son refusing to eat

[Ratatosk]

Years ago my cousin was concerned with her youngest son's (no cf) eating habits. So she took him to the doctor/dietician and they took a look at what he was eating. Turns out, despite the repetitiveness of his food choices and his refusal to eat what the rest of the family was eating, for the most part, he was eating a well balanced meal. Peanut butter, yogurt, milk, fruit...

My son refuses to eat green beans, his pasta has to have butter on it -- no sauce, not meatballs. Hates chicken nuggets. But when I sit back an look at what he likes to eats -- fresh carrots & brocolli, peanuts & sunflower nuts, peanut butter, cheese, any kind of fruit, ham patties, pasta, hamburgers... It all seems to balance out. It's just so odd to us sometimes as parents because we LOVE to eat and he's such a picky eater. But I did the same thing. And I remember refusing to TOUCH green beans, which I love today.

 

[welshgirl]

when joe was un-diagnosed ( found out aged 6 ) all he ate was mashed potato and fromage frais . he STILL has fads and will eat one or two things daily for weeks on end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( sigh) then he'll go on to the next fad. the battle lines have been drawn and this is our life now<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> it's hard to force somebody to eat against their will, but what can you do ??? if we didn't have the dietary substitutes i dread to think how thin he would be.

 

[welshgirl]

when joe was un-diagnosed ( found out aged 6 ) all he ate was mashed potato and fromage frais . he STILL has fads and will eat one or two things daily for weeks on end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( sigh) then he'll go on to the next fad. the battle lines have been drawn and this is our life now<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> it's hard to force somebody to eat against their will, but what can you do ??? if we didn't have the dietary substitutes i dread to think how thin he would be.

 

[welshgirl]

when joe was un-diagnosed ( found out aged 6 ) all he ate was mashed potato and fromage frais . he STILL has fads and will eat one or two things daily for weeks on end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( sigh) then he'll go on to the next fad. the battle lines have been drawn and this is our life now<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> it's hard to force somebody to eat against their will, but what can you do ??? if we didn't have the dietary substitutes i dread to think how thin he would be.

 

[sweetwhite30]

I do not know what i would do with out the pediasure for him, i believe i would be driven bananas ,that supplement is a god send .He loves it but i would rather him eat a little more nutrious so he builds up his immune system a little better.i sneak vegetables in my spaghetti sauce but i just worry that maybe its not enough since we have recently had a battle with him losing weight.

 

[sweetwhite30]

I do not know what i would do with out the pediasure for him, i believe i would be driven bananas ,that supplement is a god send .He loves it but i would rather him eat a little more nutrious so he builds up his immune system a little better.i sneak vegetables in my spaghetti sauce but i just worry that maybe its not enough since we have recently had a battle with him losing weight.

 

[sweetwhite30]

I do not know what i would do with out the pediasure for him, i believe i would be driven bananas ,that supplement is a god send .He loves it but i would rather him eat a little more nutrious so he builds up his immune system a little better.i sneak vegetables in my spaghetti sauce but i just worry that maybe its not enough since we have recently had a battle with him losing weight.

 

[blopunky]

well, first off I'll tell you that all of mine(4) went through this!! granted all do not have cf, but as parents we are concerned about their health no matter what. It just makes it more of an issue. My son would only eat cheetos, cheese slices, chicken nuggets, fries, p.b.and j sandwhiches(NO crust) and fried deer steaks. Drank only milk!! I believe that it was the protein in the meat that helped the most. He changed his chip preference to bbq, slacked off on the cheese and I have to threaten him to drink his milk!!! I would love to say it isn't a daily battle to get him to eat-there are some days, usually saturdays that I can only get him to eat a few bites for most of the day. I get really upset at this point and have to pull myself back from an all out nag session! It's a fine line I think we walk between nagging and pushing them. How do you do it without making them hate to eat because it's just about all they hear?!!! Anyway-he is 4ft.2inches and weighs 59lbs. Only once has he been in nutritional failure, He grew taller-by the next visit he had gained and so far so good. He has never been on any kind of nutritional drink. I tried pediasure once and he refused. I myself wish I knew the magic way to get him to eat better. Who knows?
blopunky's mom<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">

 

[blopunky]

well, first off I'll tell you that all of mine(4) went through this!! granted all do not have cf, but as parents we are concerned about their health no matter what. It just makes it more of an issue. My son would only eat cheetos, cheese slices, chicken nuggets, fries, p.b.and j sandwhiches(NO crust) and fried deer steaks. Drank only milk!! I believe that it was the protein in the meat that helped the most. He changed his chip preference to bbq, slacked off on the cheese and I have to threaten him to drink his milk!!! I would love to say it isn't a daily battle to get him to eat-there are some days, usually saturdays that I can only get him to eat a few bites for most of the day. I get really upset at this point and have to pull myself back from an all out nag session! It's a fine line I think we walk between nagging and pushing them. How do you do it without making them hate to eat because it's just about all they hear?!!! Anyway-he is 4ft.2inches and weighs 59lbs. Only once has he been in nutritional failure, He grew taller-by the next visit he had gained and so far so good. He has never been on any kind of nutritional drink. I tried pediasure once and he refused. I myself wish I knew the magic way to get him to eat better. Who knows?
blopunky's mom<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">

 

[blopunky]

well, first off I'll tell you that all of mine(4) went through this!! granted all do not have cf, but as parents we are concerned about their health no matter what. It just makes it more of an issue. My son would only eat cheetos, cheese slices, chicken nuggets, fries, p.b.and j sandwhiches(NO crust) and fried deer steaks. Drank only milk!! I believe that it was the protein in the meat that helped the most. He changed his chip preference to bbq, slacked off on the cheese and I have to threaten him to drink his milk!!! I would love to say it isn't a daily battle to get him to eat-there are some days, usually saturdays that I can only get him to eat a few bites for most of the day. I get really upset at this point and have to pull myself back from an all out nag session! It's a fine line I think we walk between nagging and pushing them. How do you do it without making them hate to eat because it's just about all they hear?!!! Anyway-he is 4ft.2inches and weighs 59lbs. Only once has he been in nutritional failure, He grew taller-by the next visit he had gained and so far so good. He has never been on any kind of nutritional drink. I tried pediasure once and he refused. I myself wish I knew the magic way to get him to eat better. Who knows?
blopunky's mom<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">

 

[amber682]

I wanted to add that at my son's last clinic visit we were discussing his lack of weight gain and I told them how he refuses to eat most things. I told them the few things he eats and they said for me to just feed him whatever I know he'll eat. Get those calories in, even if he eats the same things over and over. He'll get plenty of vitamins and minerals from the 3-4 pediasures he drinks a day (one after every meal and one before bed). They said this is very normal with toddlers, and normally you don't have to worry much about it, it passes. But with a child with CF you start to worry because we're so concerned with keeping weight on CFers. So basically feed him what he'll eat, even if it seems like its the same things over and over. The problem with my son is he'd rather just drink Pediasure than eat, so they're kind of a blessing and a curse! Also, the docs told me not to give my son snacks between meals right now so he'll be really hungry by the time the next meal comes around. Also to give him milk after he eats so he doesn't fill up on it instead of food.

Anyway, just trying to say that I'm going through the same thing right now and I know how worrisome it can be. But it is normal and just let him eat what he wants til it passes. Maybe talking to your son's dietician/nutritionist at the CF center can ease your mind .<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[amber682]

I wanted to add that at my son's last clinic visit we were discussing his lack of weight gain and I told them how he refuses to eat most things. I told them the few things he eats and they said for me to just feed him whatever I know he'll eat. Get those calories in, even if he eats the same things over and over. He'll get plenty of vitamins and minerals from the 3-4 pediasures he drinks a day (one after every meal and one before bed). They said this is very normal with toddlers, and normally you don't have to worry much about it, it passes. But with a child with CF you start to worry because we're so concerned with keeping weight on CFers. So basically feed him what he'll eat, even if it seems like its the same things over and over. The problem with my son is he'd rather just drink Pediasure than eat, so they're kind of a blessing and a curse! Also, the docs told me not to give my son snacks between meals right now so he'll be really hungry by the time the next meal comes around. Also to give him milk after he eats so he doesn't fill up on it instead of food.

Anyway, just trying to say that I'm going through the same thing right now and I know how worrisome it can be. But it is normal and just let him eat what he wants til it passes. Maybe talking to your son's dietician/nutritionist at the CF center can ease your mind .<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[amber682]

I wanted to add that at my son's last clinic visit we were discussing his lack of weight gain and I told them how he refuses to eat most things. I told them the few things he eats and they said for me to just feed him whatever I know he'll eat. Get those calories in, even if he eats the same things over and over. He'll get plenty of vitamins and minerals from the 3-4 pediasures he drinks a day (one after every meal and one before bed). They said this is very normal with toddlers, and normally you don't have to worry much about it, it passes. But with a child with CF you start to worry because we're so concerned with keeping weight on CFers. So basically feed him what he'll eat, even if it seems like its the same things over and over. The problem with my son is he'd rather just drink Pediasure than eat, so they're kind of a blessing and a curse! Also, the docs told me not to give my son snacks between meals right now so he'll be really hungry by the time the next meal comes around. Also to give him milk after he eats so he doesn't fill up on it instead of food.

Anyway, just trying to say that I'm going through the same thing right now and I know how worrisome it can be. But it is normal and just let him eat what he wants til it passes. Maybe talking to your son's dietician/nutritionist at the CF center can ease your mind .<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[sweetwhite30]

I talked to them this morning and they told me not to allow him to go over his 3 pediasures a day and i think maybe i am making the mistake there because i feel if he wont eat at least he gets nutrition from it he really rather live off the pediasures then eat but today i got pizza in him ,i was so happy he ate something solid today.....

 

[sweetwhite30]

I talked to them this morning and they told me not to allow him to go over his 3 pediasures a day and i think maybe i am making the mistake there because i feel if he wont eat at least he gets nutrition from it he really rather live off the pediasures then eat but today i got pizza in him ,i was so happy he ate something solid today.....

 

[sweetwhite30]

I talked to them this morning and they told me not to allow him to go over his 3 pediasures a day and i think maybe i am making the mistake there because i feel if he wont eat at least he gets nutrition from it he really rather live off the pediasures then eat but today i got pizza in him ,i was so happy he ate something solid today.....

 

[amber682]

I have the same problem. Its a bad cycle. He doesn't want to eat so I give him Pediasure because I'm afraid he'll wither away without it. He gets most of his calories from it. But then he knows he gets pediasure and doesn't want to eat! He likes milk just as much but I'm afraid of losing all the calories switching from pediasure to milk, but then again maybe that would make him hungrier and he'd eat more. Uggg!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">

 

[amber682]

I have the same problem. Its a bad cycle. He doesn't want to eat so I give him Pediasure because I'm afraid he'll wither away without it. He gets most of his calories from it. But then he knows he gets pediasure and doesn't want to eat! He likes milk just as much but I'm afraid of losing all the calories switching from pediasure to milk, but then again maybe that would make him hungrier and he'd eat more. Uggg!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">

 

[amber682]

I have the same problem. Its a bad cycle. He doesn't want to eat so I give him Pediasure because I'm afraid he'll wither away without it. He gets most of his calories from it. But then he knows he gets pediasure and doesn't want to eat! He likes milk just as much but I'm afraid of losing all the calories switching from pediasure to milk, but then again maybe that would make him hungrier and he'd eat more. Uggg!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">

 

[sweetwhite30]

I went through a enitre day today after we went to the mall and he ate pizza i gave him his pediasure and when we got home oh my god! he was screaming after i told him he had to wait until after dinner to get another one , i broke done and cryed and i think why oh why must i battle about this so i made a deaL and it kinda worked out , i told him if you eat a sandwhich ill give you a pediasure so he threw a fit but in 10 minutes he gobbled that sandwhich up and got his pediasure,it is frustrating to have to come up with new tactics but as i saw yesterday it was all worth it.