My son is 14 years old, and he will NOT eat something he doesn't like. He will (and for years has) pretty much puked his guts up if we forced him to eat something he was not interested in. For a long time, I worked so much and was a single mom so it didnt make sense to make something that was not liked by him, for him to eat. There were just the two of us and I was working 12 hour days, so I just got what we would both eat, so not to waste anything. That was only a 2-3 year period when he was 4 or 5 to 7ish.
We used to fight over it, but to be honest I just started making allowances for him to a point, because he would literally throw up all over the place. I dont know. Maybe that was where I went wrong, but its too far behind to go back and change that.
Generally we do alright, but this past month, our mortgage company double billed us, and we ended up unexpectedly with having to stretch a week's worth of food plus pantry remanants for a month. Out of my three kids and husband and I, nobody even blinked an eye except my teen. He skipped every meal that I did not hover over his head to eat, and he is home a bit by himself when I am in class and my husband is at work so there are meals he was expected to eat. He literally would rather starve than eat something that he does not like. I always thought that he would reach a point where he would be hungry enough, but if that was going to happen it would have happened this week.
I guess I'm just ranting. I tried to explain to him how bad off we were and how I really couldnt give him any other options, and he is old enough to understand that, but he still just flat out did not care.
We're still in a financial bind, but its payday, and I tried to get him involved in helping me make up a menu (trying to do the whole freezer foods/bulk meal buying thing to make things stretch a little further this month). He basically said every single thing on the list I showed him (it was like 200 items) he would not eat, and to give him hamburgers (no filler have to be 100% beef or he wont eat them), and ramen and cereal. Thats it. He wouldn't even consider anything else. I have a few things that I can get him to eat that we make, but they are FAR from inexpensive. Anything with a sauce or onions or anything mixed with vegetables he simply refuses to eat.
With my younger girls (ages 1 and 3) I can pretty much work with them and get them to eat what we're eating, but he's old enough that he has his own mind and is very posessive of his autonomy. ugh. I don't know. This wouldnt even be an issue if we were not in such horrific financial shape right now. I've hidden veggies in his meals before without him knowing it, made healthier versions of things he likes ect, but it all just takes so much more money than making a big casserole or whatnot.
I just wish he would understand our situation a little more, and eat better. He's VERY skinny too because of his picky eating behavior. Not just athletically thin but skin and bones (although part of it is genetic because i've never seen him weigh much no matter what food I put in front of him)
Anyone else have a similar situation? Do you just let them pick and chose? At what point do you force the issue? Do you worry about their health?
I wonder if he were more athletic and outside more often, if his appetite would be better, but we do not live in a very safe neighborhood and he hates sports. I dunno maybe when his testosterone levels go up at some point he will get hungrier?
We used to fight over it, but to be honest I just started making allowances for him to a point, because he would literally throw up all over the place. I dont know. Maybe that was where I went wrong, but its too far behind to go back and change that.
Generally we do alright, but this past month, our mortgage company double billed us, and we ended up unexpectedly with having to stretch a week's worth of food plus pantry remanants for a month. Out of my three kids and husband and I, nobody even blinked an eye except my teen. He skipped every meal that I did not hover over his head to eat, and he is home a bit by himself when I am in class and my husband is at work so there are meals he was expected to eat. He literally would rather starve than eat something that he does not like. I always thought that he would reach a point where he would be hungry enough, but if that was going to happen it would have happened this week.
I guess I'm just ranting. I tried to explain to him how bad off we were and how I really couldnt give him any other options, and he is old enough to understand that, but he still just flat out did not care.
We're still in a financial bind, but its payday, and I tried to get him involved in helping me make up a menu (trying to do the whole freezer foods/bulk meal buying thing to make things stretch a little further this month). He basically said every single thing on the list I showed him (it was like 200 items) he would not eat, and to give him hamburgers (no filler have to be 100% beef or he wont eat them), and ramen and cereal. Thats it. He wouldn't even consider anything else. I have a few things that I can get him to eat that we make, but they are FAR from inexpensive. Anything with a sauce or onions or anything mixed with vegetables he simply refuses to eat.
With my younger girls (ages 1 and 3) I can pretty much work with them and get them to eat what we're eating, but he's old enough that he has his own mind and is very posessive of his autonomy. ugh. I don't know. This wouldnt even be an issue if we were not in such horrific financial shape right now. I've hidden veggies in his meals before without him knowing it, made healthier versions of things he likes ect, but it all just takes so much more money than making a big casserole or whatnot.
I just wish he would understand our situation a little more, and eat better. He's VERY skinny too because of his picky eating behavior. Not just athletically thin but skin and bones (although part of it is genetic because i've never seen him weigh much no matter what food I put in front of him)
Anyone else have a similar situation? Do you just let them pick and chose? At what point do you force the issue? Do you worry about their health?
I wonder if he were more athletic and outside more often, if his appetite would be better, but we do not live in a very safe neighborhood and he hates sports. I dunno maybe when his testosterone levels go up at some point he will get hungrier?
Separate your finances from his eating habits. There are a lot of kids in the same financial situation right now who don't have his particular food issue.
