Ok, maybe it's just the BCPs talking here (have I ever mentioned how much I hated being on birth control when I was younger?! (and thought I needed it, ha ha!)), but I need a place to let some frustration out. Staying home can be hard. Is it better than work? Oh God, of course! And please don't think I'm not grateful for every millisecond of it! But it can have its moments. I feel myself doubting my competency sometimes. Our daycare provider, Val, brags about what a good eater Noah is with her. Is she sure we're talking about the same kid? Maybe I should leave him with her during the week lest he wither away to nothing in my care. Noah is such a hit and miss eater for me. Today's battle was lunch. I gave him some yogurt which he happily devoured. Then I slaved over scrambled eggs for five whole minutes (please note the sarcasm), and he wouldn't touch them. Not being above bribery, I tried to teach him some if-then reasoning. "Look, Mommy ate some eggs. Now Mommy gets a cookie! If you eat eggs, then you get a cookie." Cue hysterical crying and even greater refusal to eat those damn eggs. Curses.
Food is such a struggle in general that Noah still consumes a lot of baby food from those space pouch things. I figure that way he's at least getting a variety of fruits and vegetables. Grapes? Yes please, but I'll spit out the peels. (This goes for any fruit with a peel.) Carrots? Ok, I'll gnaw on them, then spit out the shavings like a little beaver. Unless what he's eating contains bread, dairy, or sugar, forget it. The only meats he eats fairly reliably are chicken and salmon (and deli meat, which is high in sodium and not nearly as nutritious). Forget beef or pork.
Val also talks about how much she makes him drink to avoid constipation. I feel like I often forget to offer him something while he's playing, and even when I do he usually ignores it. It seems that he mostly just drinks with meals.
Like I said, sometimes I end up feeling less than. I'm sure these are common complaints for parents of two-year-olds, so if you have any stories to make me feel better, or excellent tricks up your sleeve for getting a fussy eater to eat, by all means. Share away!
(Tomorrow I promise a happier update!)
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I thought you were describing my kid for a minute...I get the same reports from daycare, that he ate SO MUCH and then at home, meh. We still have the veggie/fruit pouches, too, to make sure he gets some kind of vegetable in his body some days. To remind ourselves to give him something to drink even when it's not mealtime, we keep water bottles in the car and with the stroller, and offer it to him often. Believe me, we still forget plenty.
ReplyDeleteI think it must be normal for toddlers to act completely differently at school vs home. I imagine watching the other kids eat and drink things provides some positive peer pressure. Or maybe the daycare providers are full of shit. Who knows?
Let's go with "they're full of shit." I like that. And thank you for understanding. I did secretly enjoy going out for lunch with Noah's daycare mommy and her 2.5yo daughter yesterday. Little Livy didn't eat squat, while Noah ate half of a half of grilled cheese and took a few bites of his broccoli.
DeleteWell for heaven's sake don't feel like you're not as good as your daycare provider just because your kid is being a picky eater at home! And really, it doesn't sound like he's being that bad (but I understand feeling frustrated and needing to vent). It sounds like he's still getting plenty of nutrition! You're doing a good job:)
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ReplyDeleteK's turned into a picky eater too. She still likes some meat, pasta, and anything like bread/crackers/rice cakes/cookies. I keep on trying to offer veg, and have decided to try to not make food a reward or bribe. We'll see how that battle goes. For now, she gets offered what we're eating, and if I know we're having veg that she doesn't like, I'll offer her frozen peas or corn. Other than that, she's energetic, healthy, and gaining weight. I've decided to not worry about it.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you're doing fine to me. If he gets hungry enough, he'll eventually eat.
I thought my first post sounded too preachy in retrospect, so I'll rephrase. I'm sure he's getting what he needs, Hon. And if not, he'll help himself, apparently!(Mr. Independent, lately.) :-) Check out some sites on toddler food needs. There's one on WebMD that looked easy to follow. They need way less than we think. Love you both.
ReplyDeleteWith us, it's hit or miss. Some days, she surprises me and eats just about anything I put in front of her. Other days, I have to pull out the old favorites (hot dogs, pizza, meatballs, or French fries) to get her to eat anything at all. I agree with Cheri- they need a lot less than I ever thought, and the "servings" are a lot smaller too. We just don't make a big deal out of food. She either eats or she doesn't. We always include something we know she'll eat on her plate so she will never starve, but then we mix in some things she's either never had or refused to eat before. It took months to get her to eat corn, and now it's a favorite.
ReplyDeleteAs far as beverages are concerned, I let her pick out her own water bottle, a big kid one with a straw, and we just keep it where she can get it whenever she wants. It goes everywhere we go and has its own pocket in the diaper bag. The challenge now is keeping track of how much she's had to drink so we can change the diaper before she soaks through.
Good luck, and hang in there!