It surely happen and most of the time, it's repeatable.
For me, it's part of parenting moment to deal with.
From the experience with my son Josh, there were several things cause the eating time to be hard:
1. Irregular bowel time.
Ensure Josh have a regular morning bowel is become one of priority things to do.
Otherwise, he will feel his stomach full and not comfort.
2. Non scheduled eating time.
We heard about 3 times meals and 2 times snack suggested on a day. But we shall be wise on the portion and time also.
For my lil Josh, a time length between daily meal shall be 2-3hours, while from the last eating time to dinner, shall be around +/- 5hours.
3. An Ulcer appears on mouth.
Hard to chew, feeling hurt. No wonder Josh keep his mouth locked
4. Illness - cold, runny nose, cough, etc.
Appetite may gone during this moment - same like adult felt when illness came.
5. Just get bored with the type of Food.
As I can remember, Here my way when the fussy eater son visiting me:
1. Put my self on Josh's shoes.
That will ease me when feeding him and help me learn to appreciate and remind me that he just human being with a multiple choice in front of him.
2. Change the menu, search for an idea for something he like.
Choose the simple one. So when he still reject me, I could easily accept it.
3. Be flexible - Subsitute the food.
Let says Josh hard to chew the meat, just subsitute with a boil egg, grill fish, etc.
Or if he has no appetite for rice, I switch to corn or potato.
I knew he like a crispy thing, I did fried a potato once, while he happily feed him self, in the middle, I spoon the other items serve on plate (like veggie, fish, etc)
4. Delay the eating time. Wait for him to come for Food.
Dinner time always challenge me. He barely fussy for the lunch unless he got sick.
Let say, Josh having his last snack at 1.30pm. Having a nap time till 4.30pm. Instead of having he eat at 5.30, I will wait till 6 or 6.30pm.
If he looked hungry and feel hungry
-> he will asked and searched for food.
-> you can feel that his hand and feet quite cold - not warm. This physical condition sometime help me to identified that his body need a food to keep burning.
Usually, Josh never want to ate a heavier food when he awake, therefore I always offered 2 pieces small cookies (mouth bite size) or 1/4 cup of fruit.
5. Have a reasonable range of eating schedule.
If the lunch time schedule is 12pm, then the lastest snack shall be 10am. Otherwise Josh will still feeling full. Give a span of time to their stomach for doing proper digestion.
6. Create a comfort eating moment.
Don't showed my stressful look. Give him a smile and courage.
7. Be flexible on feeding way.
For example: if I usually used spoon and plate, suddenly in the middle, I changed using a chopstick.
If he refuse drinking milk from the sprout, I will put on the bowl and put some cereal and spoon him. Then if he stop again, I will offered him to sprout from the bowl.
8. Be an example for him. Josh on the imitating phase.
We tried to eat on the same time and table.
For the new food, I tried to ate in front of him, so he will get curios and asked for it.
If I want him to drink water from his bottle, I will used another bottle and drink it also. So he will be happy on following me.
9. Offers Kerupuk udang (chips made from flour with shrimp) or Abon (shreaded meat that has been boiled and fried) with the meals.
Hahaha. This always work out whenever he just bored with the menu. Don't put too much, just a bit on the top of his spoon. Josh love a fried and chips (but who doesn't?).
When he was below one years old, sometimes I put a Gerber graduate star puff into his meal, and yes he did like it.
10. Change eating situation. - Let him played with his toys or create a new play or let him play with the household item and the last choice - watched the dvd i.e. kid's song, Barney, Baby Einstein, etc or very last choice - played on Ipad.
I let Josh put the peanut into the bottle one by one, it will distract him for refusing to eat. Let him play with the rubber asked him put into the bottle.
Let him watch the Kids song or yes, the last choice played on Ipad. If Josh still refuse to eat on the last choice, that really means - "I'm not hungry mom!" So better stop the meal time. I will offer him again 1hour later.
11. Playdate with friend
Whenever we visit a friend, his appetite seem to be back.
12. Have him played vigorously before eating time.
for example. 1-2hours before meal time, let him played in the child pool, walk around neighbor, visit the near store - we have minimart, piano store, etc.
13. Eat outside.
Can go to the nearer restaurant.
Can bring him to other house for eat. Let say, I bring Josh to my mommy house. Different hand, gave a different taste to the food.
14. Pray! May God help me and him ^^/. (which shall be the first)
When the illness times comes, another challenging phase - where only few items can be swallowed by him:
1. Boil egg/ Steam egg
2. Soup with rice or Chinese noddle (he didn't like porridge)
3. Milk
4. a soft and easy chew fruit
I applied above tips based on each condition and yes, I found it not easy to dealing with fussy eater.
If I have tried what I could and he still refuse to eat, then just try to accept it.
Work better for both of us not fall into the madness.
When on hunger, he will search for food. I, a mommy, forgot this many times, failed to applied it, and worried too much of he did not eating enough food.
The day won't stay forever. Surely come when he knew the delicacy of the food.
Here my way, what yours?
P.S. Always have two spoon on the plate. One for him, one for me. He will learn to eat.
Don't expect that he will eat all, Sometime he just touch what he want.
But I can always spoon the other in the mean time (when he tried to spoon on his own).
Have a nice meal everyone ^^/
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