Picky eater with a g tube

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BabyBeauty

New member
I am hitting a wall with my kiddo! She is almost 22 months old and will NOT try anything new. Here is the issue, she doesn't have to eat anything she doesn't want to b/c she knows she will be pumped afterwards through her gtube. Any suggestions????
 
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BabyBeauty

New member
I am hitting a wall with my kiddo! She is almost 22 months old and will NOT try anything new. Here is the issue, she doesn't have to eat anything she doesn't want to b/c she knows she will be pumped afterwards through her gtube. Any suggestions????
 
B

BabyBeauty

New member
I am hitting a wall with my kiddo! She is almost 22 months old and will NOT try anything new. Here is the issue, she doesn't have to eat anything she doesn't want to b/c she knows she will be pumped afterwards through her gtube. Any suggestions????
 
B

BabyBeauty

New member
I am hitting a wall with my kiddo! She is almost 22 months old and will NOT try anything new. Here is the issue, she doesn't have to eat anything she doesn't want to b/c she knows she will be pumped afterwards through her gtube. Any suggestions????
 
B

BabyBeauty

New member
I am hitting a wall with my kiddo! She is almost 22 months old and will NOT try anything new. Here is the issue, she doesn't have to eat anything she doesn't want to b/c she knows she will be pumped afterwards through her gtube. Any suggestions????
 
L

LisaGreene

New member
Welcome to the world of toddlers!! If this is your first child, you might be thinking that it's a CF issue. As a parenting expert <i>and</i> mom of 2 kids with CF, let me assure you that it's a normal part of the development stage your child is at; almost all kids go through this at some point.

That being said, having CF certainly makes things more complicated. There are several things that you should and should not be doing around food issues and I am SO GLAD you are asking this now, before bad habits get ingrained and then it's much harder to deal with.

So! I have several articles about this VERY important issue on my website under "<b>www.TipsForCFParents.com</b>". Go to <b>food issues.</b> You will find many good, practical tips to help with this. Others will respond as well with creative ideas. And that's what it takes: patience, creativity and self-control (showing frustration is a big mistake).

Good luck and hang in there! This is very normal... I think it helps to know that....

Hugs!
Lisa
 
L

LisaGreene

New member
Welcome to the world of toddlers!! If this is your first child, you might be thinking that it's a CF issue. As a parenting expert <i>and</i> mom of 2 kids with CF, let me assure you that it's a normal part of the development stage your child is at; almost all kids go through this at some point.

That being said, having CF certainly makes things more complicated. There are several things that you should and should not be doing around food issues and I am SO GLAD you are asking this now, before bad habits get ingrained and then it's much harder to deal with.

So! I have several articles about this VERY important issue on my website under "<b>www.TipsForCFParents.com</b>". Go to <b>food issues.</b> You will find many good, practical tips to help with this. Others will respond as well with creative ideas. And that's what it takes: patience, creativity and self-control (showing frustration is a big mistake).

Good luck and hang in there! This is very normal... I think it helps to know that....

Hugs!
Lisa
 
L

LisaGreene

New member
Welcome to the world of toddlers!! If this is your first child, you might be thinking that it's a CF issue. As a parenting expert <i>and</i> mom of 2 kids with CF, let me assure you that it's a normal part of the development stage your child is at; almost all kids go through this at some point.

That being said, having CF certainly makes things more complicated. There are several things that you should and should not be doing around food issues and I am SO GLAD you are asking this now, before bad habits get ingrained and then it's much harder to deal with.

So! I have several articles about this VERY important issue on my website under "<b>www.TipsForCFParents.com</b>". Go to <b>food issues.</b> You will find many good, practical tips to help with this. Others will respond as well with creative ideas. And that's what it takes: patience, creativity and self-control (showing frustration is a big mistake).

Good luck and hang in there! This is very normal... I think it helps to know that....

Hugs!
Lisa
 
L

LisaGreene

New member
Welcome to the world of toddlers!! If this is your first child, you might be thinking that it's a CF issue. As a parenting expert <i>and</i> mom of 2 kids with CF, let me assure you that it's a normal part of the development stage your child is at; almost all kids go through this at some point.

That being said, having CF certainly makes things more complicated. There are several things that you should and should not be doing around food issues and I am SO GLAD you are asking this now, before bad habits get ingrained and then it's much harder to deal with.

So! I have several articles about this VERY important issue on my website under "<b>www.TipsForCFParents.com</b>". Go to <b>food issues.</b> You will find many good, practical tips to help with this. Others will respond as well with creative ideas. And that's what it takes: patience, creativity and self-control (showing frustration is a big mistake).

Good luck and hang in there! This is very normal... I think it helps to know that....

Hugs!
Lisa
 
L

LisaGreene

New member
Welcome to the world of toddlers!! If this is your first child, you might be thinking that it's a CF issue. As a parenting expert <i>and</i> mom of 2 kids with CF, let me assure you that it's a normal part of the development stage your child is at; almost all kids go through this at some point.
<br />
<br />That being said, having CF certainly makes things more complicated. There are several things that you should and should not be doing around food issues and I am SO GLAD you are asking this now, before bad habits get ingrained and then it's much harder to deal with.
<br />
<br />So! I have several articles about this VERY important issue on my website under "<b>www.TipsForCFParents.com</b>". Go to <b>food issues.</b> You will find many good, practical tips to help with this. Others will respond as well with creative ideas. And that's what it takes: patience, creativity and self-control (showing frustration is a big mistake).
<br />
<br />Good luck and hang in there! This is very normal... I think it helps to know that....
<br />
<br />Hugs!
<br />Lisa
 
H

hmw

New member
One thing I can think of right off the top of my head is that kids often need a 'new' food introduced several times before they will really eat it. After seeing it several times (and you not making a big deal about it) they might end up trying it. It often takes us as adults a while to develop a taste for something; for kids even more so.

Can you wait a while before finishing the feeding through her gtube... therefore letting her better experience feeling hungry enough to eat until she is full? Or instead of finishing each meal through her tube, replacing those calories with a planned tube feeding inbetween meals to reinforce the idea that at lunchtime (or whatever) it's time to eat? Of course, I'm not suggesting leaving her hungry and screaming but it's just an idea.

Kids probably cause more battles over food than any other issue... it's one of the only things they have real control over when they are that age. We can make them do so many things whether they want to do them or not but for the most part we cannot make them eat when they don't want to, and they know it. And we don't want to force them, otherwise we are setting them up for a lifetime of food issues; but at the same time they do need to learn good eating habits. So it turns into constantly having to learn new tricks to outwit them and teach them as they hit new developmental stages. I hope you have success with this!
 
H

hmw

New member
One thing I can think of right off the top of my head is that kids often need a 'new' food introduced several times before they will really eat it. After seeing it several times (and you not making a big deal about it) they might end up trying it. It often takes us as adults a while to develop a taste for something; for kids even more so.

Can you wait a while before finishing the feeding through her gtube... therefore letting her better experience feeling hungry enough to eat until she is full? Or instead of finishing each meal through her tube, replacing those calories with a planned tube feeding inbetween meals to reinforce the idea that at lunchtime (or whatever) it's time to eat? Of course, I'm not suggesting leaving her hungry and screaming but it's just an idea.

Kids probably cause more battles over food than any other issue... it's one of the only things they have real control over when they are that age. We can make them do so many things whether they want to do them or not but for the most part we cannot make them eat when they don't want to, and they know it. And we don't want to force them, otherwise we are setting them up for a lifetime of food issues; but at the same time they do need to learn good eating habits. So it turns into constantly having to learn new tricks to outwit them and teach them as they hit new developmental stages. I hope you have success with this!
 
H

hmw

New member
One thing I can think of right off the top of my head is that kids often need a 'new' food introduced several times before they will really eat it. After seeing it several times (and you not making a big deal about it) they might end up trying it. It often takes us as adults a while to develop a taste for something; for kids even more so.

Can you wait a while before finishing the feeding through her gtube... therefore letting her better experience feeling hungry enough to eat until she is full? Or instead of finishing each meal through her tube, replacing those calories with a planned tube feeding inbetween meals to reinforce the idea that at lunchtime (or whatever) it's time to eat? Of course, I'm not suggesting leaving her hungry and screaming but it's just an idea.

Kids probably cause more battles over food than any other issue... it's one of the only things they have real control over when they are that age. We can make them do so many things whether they want to do them or not but for the most part we cannot make them eat when they don't want to, and they know it. And we don't want to force them, otherwise we are setting them up for a lifetime of food issues; but at the same time they do need to learn good eating habits. So it turns into constantly having to learn new tricks to outwit them and teach them as they hit new developmental stages. I hope you have success with this!
 
H

hmw

New member
One thing I can think of right off the top of my head is that kids often need a 'new' food introduced several times before they will really eat it. After seeing it several times (and you not making a big deal about it) they might end up trying it. It often takes us as adults a while to develop a taste for something; for kids even more so.

Can you wait a while before finishing the feeding through her gtube... therefore letting her better experience feeling hungry enough to eat until she is full? Or instead of finishing each meal through her tube, replacing those calories with a planned tube feeding inbetween meals to reinforce the idea that at lunchtime (or whatever) it's time to eat? Of course, I'm not suggesting leaving her hungry and screaming but it's just an idea.

Kids probably cause more battles over food than any other issue... it's one of the only things they have real control over when they are that age. We can make them do so many things whether they want to do them or not but for the most part we cannot make them eat when they don't want to, and they know it. And we don't want to force them, otherwise we are setting them up for a lifetime of food issues; but at the same time they do need to learn good eating habits. So it turns into constantly having to learn new tricks to outwit them and teach them as they hit new developmental stages. I hope you have success with this!
 
H

hmw

New member
One thing I can think of right off the top of my head is that kids often need a 'new' food introduced several times before they will really eat it. After seeing it several times (and you not making a big deal about it) they might end up trying it. It often takes us as adults a while to develop a taste for something; for kids even more so.
<br />
<br />Can you wait a while before finishing the feeding through her gtube... therefore letting her better experience feeling hungry enough to eat until she is full? Or instead of finishing each meal through her tube, replacing those calories with a planned tube feeding inbetween meals to reinforce the idea that at lunchtime (or whatever) it's time to eat? Of course, I'm not suggesting leaving her hungry and screaming but it's just an idea.
<br />
<br />Kids probably cause more battles over food than any other issue... it's one of the only things they have real control over when they are that age. We can make them do so many things whether they want to do them or not but for the most part we cannot make them eat when they don't want to, and they know it. And we don't want to force them, otherwise we are setting them up for a lifetime of food issues; but at the same time they do need to learn good eating habits. So it turns into constantly having to learn new tricks to outwit them and teach them as they hit new developmental stages. I hope you have success with this!
 
I

izemmom

New member
Hee Hee HEe..I saw your topic and clicked on the thread just to see if there was a picture of my daughter! It certainly describes her! Actually, she's not really picky. She likes LOTS of things, she just wants to be done eating after two bites.

And, in all fairness this has gotten a LOT better as she's gotten older. She was just a little bit older than your daughter when she got her tube, and at first it was a struggle. But, we knew she was getting what she needed from her feeds overnight, so we just tried to relax about it. We had to train the daycare staff to let her just eat what she wanted and not push too much, too. It was tough for a while.

She's four now, and is really interested in helping to make dinner, pack her lunch for school, pick out snacks, so that really helps. She is very interested in trying new things and new combinations of food. Last night she announced that chicken, spinach and cashews are "awesome together!" I have to agree! She's become a HUGE meat eater - she'd eat steak every night if I could afford it. And she loves things that my older daughter (no cf) won' t touch like chicken cordon bleu, boccolli, spinach, and paremesan cheese - in chunks
! Yes, she's weird.

SO, I guess my only advice is to try not to worry about it too much. SHe's a toddler, and this is what they do. If you make sure she gets the nutrition she needs, teach her to make smart choices about what she WILL eat, and keep meal times relaxed and happy, she'll grow out of this very frustraing stage. It's not easy, I know, but it will pass.
 
I

izemmom

New member
Hee Hee HEe..I saw your topic and clicked on the thread just to see if there was a picture of my daughter! It certainly describes her! Actually, she's not really picky. She likes LOTS of things, she just wants to be done eating after two bites.

And, in all fairness this has gotten a LOT better as she's gotten older. She was just a little bit older than your daughter when she got her tube, and at first it was a struggle. But, we knew she was getting what she needed from her feeds overnight, so we just tried to relax about it. We had to train the daycare staff to let her just eat what she wanted and not push too much, too. It was tough for a while.

She's four now, and is really interested in helping to make dinner, pack her lunch for school, pick out snacks, so that really helps. She is very interested in trying new things and new combinations of food. Last night she announced that chicken, spinach and cashews are "awesome together!" I have to agree! She's become a HUGE meat eater - she'd eat steak every night if I could afford it. And she loves things that my older daughter (no cf) won' t touch like chicken cordon bleu, boccolli, spinach, and paremesan cheese - in chunks
! Yes, she's weird.

SO, I guess my only advice is to try not to worry about it too much. SHe's a toddler, and this is what they do. If you make sure she gets the nutrition she needs, teach her to make smart choices about what she WILL eat, and keep meal times relaxed and happy, she'll grow out of this very frustraing stage. It's not easy, I know, but it will pass.
 
I

izemmom

New member
Hee Hee HEe..I saw your topic and clicked on the thread just to see if there was a picture of my daughter! It certainly describes her! Actually, she's not really picky. She likes LOTS of things, she just wants to be done eating after two bites.

And, in all fairness this has gotten a LOT better as she's gotten older. She was just a little bit older than your daughter when she got her tube, and at first it was a struggle. But, we knew she was getting what she needed from her feeds overnight, so we just tried to relax about it. We had to train the daycare staff to let her just eat what she wanted and not push too much, too. It was tough for a while.

She's four now, and is really interested in helping to make dinner, pack her lunch for school, pick out snacks, so that really helps. She is very interested in trying new things and new combinations of food. Last night she announced that chicken, spinach and cashews are "awesome together!" I have to agree! She's become a HUGE meat eater - she'd eat steak every night if I could afford it. And she loves things that my older daughter (no cf) won' t touch like chicken cordon bleu, boccolli, spinach, and paremesan cheese - in chunks
! Yes, she's weird.

SO, I guess my only advice is to try not to worry about it too much. SHe's a toddler, and this is what they do. If you make sure she gets the nutrition she needs, teach her to make smart choices about what she WILL eat, and keep meal times relaxed and happy, she'll grow out of this very frustraing stage. It's not easy, I know, but it will pass.
 
I

izemmom

New member
Hee Hee HEe..I saw your topic and clicked on the thread just to see if there was a picture of my daughter! It certainly describes her! Actually, she's not really picky. She likes LOTS of things, she just wants to be done eating after two bites.

And, in all fairness this has gotten a LOT better as she's gotten older. She was just a little bit older than your daughter when she got her tube, and at first it was a struggle. But, we knew she was getting what she needed from her feeds overnight, so we just tried to relax about it. We had to train the daycare staff to let her just eat what she wanted and not push too much, too. It was tough for a while.

She's four now, and is really interested in helping to make dinner, pack her lunch for school, pick out snacks, so that really helps. She is very interested in trying new things and new combinations of food. Last night she announced that chicken, spinach and cashews are "awesome together!" I have to agree! She's become a HUGE meat eater - she'd eat steak every night if I could afford it. And she loves things that my older daughter (no cf) won' t touch like chicken cordon bleu, boccolli, spinach, and paremesan cheese - in chunks
! Yes, she's weird.

SO, I guess my only advice is to try not to worry about it too much. SHe's a toddler, and this is what they do. If you make sure she gets the nutrition she needs, teach her to make smart choices about what she WILL eat, and keep meal times relaxed and happy, she'll grow out of this very frustraing stage. It's not easy, I know, but it will pass.
 
I

izemmom

New member
Hee Hee HEe..I saw your topic and clicked on the thread just to see if there was a picture of my daughter! It certainly describes her! Actually, she's not really picky. She likes LOTS of things, she just wants to be done eating after two bites.
<br />
<br />And, in all fairness this has gotten a LOT better as she's gotten older. She was just a little bit older than your daughter when she got her tube, and at first it was a struggle. But, we knew she was getting what she needed from her feeds overnight, so we just tried to relax about it. We had to train the daycare staff to let her just eat what she wanted and not push too much, too. It was tough for a while.
<br />
<br />She's four now, and is really interested in helping to make dinner, pack her lunch for school, pick out snacks, so that really helps. She is very interested in trying new things and new combinations of food. Last night she announced that chicken, spinach and cashews are "awesome together!" I have to agree! She's become a HUGE meat eater - she'd eat steak every night if I could afford it. And she loves things that my older daughter (no cf) won' t touch like chicken cordon bleu, boccolli, spinach, and paremesan cheese - in chunks
<br />! Yes, she's weird.
<br />
<br />SO, I guess my only advice is to try not to worry about it too much. SHe's a toddler, and this is what they do. If you make sure she gets the nutrition she needs, teach her to make smart choices about what she WILL eat, and keep meal times relaxed and happy, she'll grow out of this very frustraing stage. It's not easy, I know, but it will pass.
 
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