Thursday 28 March 2013

What Can I Eat?

Does anyone else have a child who doesn't know the difference between breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner?

MissM drives me to distraction tho she's not a huge eater, she's no idea of what constitutes a meal and therefore grazes all day long - I've no idea how she copes during the week at school!

Our GP once said to me, along with many other wise people that no child willingly starves themselves, and that children eat when they brain tells them, not the clock. In fact, our GP said that MissM eats in a very healthy fashion - when she needs to and in small constant amounts.

OK I get that.

But this constant What Can I Eat Mum? drives me to distraction.

You'd think after years of my food suggestions, and the items in the pantry and fridge that MissM would get that a piece of fruit, or cheese'n'crackers, or a chunk of cucumber, or a muesli bar is going to get a yes more than crisps/chips, chocolate, biscuits/cookies, cake.

G is a HUGE nosher from way back and I seldom buy nosh as (a) he doesn't need it, and (b) I don't have a sweet tooth so don't really think about it when shopping and (c) if it's not in the house, no one can eat it, and (d) if it's not in the house MissM and I don't argue over when the appropriate time to nosh is.

The only nosh in the house is the stuff he smuggles in at night, or when he pops into the supermarket for milk.

There's no way I want MissM to have an eating disorder, nor would I wish upon her the outlaws physique but I'm finding myself saying things like 'if you keep eating that crap you'll get fat and get pimples' out of sheer exasperation.

MissM's food repertoire isn't great, it's not bad either, just wish it was more varied.

She eats no red meat (other than mince so I always buy organic from the butcher not the supermarket); will probably cluck just prior to puberty for all the chicken (organic) she eats; she seldom eats fish unless it's smoked salmon, or in a trout dip; she definitely takes after her father in terms of the amount of vegetables she doesn't eat, tho she's much better with salads. She's slowing down on fruit too!

She has a drawer of nosh to herself, it's got packet of Nori (seaweed), and crackers and Japanese nori biscuits/cookies and rice bars in it so she can (sort of) help herself.

See, just now - can i please have a packet of crisps? No, you may have a banana. I don't want a banana. Then have nothing. But I want crisps. No. You can have fruit, or cheese or Nori. But I want crisps. NO!

I think it's a control thing. She wants what she wants. I often want her to have something different.

The amount of sugar she has must be off the wall which in turn has to affect her (school is constantly talking about her lack of focus)

I guess my chat today is simply because it's nearly a week of school holidays gone already and OMG the amount of conversation time wasted on 'What Can I Eat' and what follows is doing my head in. She certainly doesn't have a bad diet, but the noshing/grazing issues are doing my head in.

We're not the only mother and daughter to discuss food so often or loudly but if anyone has any tips I'd be most appreciative.

With friendship
x




5 comments:

  1. Buy her a cookery book and get her cooking some homemade treats? Never as sugary and saccharine as shop-bought ones and being aware of the ingredients will maybe help her think about what she's eating? Licking the cake bowl HAS to be the best taste in the world, after all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a great idea Jude. We cook A LOT together so much so I bought quite a few 'safety' designed kitchen tools like graters with guards, and choppers. We cook cakes, muffins, schnitzel, fish cakes - she's also done a term of cooking as an after school activity. I think she prefers cooking more than eating what she makes tho :) x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stuff that works (sporadically) for us:

    1. Make a list of snacks she is allowed whenever she feels hungry, include simple things she can cook herself that you might consider a meal - sandwich, toast, scrambled or boiled eggs, noodles, pasta with cheese, beans on toast, pizza toast (these work for us, whatever works for you) - as well as the usual snack stuff like cheese n crackers, fruit, yogurt etc. Tape it to fridge/cupboard. Refer her to it whenever she asks. Doesn't stop her asking, changes the question tho' and gives her a visual 'choice' and control which is getting more important as they approach their tween years.

    2. Have a supply of homemade snacks that she likes available at all times (we make bread, bagels, banana bread, fruit muffins, juice ice pops, frozen yogurt pops, sweet potato crisps home made muffins/biscuits etc for this), some of these are like 'treats' and will help reduce the candy/chocolate/crisps requests or give you an attractive but healthier alternative to divert her to. Benefit is you also know what is in them and can make sure they are ones she eats.

    3. Breathe. She's a kid. They constantly push boundaries. She's found a new button on you!

    4. Something that works with Tasha is for me to openly acknowledge to her that she is trying to push my button on the snacks issue and tell her to stop. Takes herr pushing power away if I've put it out there!

    x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh and (I forgot this one), say to her' when you have had x (insert your preferred food choice here) you may have y (her preference). Often times I find my kids don't want y badly enough to eat x and I haven't said no so it reduces the black & white fight potential.

    x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks always for the great ideas Kristin :) Love the list on the fridge :) xo

    ReplyDelete