right?
Snore... |
Anonymous
| I know them and I'm asking for imput. If you can't say anything nice.... |
Anonymous
|
*asking for advice for my friend. She doesn't know what to do.
Thanks. |
Anonymous
Maybe she should look for a different career if she doesn't know how to deal with a basic nannying problem. |
Anonymous
Holy bitch, Batman. This is a forum. To ask questions. Ease up. OP, you mention the parents are focused on calories. are they concerned about a low weight? If so, your friend could look into ways to get more calories into the child in a healthier way. Avocado. Healthy fats. Smoothies. Full fat yogurts. |
Anonymous
OP here. This is not a basic nanny issue. The listed foods are all this toddler will eat. She's been on a horrid diet forever and is constantly ill. She refuses almost all foods and it took her nanny a year just to get her to eat a few basic items. Her parents give her fast food, white bread and snack chips and then blame the nanny for her caloric intake. Honestly, I think she should quit- but thought maybe dcum might have some valuable insight that we're missing. I used to nanny for a friend of this family and we had playdates, so I've seen all this first hand. I feel sorry for the little girl- at barely two, she won't even eat much of anything remotely healthy. The parents care more about calories than changing her diet. She's of normal weight. |
Anonymous
| The only thing nanny can donis refer them to their pediatrician. If the pediatrician won't set them straight, and/or they aren't honest with ped or they won't listen to ped, then honestly, I would a) quit and b) report to child services if it is truly as bad as you say. |
Anonymous
| As a nanny I don't worry about the children's nutrition if the parents don't. My charges eat donuts everyday for breakfast. I can't feed them fruit of vegetables besides the occasional Apple because fruits and veggies are not kept in the home. I feed them as I am instructed, which is crappy processed junk. |
Anonymous
Sure, but do the parents then blame you for any tantrums the child has? That's what's going on. She is told, feed her healthy food, then they fuss at her and demand she feed her jack in the box. Then she's blamed for tantrums. It's so crazy. It's not CPS stuff, but it's so wrong. How can people have so much money and still feed tiny children this way? It sets them up for a lifetime of struggle. |
Anonymous
Also, I wouldn't work a job like this unless the kids were older. I really need a healthy environment so I stay healthy. I just started a job working for a naturopath and I'm in heaven. Kids eat great and they take good care of me, too. |
Anonymous
That's one of my dealbreakers. I don't require extreme health food for kids, but I'm not going to work for a family that doesn't have somewhat decent options available. |
Anonymous
|
I personally think it's the parent's right to feed a child what they deem good enough. If your friend really wants to keep her job as well as stay in good graces w/her bosses, she must adhere to their rules, whether or not they line up w/her own childcare philosophies.
As a nanny, I do know how important this truly is. However the tantrum issue is very out-of-line to me. For the mother to blame said nanny for underfeeding the child, thus leading to behavior issues is just wrong. That may be a deal-breaker for me. |
Anonymous
|
Omfg OP butt out. Your friend can post anonymously on DCUM if she wants.
But if she did, I'd say this is an issue for the parents and the child's doctor, NOT the nanny. If she is being asked to do something that she feels is unsafe, she can ask about the medical advice they received and seem out appropriate counsel. DCUM is not that. |