Hmm new mindee only eats food on toast!

[Beetlejuice]

WWYD? New mindee started today - Mum warns me that he has food 'issues' in that he doesn't do texture but he eats food only if you put it on toast! He's 1 tomorrow. So I tried to give him lunch and he refused it - managed to get a little on his lip and he tried it and then put his fingers in his mouth to scrape the food off his tongue! TBH I'm loathe to put the food on toast as I think it's making a rod for my back - I want to be able to feed him when out and about and there's not always a toaster available!

Anyone any ideas? Do I persevere and say if he doesn't eat what I provide then he doesn't eat? I had one mum who wanted me to keep cooking meals til her son ate (to which I replied I'm not a cafe!) and hard work paid off and now the child eats what he's given. He also still has milk at morning snack AND lunch - which of course he wolfed down.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. In every other respect he's the perfect mindee - happy and smiley and not clingy and the parents are lovely.

Thanks

B x

[rachelle]

I would start with foods on toast until he is settled and secure and then do food on toast with some next to the toast, food on crackers and food on bread etc. It sounds like a gently gently might be needed - does mum have any advice from the hv or hosp?

[Helen79]

How does he eat the food off the toast? If he's eating the toast aswell as whats on it then I'd give him it on the toast and just vary the toppings as much as possible. When you're out you can always take those little melba toasts if he'll eat them instead of normal toast.
If he's using the toast as a spoon as just sucking it off the top then I'd possibly persevere with using a spoon but give him some toast to eat aswell. I don't think you can let a child under 1 go hungry just because they don't eat in the 'normal' way. Either way I would offer other foods as well as the toast.

[Carpet Monkeys]

There was a program on over the weekend called My Child Won't Eat on ITV2, and the lady (can't remember her name) says stick to what you know that they are going to eat and gradually introduce new foods to them. A little lad would only eat yogurts so mum gave him yogurts and then gradually introduced new foods in tiny amounts to him, like rice puffs into the yogurt etc. So perhaps cut the toast into small squares and put on it some banana, and gradually reduce the size of the toast square over time!

If I remember the name of the woman I'll come back!

[Carpet Monkeys]

It's Dr Gillian Harris

[AliceK]

There was a program on over the weekend called My Child Won't Eat on ITV2, and the lady (can't remember her name) says stick to what you know that they are going to eat and gradually introduce new foods to them. A little lad would only eat yogurts so mum gave him yogurts and then gradually introduced new foods in tiny amounts to him, like rice puffs into the yogurt etc. So perhaps cut the toast into small squares and put on it some banana, and gradually reduce the size of the toast square over time!

If I remember the name of the woman I'll come back!

This is the same advice I was given about my DD. She refused to eat hardly anything between the ages of 1yr and 3yrs. This was a food phobia caused by a medical condition she had and was operated on at 1yr after which time she refused to eat hardly anything except yogurt, fishfingers and chips. The clinical psychologist told me not to stress about it but to give her some of what she would eat at every meal and put something on her plate with it to try and not get stressed if she refused to try it. It took 2 yrs, god knows how she survived and actually grew but she has just turned 4 now and will now eat anything.
Slowly and gently is how I'd proceed with this LO.

xxxx

[Beetlejuice]

Thank you soooo much for the advice! I'm used to faddy eaters but not to this extent. I will certainly try what you've all said and see how we go. Honestly just once it would be nice to have a child that eats 'normally' - I think I attract the children with food issues lol!
Thanks a million

xx