Now My Son Won't Eat...

Will he eat peanut butter? One of my favorites for my picky eater who is in the 5th percentile for weight...smashed banana mixed with peanut butter with or without honey (recommended by the nutritionist for extra calories). I also offer hummus with a cracker OR spoon- however he wants it. Smoothies are great and they are not "eating" but drinking. I often use the carnation instant breakfast, throw in a scoop of peanut butter, a banana and some frozen blueberries (chocolate flavor). It's packed with protein, calcium and some sugar, too, but still...and most recently, I do buy those squeeze baby foods with fruit AND veggie in them. They are sweet and again, you squeeze it in their mouth so it's almost like drinking rather than eating:) I know it can be frustrating...I get nervous because my son is already low weight, but he is growing and thriving so they do take in enough even if it's not as much as we like:) good luck!

Your ped told you to leave him with a sitter?? Is he going to pay for one?

My kids are also very picky so good luck, they routinely go through phases of what they will eat and what they won’t. Next week he will move on to something else.

French toast? Cut extra holes in the toast so the egg (protien) gloms on even more.

Good luck!

canned pumpkin or sweet potatoes- you'd be surprised. tons of vitamins and super yummy for kids.
hummus
mashed potatoes
risotto
refried beans

The ped yelled at you and told you to send him to a sitter? That's just a little on the crazy side, imo. Perhaps the dr will foot the bill for the sitter? That being said, maybe one of your neighbors would be willing to have him over for lunch. Will he eat at the ex's house or at the ex's grandparents?

I don't have a picky eater, but one thing my son LOVED was/is when I decorate the plate with food. Example: I put olives as the eyes, strawberries for ears, cheese chunks for teeth ....... and I let him eat with toothpicks. Also - dipping. I let him dip foods in ketchup, ranch, italian dressing, yogurt.......

Try all the foods you would think about for a tonsillectomy.
Mashed potatoes, oat meal, apple sauce, cream of wheat, yogurt, popsicles, jello, pudding, soup broth, etc.

apple sauce?
Make a smoothie with equal parts yogurt and juice (I use two individual yogurt "cups" and then 2 cups juice) and whatever fruit you have - frozen works the best!

bananas, really cooked oatmeal,peanutbutter and jelly on soft wheat
He may really texture issues. Some babies have a harder time adjusting to table foods. He may just like the texture of baby mushy foods. If he is eating those types of food and is otherwise developing then give him the mushy foods. My littlest guy still is not eating table food he is nine months and all my other kids we eating lots more( I have six). Good Luck!
J.

Have you tried cooked noodles like macaroni?
Gerber meat sticks/vienna sausages?
Cooked carrots?
Cheese Ravioli?

As for leaving him with a sitter, do you have a family member or friend that he is comfortable with? Maybe one of the older kids? For us it was Grandpa. My kids ALWAYS eat for Grandpa. Same with my niece and nephew. There are several times when we and my BIL have called up Grandpa (20min away) to ask if we can come over just so the kid will eat. Sure enough, as soon as we walked in, Grandpa sat them down at the table and they started eating up a storm. Including the food that we had offered at home but refused, and had taken over there with us!

You could also try offering him some Ambisol, Tylenol or Motrin @ 20min before meal time to help with the teething and discomfort.

Try frozen waffles? Don't even toast them - just give one to him right out of the box. My kids loved those things (My 7 year old still eats them daily, but toasted now!) Cold and hard is good for the new teeth, and while he chews on it it'll turn soft. Good luck!

My daughter survived on yogart, string cheese and cheesits for years. People would tell me if I let her get hungry she would eat. But she did not. That only made her mean. If it doesn't get better you may want to speak with your doctor about an eval with a dr that deals with food issues. My daughter is very sensitive to texture and is a "super taster"--she has more taste buds than most people so every taste is magnified. We have been working with a dr for years to overcome this.

Generally my kids are not picky, but they do have phases. I am often shocked what they will eat and try when I let them eat with a toothpick. Maybe give it a shot. Sometime novelty can motivate kids in odd ways.

Oh R.:

I've NEVER had picky eaters....all three of mine were/are (knock on wood) good eaters.

I was raised that my mom wouldn't make a special meal for me and I had to eat what she put on my plate or I could go hungry. I've used that with my kids and as long as they TRY something new - I'm okay - if they don't like it- that's fine - they can say they TRIED it.

I would put peanut butter on a piece of bread for him.
Oatmeal
Smoothies - fruit and veggies (my GF puts spinach in her mango smoothie)

Pretzels, while hard, will help the molars break through - the pretzel sticks...

scrambled eggs with cheese.
pancakes again with peanut butter (love that!)
french toast again - with peanut butter!!!
waffles

macaroni and cheese with diced ham and peas in it or just plain
yogurt

I know it was hard to hear the pediatrician talk to you like that - but what he's saying is true. Roman gets away with a lot with you - he knows how to work your buttons and push you - he's not Emmy or Maddy - and while you are strict with him - you cave on certain things (talking and eating) if he is away from you - with other people and you are not there - he will be encouraged to speak on his own because he won't have you there to "help" him or do it for him....we've chatted about this before...I know he's your baby and it's hard...send him up here for a week!! Greg and Nick will have him yapping and eating in no time!!! :)

My daughter is almost 21 months and she is obsessed with yogurt. She will ask for yogurt all day long when she gets hungry or snackish - I have to cut her off at 2 a day because its just too much dairy for her. She also loves Motts Fruit Cups in a variety of flavours. Have you tried peeling a whole carrot from the fridge (nice and cold) and letting him chomp on that? My daughter does this, especially when I can tell she is teething - you just have to have them sit still for a bit and watch them. She also loves smoothies and you can hide a whack load of things in a smoothie. I just whip one up and sit with her and share some 'pink juice' with her and she will drink more than me. Apple slices with the skin removed - again good for teething. Sometimes if I am really strapped for meal ideas I know I can always rely on a good old cookie cutter to make a sandwich very very appetizing =). Grapes and cream cheese, make it look like a catepillar. Just make food fun and remember that if you can dip it in something most kids are all over that idea. I had a babysitter once manage to get my daughter to eat a ton of chicken because she let her dip it in.... YOGURT lol
Good Luck