New starter - first one - FRUIT!

**uf353432** · 03-05-2009, 08:13 PM

So parent has signed up and as of Tuesday I will be minding him for 5 hours for the next 3 weeks, once a week and then after half term 10 hours over 2 days ongoing.

His mum says he doesn't eat fruit or veg AT ALL. Spoke to preschool manager to see if at preschool he has taken any fruit or veg and apparently in 4 years he has not once taken fruit or veg at snack time. She said they tried everything to try, but he wouldn't touch it.

So I am thinking this is what I would like to try and encourage, him to try at least a little bit of fruit or veg at some point in my care.

Its not something I am used to, my kids love fruit and veg and am wondering if anyone had any tips from previous minding experiences. I have a 5 a day chart and wondered if on the days I mind him if I could have my daughter and him chart the fruit and veg intake and see if he might get competitive. Also considered doing lots of fruity art projects, home baking with fruits to see if he will eat them, going to the greengrocers to look at them and see what they all are, even do a little tick list to see if he can tick off all the ones he see's. Perhaps even get him to use fruit and veg (harder ones) to do paint crafts with. Smoothies, ice lollies etc. Any other ideas or do you think I should not try?

**helenlc** · 03-05-2009, 08:45 PM

I think you have some good ideas there already.

Just be relaxed about it.

**ORKSIE** · 03-05-2009, 08:49 PM

I think you are going about this in the right way

Let us know how you get on

**Zoomie** · 03-05-2009, 09:03 PM

LOL, you just reminded me of my friends' mindee.

Child wouldn't even touch a piece of fruit. I remember her celebrating when G finally held an apple but it was still inside one of those blow up apple holders ...

Good luck, but I am sure you will do well

**Mouse** · 03-05-2009, 09:28 PM

I would approach it a different way & NOT do fruit based activities. If he has a hang up about fruit, it might not work to put a big emphasis on it.

I would do lots of normal activities, but try to include fruit. For example, I would do a general shopping list & just include one or 2 fruits to tick off among lots of other items. Or printing with various object - a cotton reel, scrunched up tissue paper & half an apple. Or a colour day where everything is red - ask the parents to send the children in red clothes, do red handprint pictures, make red paper flowers and have red fruit for snack.

I think the key would be to make fruit part of everyday things, rather than make it a big thing on its own.

**miffy** · 03-05-2009, 09:38 PM

I wouldn't make a big thing out of it either but I think you have some good ideas for presenting fruit and veg in different ways.

I'd concentrate on getting to know him first and then think about how to introduce fruit and veg.

Good luck

Miffy xx

**Cazz** · 03-05-2009, 09:46 PM

I was very interested to read the comments on this as my own 16 month old daughter will not touch a piece of fresh fruit either. She was slow to manage lumps when she was weaned and used to be sick but now she eats a wide variety of foods and absolutely LOVES vegetables (will eat half a plate full if she's given them!) but will not eat fresh fruit.

I 'm still giving her pots of pureed fruit that contain at least one whole piece of fresh fruit so that she is having some - she likes the taste of the fruits but doesn't want to feed herself with them (she doesn't even seem to like the feel of them when she does try them).

I really want to get her eating fruit and am taking a relaxed approach by offering her some every couple of days when I 'm eating some. I'm hoping that when I start minding she will want to copy the other children (although it doesn't seem to work with her brother and sister!).

Sorry to jump in on your thread but I am interested in any suggestions as well.

Carole x

**miffy** · 03-05-2009, 09:50 PM

Would she eat it with a fork, Carole?

Miffy xx

**sarah707** · 03-05-2009, 09:54 PM

I have a little man who didn't eat fruit at all... we worked on him very very slowly, offering things he liked eg crumble with just the tiniest bit of apple or other sweet fruit underneath.

After nearly 2 years he will now eat a tiny nibble of apple... but it makes him gag and he's still not keen. We do not push it at all and parents give him extra vitamins at home as supplements.

It's important to remember I think that the children come with hang ups and we cannot change everything, they are simply not with us enough. We need to take it slowly, one step at a time.

Plus we need them to be happy with us and being happy means being given food they like, activities that interest them etc etc.

Good luck with the settling in! I hope it goes well for you

**Demonjill** · 03-05-2009, 10:07 PM

Might be best to let him settle in and get used to you and your setting first. And not associating you with "bad" fruit cos that might start to cause bigger problems. Gives you time to learn about him and think what tactics would actually work on him etc. Once he knows you and trusts you then you can start "THE PLAN" LOL

**Cazz** · 03-05-2009, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by miffy

Would she eat it with a fork, Carole?

Miffy xx

I haven't tried that - you automatically think of picking fresh fruit up don't you!

I'll give that a try tomorrow - she loves using her fork so you never know!

Thanks Miffy

Carole x

**ChristineF** · 03-05-2009, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Cazz

I was very interested to read the comments on this as my own 16 month old daughter will not touch a piece of fresh fruit either. She was slow to manage lumps when she was weaned and used to be sick but now she eats a wide variety of foods and absolutely LOVES vegetables (will eat half a plate full if she's given them!) but will not eat fresh fruit.

I 'm still giving her pots of pureed fruit that contain at least one whole piece of fresh fruit so that she is having some - she likes the taste of the fruits but doesn't want to feed herself with them (she doesn't even seem to like the feel of them when she does try them).

I really want to get her eating fruit and am taking a relaxed approach by offering her some every couple of days when I 'm eating some. I'm hoping that when I start minding she will want to copy the other children (although it doesn't seem to work with her brother and sister!).

Sorry to jump in on your thread but I am interested in any suggestions as well.

Carole x

Carole, your daughter sounds just like my own wee boy. He is almost 4 though, and will not entertain the idea of fruit at all. He likes eating veg like carrots and broccoli but hates even the look of fruit! It's been frustrating and I feel like we've tried everything with him (even bribes!) but nothing works. We hoped when he started nursery last August that he'd try fruit when he saw all the other kids eating it but sadly it hasnt worked!

His teacher even said she has to give him crackers and cheese when the other kids are having their snack! We've managed to get him to take smoothies which is a bit of an improvement but I just dont understand it as hubby and I eat alot of fruit and our 10-month-old wee girl eats it too!

Who knows! Sorry for jumping in here too and sorry I cant offer any advice either but I look forward to reading the suggestions on here and maybe one of them will work on my wee man.

Good luck uf353432 with your new mindee x

**FussyElmo** · 04-05-2009, 06:12 AM

Think you have some lovely ideas already and agree with the others dont make an issue about it. Sounds like people have already tried and failed.

He may not like fruit and veg so what ever you do will fail. I have one mindee who is now 10 and she still flatly refuses fruit says that she doesnt like it I dont even bother anymore.

**mushpea** · 04-05-2009, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by ChristineF

Carole, your daughter sounds just like my own wee boy. He is almost 4 though, and will not entertain the idea of fruit at all. He likes eating veg like carrots and broccoli but hates even the look of fruit! It's been frustrating and I feel like we've tried everything with him (even bribes!) but nothing works. We hoped when he started nursery last August that he'd try fruit when he saw all the other kids eating it but sadly it hasnt worked!

His teacher even said she has to give him crackers and cheese when the other kids are having their snack! We've managed to get him to take smoothies which is a bit of an improvement but I just dont understand it as hubby and I eat alot of fruit and our 10-month-old wee girl eats it too!

Who knows! Sorry for jumping in here too and sorry I cant offer any advice either but I look forward to reading the suggestions on here and maybe one of them will work on my wee man.

Good luck uf353432 with your new mindee x

surley if the teacher gives him cheese and crackers when the others have fruit this is giving him the mesage that he dosent have to eat the fruit cause if he dosent he gets somthing else anyway. if it were me i wouldnt make a big fuss of it but just give him fruit as a snack and if he eats great and if he chooses not to then fine but thats it till lunch time, then offer a small peice of fruit with his lunch and so on, eventualy he will get the message that its fruit or go hungry and he may then try it.

**The Juggler** · 04-05-2009, 08:37 AM

How about making fruit smoothie's as an activity (or secretly if his phobias that bad).

If they are too thick for him you could always turn them into smoothie milkshake type drinks.

Also I agree that using them for paint printing activities etc might start to get him handling fruit and veg might take away the phobia without any pressure of having them anywhere near mealtimes. You never know. If the others peel and eat one he might follow.

I think as someone else said though the key is no pressure but very worrying all the same in terms of vitamin intake.

**uf353432** · 04-05-2009, 09:34 AM

Lol! I wasn't planning on starting the fruit attack from day one - but did want to get idea's in advance as part of my planning.

Thank you all for the feedback - yes Mouse I like that suggestion - having a range of things to play with or a colour association etc.

After half term he will be with me for one morning when its just me and my youngest one, so hopefully I will be able to spend some one on one time with him cooking and making. I am concious others have failed - but I hope that he might try to be open minded - lol! who am I kidding he's 4!!! rofl

**Tatjana** · 04-05-2009, 05:27 PM

Congratulations on your first mindee!

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on fruit, kids are clever and he'll see through it!

My youngest went through a phase of saying he didn't like bananas anymore, apparently they were suddenly 'sticky'! But funnily enough when i offered my eldest a homemade banana milkshake he wanted one too...sometimes not seeing the fruit gets them to eat it.

Good luck!

xx

**avril** · 05-05-2009, 07:31 PM

How about puree a little fruit (a sweet tasting one) and use it as a sauce on a little ice cream.

Dried fruit, there is a bar called Humzinger and it is pureed fruit made into a bar my boys love them and the younger thinks they are sweets. Bonus part is they are classed as one of your 5 a day!

**uf353432** · 06-05-2009, 09:15 AM

Avril, I give my girls humzingers and they love them as well. I did ask my mindee if he wanted a taste, which he did a iddy biddy bit and said he didn't like - but at least he was receptive to taste.

Having spent the afternoon with him yesterday I think its actually more a control issue as appose to dislike of fruit. Its his way of being in control of something - I'm sure its something he will grow out of.