Breakfast

[Carls]

I have a minder that is now 5 and at school but she doesn't eat! It's so frustrating! She is lethargic and tired all the time! She doesnt go to bed till after ten as well! Her mum says she doesn't bother making her breakfast as she won't get out of bed in time to eat it! She comes home and her lunch box that consists of a sandwich, crisps, chocolate and a yoghurt has been barely touched! I feed her tea twice a week and she eats very minimal with massive persuasion! I told mum I think she needs breakfast at least and she now turns up every morning after a trip to the garage with chocolate buttons!!!!! Her mum said I draw the line and will NOT let her have SWEETS for breakfast! OMG! I want to give her breakfast but she refuses after the sweets and she turns up when we are leaving!!!! What do I do! To be honest I am a little nervous if the mum!!! But I have tried saying that it upsets the other children but she doesn't get it!!! HELP

[nikkiv]

What about trying cereal bars, or you can now get cereal in packets to eat on the go or even the breakfast biscuits! I struggled still do sometimes with my son he's 4, he's got a lot better with me minding and mindees having breakfast but he only eats dry cereal with no milk, he doesn't like the cereal going soggy!

[MaffAnna]

My DS (10) is a bit like this. He just isn't interested in food, it would never occur to him to eat! I make NO issue of it at all and keep rotating things I know he likes. He is at the very bottom of the healthy weight range, and looks like a skeleton!

I will be watching the replies with interest.

[clareelizabeth1]

What about trying cereal bars, or you can now get cereal in packets to eat on the go or even the breakfast biscuits! I struggled still do sometimes with my son he's 4, he's got a lot better with me minding and mindees having breakfast but he only eats dry cereal with no milk, he doesn't like the cereal going soggy!

I understand soggy cereal is rubbish. Still at 23 I put milk in my bowl and then put the cereal in half a handful at a time so it doesn't get soggy. Amazingly none of my mindies has copied me.

[sineadquinn]

I understand soggy cereal is rubbish. Still at 23 I put milk in my bowl and then put the cereal in half a handful at a time so it doesn't get soggy. Amazingly none of my mindies has copied me.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that does this! Lol everyone thinks I'm really weird but can't stand soggy cereal.

Back to op yes cereal bars or the breakfast biscuits sound like a good option to try probably not the best solution but got to be better than chocolate buttons!!!

[KatieFS]

Chocolate for breakfast!?!?!??!? Nooooooo! This is a terrible choice. Cereal bars are a good plan, have you asked her what she would like. Maybe get her to design a healthy menu plan with you? At her age she will understand about healthy eating, and what unhealthy eating will be doing to her body.. Spots, poor sleep, poor concentration, dull hair, poor body growth

Do you have healthy eating policy? I'm a everything in moderation person and allow Friday treat day, kids get to have cake or sweets for treat.
On the food front-, it's a bit soul destroying to make something and the kids don't really bother to try it. I'm struggling with 2 year old veggie twins, used to spicy food and very little I make seems to work. Well they spit out and this week dropped it on the floor gggrrrrrrrr. I'm trying to persevere here and keep trying. Any suggestions in this too would be great...

[KatieFS]

For sone reason I thought we were talking 9 yr old. A 5 yr old might not fully appreciate it, but you can start bringing in those concepts. Maybe healthy eating activities if you get enough time with her .. Could she help prepare the food?

[SJ35]

My 12 year old will not eat breakfast, I've tried everything but she just won't. My 5 year old will have cornflakes or ready brek. I don't usually have breakfast, I just grab something after the school run, usually chocolate! Not good I know.
Stacey x

[KatieFS]

How about Nutella! I'm still not personally keen as technically it's chocolate, but better than actual chocolate. You could put it with toast, crumpets or porridge... Much better and nutrious!

[JulieA]

I would be tempted to get some cereal bars too, and let her eat them on the way to school.

Also, I pack my son (6) some rice cakes or breadsticks to have a break time too. The school offer fruit and veg but he is quite fussy so I approached the school and have agreed I will pop these in his bag and if he doesn't like what is on offer that day he still has something to keep him going.

[RuthJ]

My 5 year old will only eat fruit for brekkie, which is good, but I really think she should have cereal or toast as well. This morning she's had 2 plums! She just isn't interested in anything else.

Cereal bars are a good option. Difficult if you've not got mum on board. Could you send out a healthy eating flyer to your parents?

[littlemiss60561]

My son is currently eating a slice of dry bread , banana and dry fruit loops! Won't touch wet food other than pudding of course. Eats fruit like its going out of fashion luckily.
I got some individual bags of cereal for asda a while back. They were cinnomen biscuity type things , and I told them they were like sweety crisps. Had these as a snack sometimes. Sugar cereal isn't good I know, but ...
How about yoghurt pouches? Or make Nutella cornflake crispie cakes ... At least she's getting the cornflakes lol! I offer the chewie cereal bars as they have oats and seeds etc, and the chocolate chips of course. Not as high in everything bad as some bars.
Suggest multivitamins maybe. Not a replacement obviously but the kid needs something! Buttons for breakfast..... I think you may be onto a losing battle if this is the norm. But good on you for persevering.

[skatie]

My ds was and still is a fussy eater. Personally I thought it was best he ate something rather than nothing and would therefore allow him to eat chocolatey cereal, gradually we've introduced healthier, less sugar cereals until now he eats oats, weetabix or cornflakes - result!

Sounds a bit like the mum hasn't made time to give her dd breakfast and allow her enough time to eat it (as we all know kids can take a long time to eat if the mood takes them) and resorting to a chocolate bar has become a lazy alternative. But it's so difficult to tell a parent that what they are doing is wrong. Perhaps making a 'topic' out of healthy eating and talking about healthy food. Send the mindee home with some 'homework' that the parents might get the hint. My ds school did a goldilocks theme where the kids got to make and eat porridge.

A cereal bar on the school run would do her wonders but it would be at your expense and what exactly will the parents gain from that? They won't be any the wiser and think ds is fine living on chocolate buttons for breakfast. It's a tough call.