Another food issue

[Leela]

There are so many food and eating posts today. This afternoon one of my LO refused tea after wailing to have tea when it wasn't ready.Basically I feed the babies about 4.45 and then the over 2's have their tea at about 5.15. Today lo aged 2.8 refused tea, said didn't want it, pushed it away and wanted to get down. Food taken away he got down then 20 minutes later said he wanted to get into chair. I said tea time was finished ( I had binned the food) said sorry he would have to eat at home. He wailed a bit, but I don't want this to become a game where he gets down then wants to have meals on demand. There are serious food issues with this child at home, where he can go for days not eating and I am working with the parents on this. He has made mostly good progress but this is a new thing. Also the range of foods he likes is limited to a small selection of meals, I can't plan menus around his limited choice or cook different meals for him. The tea was one of his favourites which he rejected but lunch was something he doesn't usually go for but today he ate the potatoes and veg and tried a mouthful of the salmon. Am I doing this right? Also why do parents bring us these problems and expect/ hope we will sort them out for them?

[Sarsar3NCH]

Sounds to me like you did exactly the right thing. Consistency will be the key :-)

[shortstuff]

I agree x be consistent whether the parents are or not as he will realise you will be x

[merry]

Am I doing this right? Also why do parents bring us these problems and expect/ hope we will sort them out for them?

Because we are trained professionals with experience who know what we're doing.
Lots of parents are inexperienced with young children and don't know what to do for the best, and it's not always the parents 'fault' if their child has food issues. If they're working with you to improve things that's the best you could hope for.
And it sounds like you did exactly the right thing, he's obviously realised his usual tricks aren't working so is thinking up some new ones

[charlottenash]

Stick to your guns.

They ask us because we're usually the main person their child is around (I worked out I spend alot more awake time with mindees than parents do)

With my son, I give in, sometimes do what he wants etc etc

With mindees I'm a different woman!! I can be strict, no dummy means no dummy, no eating means no pudding, shouting and screaming at quiet/story time means a time out etc

Your doing good, keep it up!

[bindy]

Because we are trained professionals with experience who know what we're doing.
Lots of parents are inexperienced with young children and don't know what to do for the best, and it's not always the parents 'fault' if their child has food issues. If they're working with you to improve things that's the best you could hope for.
And it sounds like you did exactly the right thing, he's obviously realised his usual tricks aren't working so is thinking up some new ones

Personally I think I am a professional in the way I conduct myself and business. I have a NNEB and other smaller qualifications but I am not a professional in all areas! My child had a food issue and had to go to another professional to sort it out. I could not have done it on my own and some advice on this site is completely wrong when it comes to food and how to deal with a child who does not eat! Sometimes if the wrong advice is given we can do more harm than good! If a parent comes to me with serious concern regarding their child, I will always point them to the right professional who has been trained in that area. I will has a professional childminder follow that advice and work with parent and others involved.

[k1rstie]

Hi Isabel.

It sounds like you are doing everything okay.

I would think a child who has not eaten for days would be chewing his legs off!! I know I would be!

I wonder if he is really having milk, sweets, biscuits etc but no 'food'?

[bindy]

Hi Isabel.

It sounds like you are doing everything okay.

I would think a child who has not eaten for days would be chewing his legs off!! I know I would be!

I wonder if he is really having milk, sweets, biscuits etc but no 'food'?

My daughter would rather starve than eat food!! Not even sweets or crisps. It's sorted now, thank god but took 18 months and still now she has her off days. I never never push her or punish or even comment!

[merry]

Personally I think I am a professional in the way I conduct myself and business. I have a NNEB and other smaller qualifications but I am not a professional in all areas! My child had a food issue and had to go to another professional to sort it out. I could not have done it on my own and some advice on this site is completely wrong when it comes to food and how to deal with a child who does not eat! Sometimes if the wrong advice is given we can do more harm than good! If a parent comes to me with serious concern regarding their child, I will always point them to the right professional who has been trained in that area. I will has a professional childminder follow that advice and work with parent and others involved.

Part of being a childcare professional though, is knowing when we have reached the limits of our knowledge in an area and being able to help parents access expert help, for example I know enough about average speech development to know when things are not going as they should be, that's when I would point parents in the direction of their health visitor so they can refer on if necessary. I didn't mean to imply that we would know everything and be able to solve all problems, but that if there is a serious problem we would know where and how the parent could get the help they needed.