eating question

[Blackhorse]

ok so all my mindees eat very well.
they like their fruit and veg and all the things I cook for them

but I had an after schooler that since last week stays longer in the evenings and now also gets dinner.
she is very fussy as far as I can already tell
first day we had tuna pasta and she refused to eat it ..her mum said..yes she doesnt like that! When I asked her about her eating I was told she eats anything...so much for that.

well as I didnt want her to go hungry..I offered her chunky veg soup. She didnt like that either...which mum confirmed she doesnt eat.

So as I didnt know what to do and I felt bad that on her first night with me she wouldnt eat I gave her a bowl of cereal....

What do you all do if kids refuses to eat a meal you have made...on the grounds they really (well not sure about that part) but they dont like it.

do you let them go hungry?? even though you are being paid to provide dinner??
I do not and will not want to cook seperate meals for my mindees. And I will take kids input into consideration for my meal planning but I want to provide a healthy meal...and this girl only knows chicken nuggets and chips I think!!

So what am I to do??
Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

THanks

[Tiger Lilly]

I always aks mum to give me a list of meals they do and dont like and i work from they.

[chels55]

Ask mum what she does eat and see if you can cook the same for the others with a serving of salad or veg on the side.otherwise maybe just give her a sandwich or ask mum to provide her food

[sarah707]

We have up to 9 some nights for tea! And dd is the fussiest of fussy children...

We have written a menu, with input from the children and some of them will eat everything... some of them will eat most things...

One doesn't like melted cheese so on pizza night they all make their own and she doesn't add the cheese...

One doesn't like beans so we do a choice of beans or spaghetti hoops...

One doesn't like fruit puddings (or any fruit that looks like fruit) but will eat squeezy fruit pots so we say her mum sends them (agreed with mum) to stop other children getting fussy...

It is a juggling act.

None of them go home hungry because we have talked about it and agreed to compromise...

We will always do a toastie, yoghurt and piece of fruit in an emergency.

I have found that by having this extra offer, it takes the pressure off the children.

Some children just crumple if they see something on their plate they don't like... it's a pressure we don't like to put on them, so we've come up with something we are happy to make that isn't too much extra fuss and it keeps meal times calm.

Hope this helps!

[claireodon]

Does she have a cooked meal at school? I have a schoolie like this too! Mum did tell me that he refuses to eat dinner at home and just has a bowl of cereal instead. I don't provide separate meals - I provide dinner for everyone (I try to make meals that I know the children like) and if he chooses not to eat it then he goes without. I did used to feel bad but I don't now cos I have known him to clear his plate at my house when he is really hungry (much to mum's amazement!!) and as he has school dinners he is having a good meal every day anyway.

[nannymcflea]

I personally wouldn't start cooking different meals for this fussy kid. I'd compromise on parts but the main meal is what is being cooked and you can either add to or take from.

If the others see one getting special treatment for refusing healthy food you'll have them start too!

Talk about basic food she likes and then get her to try new foods,just a little of it,you never know.

My friend has a 3 year old that refuses meals,so,they give her bread and yoghurt instead, she has learned at a very young age to whinge then mum fusses and tries to get her to eat but always ends up with a treat in the end!

Sorry gone off on a tangent there!

[Blackhorse]

I personally wouldn't start cooking different meals for this fussy kid. I'd compromise on parts but the main meal is what is being cooked and you can either add to or take from.

If the others see one getting special treatment for refusing healthy food you'll have them start too!

Talk about basic food she likes and then get her to try new foods,just a little of it,you never know.

My friend has a 3 year old that refuses meals,so,they give her bread and yoghurt instead, she has learned at a very young age to whinge then mum fusses and tries to get her to eat but always ends up with a treat in the end!

Sorry gone off on a tangent there!

this is pretty much what I was thinking..

also she is the oldest of my mindees and the other LOs are copy-cats..LOL
I am worried that it will filter down though the ranks...and as you say I dont want them to have different things to eat...
I will work on the meals and make sure they is something there she will eat...also discuss it with mum...it is just every time I talk to her ...she says she eats everything!!...then we find something she doesnt mum says...oh yeah...that she doesnt eat!! ahhh

I just feel bad sending someone home hungry but I also dont want to start cooking seperate or changing to unhealthy food...

[uf353432]

I always ask the kids what they like to eat. I do my meal plans based on what they like to eat. Or I ask mum what they would normally eat on that particular night as alot of my parents tend to have specific meals on specific nights. I find that once you give them the meal they do like for a few weeks, then they trust the food you are offering and are then more likely to try new foods. If she likes chicken nuggets and chips - then you can make them healthy. Make your own nuggets and home made chips there is no reason why it can't be healthy.

[peanuts]

i dont do seperate meals for everyone even my own lot, they take what i am making or they go without. i take into account everyones likes and dislikes, they are all into toast after school at the moment so i go through about 2 loafs, ***** was asking form things about 5ish, as they were getting hungry, after the toast i dont know why as they always ate the most.
i have now stopped anyone snacking from 1/4 to 5 onwards as some swere still eating when it was pick up time.

[The Juggler]

Don't prepare separate meals for her. As I tell my lot, I'm not a cafe!

Iff she's old enough ask her. Ask her what her favourites are and her real dislikes. tell her she needs to eat at least xxx number of veg, what does she like.

Then your men only prepare foods that you know have ingredients she likes (even if she doesn't love them). my ds is terrible so if we have meatball pasta, he leaves the pasta or I might give him a bit of bread to go with it. One mindee only likes tinned sweetcorn but i don't do tinned veg so she eats only a few mouthfuls (progress as she woulnd't touch it when she started).

I found all my mindees fussy when they start eating with us but they get more accepting as they get used to the food. One of mine only liked macdonalds chips when he started, now he happily says my home made oven chips are the best. took a few years though

Maybe, do her favorite meal once a week (if she eats with you every day) then she has to accept the rest of the menu. She can't tell you she doesn't like any of it because you know she does!

LOL

[Blackhorse]

Thanks Juggler

Good advice.. Will chat with her today

oh and uf353432 I will make them homemade nuggets and chips as well...I know if I make them they will be healthy...in fact I might get them to help me make it...and also other foods as I think that this will help her eat better...!!

[The Juggler]

good luck!

[Roseolivia]

I have an after schooler who is really fussy so he gets sandwiches, ravioli, macaroni cheese or pizza instead of the lovely home cooked meals i make everynight. It used to bother me but as long as my daughter eats what i make i don't care, he can eat at home a hot meal. His sister will eat nearly anything i make so she always has a home cooked meal everynight.