I'm failing my kids!

DawnieB1977

My kids are 5, 3 and 4 months. Obviously the baby doesn't eat yet, but the big two eat what we have. If we don't have it, tough.

I don't ever buy juice, they just drink water or milk, and occasionally I'll make them a hot chocolate with cocoa and milk. I buy weetabix for this breakfast, or they have egg, or toast, or porridge. My eldest goes to school and has a piece of fruit at break time, and a school lunch. He usually goes for jacket potato with tuna. For dinner they eat whatever we have...stir fry, chicken/fish and veg.. They sometimes have low fat natural yogurt after. My 3 year old goes to nursery 3 days a week and eats there. At home she'll have apple and peanut butter as a snack and tuna sandwich for lunch.

They do have treats sometimes, like a small ice cream on the seafront, or a packet of hula hoops, but I prefer to make something myself, so I might make a cake or cookies at the weekend, so that's my treat day too.

In my son's class last year they talked about healthy eating, and now both of them constantly ask me what's healthy and what's not, and after watching 'Cloudy with a chance of meatballs' they talk about cheeseburgers making people fat and big lol.

I've never taken them anywhere like McDonald's.

We're the adults, the parents, we're in charge, and I want my children to know about eating healthily, but also that they can have treats in moderation.

P.S they also love smoothies with banana, mango, blueberries etc. Great way to get their fruit in.

_SantaClause

Not buying more juice is a good idea. Having it occassionally is probably fine but the acidity from the citrus juices is really hard on their teeth if they are drinking it all day. Some moms I know still buy juice for their kids but water it down - like a ratio of 50/50.

Regarding lunches - have you considered trying a bento box style lunch? Maybe if they are more "fun", it would increase the rate of consumption.

It's what they have pretty much, it has 3 compartments.

I tried nuts, they don't really like them.. they don't like pickles and cuties. It's actually funny because they eat really well at dinner, but if you ask them to eat those foods any other time, they will refuse.

But I'll keep trying I guess...

Keep making excuses...that's working well.

Krikit34

Are they really picky, or are they used to whining until they get what they want? Tastes can change. I used to hate pretty much all veggies and had to force myself to eat them. Now, I enjoy most of them. I was also a sugar addict - pop and anything super sugary. Now pop (soda) and many store-bought sugary treats - like cupcakes - are way to sweet to me. They will whine for awhile, but they can get used to snacks they "don't like".

As for yogurt - I make mine with a large container of plain fat-free yogurt and mix in a package of fat-free, sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix. You can use other flavors as well.

You can also buy almonds that are coated with a little vanilla or cocoa that adds just a little sweetness.

Breakfast - it takes me no time to make an egg and throw it on an english muffin every morning with a slice of cheese. You can even cook the egg in a coffee mug in the microwave in 1 minute. Other breakfast options - a bagel, english muffin with pb, or start with LESS sugary cereals to start backing off.

This is not about your kids choices...it's about yours.

PrizePopple

My kids are 7 and 9, and pretty much if they won't eat it then they can go hungry. The extent of "sugary" food in this house is granola bars. Their school lunch policy forbids "junk" food, and they have a gram limit on sugars. Both my girls are now fairly well aware of things that are excessively sugar laden - like yogurt cups, and "fruit juice" drinks. My eldest picked one up today at Wal-Mart and promptly exclaimed "It has more sugar than a can of soda!"

My 7 year old wanted just a cheese sandwich for lunch. She was told no in no uncertain terms. She had to add lettuce and turkey slices. She ate it with no further complaints. Both of them wanted at the granola bars, and again we told them no. They were directed towards the fruit and a bowl of baby carrots. They ate all the remaining carrots in the bowl.

Not to be totally harsh and blunt, but you're the parent ... act like it. Don't buy it, and if they give you lip or sneak then deal with it an appropriate manner. You admit they have no willpower (they're kids, being impulsive is pretty normal), and yet you bring things into the home that you know are doing them a disservice. That's a dangerous path, and I think you're aware of that.

FredDoyle

They'll eat if they're hungry and sleep if they're tired.

corgicake

Their weight is fine, if anything they are both pretty skinny, but I don't want them to have horrible eating habits for later...
...
They are 6.5, by the way.

What they're doing is working for a reason - they're probably active. Encourage them to stay active and get them to try some of the fruits and veggies that usually don't make it into their coloring books. There is no such thing as a universal set of "adult" eating habits and for all anyone knows right now what they do now might not be far off from what they need then.

Camo_xxx

I like the idea of you are not just raising kids but traning adults.

Francl27

If they don't eat the sandwiches you provide them for lunch, what do they eat? Do they buy junk with their pocket money?

Just the fruit and the cookie I sometimes give them.

Keep making excuses...that's working well.

Yeah clearly I'm making excuses for what my kids won't eat, because it's my fault they don't like some things.

Are they really picky, or are they used to whining until they get what they want? Tastes can change. I used to hate pretty much all veggies and had to force myself to eat them. Now, I enjoy most of them. I was also a sugar addict - pop and anything super sugary. Now pop (soda) and many store-bought sugary treats - like cupcakes - are way to sweet to me. They will whine for awhile, but they can get used to snacks they "don't like".

As for yogurt - I make mine with a large container of plain fat-free yogurt and mix in a package of fat-free, sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix. You can use other flavors as well.

You can also buy almonds that are coated with a little vanilla or cocoa that adds just a little sweetness.

Breakfast - it takes me no time to make an egg and throw it on an english muffin every morning with a slice of cheese. You can even cook the egg in a coffee mug in the microwave in 1 minute. Other breakfast options - a bagel, english muffin with pb, or start with LESS sugary cereals to start backing off.

This is not about your kids choices...it's about yours.

Yeah but what good does it do if they go to school hungry because they won't eat? My son is almost underweight already and only giving him things that I know he won't eat is not going to make much good. They don't like PB but they might eat it with cream cheese, so I'll try that. Or maybe I'll start with low sugar cereal.

For the yogurt, I'm not really comfortable giving my kids artificial sweeteners when it's not really needed (plus honestly I find the sugar free pudding mixes awful).

They will eat veggies at dinner, I guess I'll make a list of what's acceptable as snacks and see what they'll eat from there when they come back from school... thanks for the ideas.

_SantaClause

Yeah clearly I'm making excuses for what my kids won't eat, because it's my fault they don't like some things.

Every piece of advice you have been given, you have had an excuse for why it won't work.

What do YOU want to hear???

You're letting them run the kitchen, and apparently your household.

Francl27

Yeah clearly I'm making excuses for what my kids won't eat, because it's my fault they don't like some things.

Every piece of advice you have been given, you have had an excuse for why it won't work.

What do YOU want to hear???

You're letting them run the kitchen, and apparently your household.

Not every one of them. I just said there are some things they won't eat. They're kids. They're picky. If it was that easy, and they ate everything, I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place...

But I also said that there are things they WILL eat, so I appreciate all the suggestions, I'm making a list of what's doable for MY kids.

My 7 year old wanted just a cheese sandwich for lunch. She was told no in no uncertain terms. She had to add lettuce and turkey slices. She ate it with no further complaints.

That's a perfect example of something that would stay totally untouched in the lunch box - and I'm talking about the plain cheese sandwich. Forget the lettuce and turkey :laugh:

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink... but I guess my kids will have to be hungry for a while.

Kevalicious99

This is very simple ... it is as simple as not buying it as people have said. If you do not want them to eat the sugar filled things .. well guess what, I somehow doubt that they are buying it themselves. So just stop enabling them.

So .. do what I do, I just avoid the bad candy aisle at the store, after a while they will learn that sugary **** is a treat and not a regular occurrence. Substitute with better options.

For me .. if I don't have any at home, I will not eat it. The needed change can start with you .. buy healthier snacks. They will adjust.

As far as not liking it .. too bad, life is not all full of things you will always like. If they really do not like it .. then they just do not need the snacks then. In the end .. they will be better off not eating all that ****.

Oh .. re the picky kids. Too bad .. they will learn and once again, you are enabling them to be picky. When I was young . .my parents made me food. I did not want to eat it .. well that was my issue not theirs. I would starve if I did not want to eat it. I ate what was on the plate.

Other than brie cheese .. which will literally make me vomit, I don't hate anything. That is due to my parents not catering to a child picky ways.

KathleenCora

I don't know maybe I'm a hard mom but I've never really put up with the "i don't like it" mumbo jumbo. I don't even buy anything that has sugar in it. Sugary cereal is a treat that comes sometimes with very good grades, same with other sugar snacks or treats. My kids know that if you don't eat your food you don't get anything else so if you really are hungry then you'll eat what is provided for you. Yes there were some hard years but it was how I was raised and it's how I will continue to raise my children. I'm not a restaurant and neither are you.

celery and peanut butter...put raisins on it and you have ants on a log

carrots and ranch( half the time I don't even give the ranch)

peanut butter and banana's on a plain rice cake

maybe have a serving on nuts

look up healthy alternatives that don't include sugar....start mixing juice with water and eventually end up with only water in the cup.....

I let my kids have a couple things that they just don't like and we try and work around those things(mainly tomatoes). However, if I make BLT's for dinner they will eat the tomato's because we don't waste food in our home. They know they can't get away with it....maybe letting your kids know that they will eat what you provide and nothing else will help. Maybe setting up consequences for just grabbing things without asking...I don't know. Every home is different but I really wouldn't be letting my kids control the situation like that.

Hope this helps!

GetSlimEquestrian

I assume you buy the groceries? Stop buying sugary food.

Francl27

I assume you buy the groceries? Stop buying sugary food.

Yes, thank you, very helpful, especially as nobody's said the same thing yet.

Thanks everyone else for the ideas. Keep them coming.

The sugar treats are hidden where they can't reach them now. I don't know what's happened to them lately, they used to ask if they could have something and after one sweet treat I said 'fruit or cheese' but this last week they've just been helping themselves without asking. Definitely need to be tough mom again.

The sugary cereals are a treat though, I mean typically they had Life (which I guess has some sugar in them too). I just bought the Halloween ones as a special treat, and I'm not buying more when the box is gone. It's just the juice thing that was the last straw (and I'm totally blaming my husband for that one - they never asked for it until he let them have some).

I do make them finish their lunch before getting another snack when we get home though, so maybe I'll just keep trying to push a healthier lunch (any suggestion?).

The funny thing is they hardly touch the cake and cupcakes when they are invited to a birthday, and my son never finishes his dessert when we go out and he orders one either. Go figure.

lisalsd1

Being completely serious...go on pinterest. See what ideas you can find for some "fun"kid ways to make snacks. The kids might be more inclined to eat what they have made. I've seen your basic "Ants on a log" (made from every kind of nut butter you can think of) to all sorts of little creatures made from cheese cubes, pretzels, grapes; graham cracker type sandwiches with nut butters or cheese spread.

But seriously, if your son isn't eating, he isn't hungry.

leahraskie

The fact that they are eating graham crackers, yogurts and cereals should be making you happy. The stuff I ate when I was younger was atrocious, it makes your kids look like food angels- and honestly that wasn't that long ago for me lol- and looking back because I was active it didn't make a huge difference in my weight. I didn't continue eating like that again until like college, where it's always convenience food.

You could always give them apples, some of them have a higher sugar content vs a red delicious and it'll make them want it because it's completely delicious and tastes like a sugary treat. You could always push for them to eat Cheerios, any kind will pretty much do, they all have a relatively decent sugar content; although regular is the best with 1g of sugar per serving. If they eat it plain that's all they get but milk has quite a bit of sugar, I think for skim it's 12g per serving. The twisted string cheese was always a treat for me.

RodaRose

It is interesting that they eat at dinner time -- it is only at breakfast and lunch that you are concerned.
What time do they eat dinner? Maybe they are not hungry at breakfast and lunch.

Francl27

Typically 5.30-6pm. But they started eating well when my husband bribed them with dessert if they finished their dinner...

majigurl

I have kids that used to eat high sugar foods..

the reason they did is because I fed it to them/ let them have it.

You can't just take it away though. They are addicted to it. If you are really committed to helping them change their eating habits you will.

here is what helped with me

- Eating by example. If you and hubby eat it.. they will also.
- Reduce and switch. Help them learn new tastes. THIS WILL TAKE TIME! the healthier they eat the more they will like it. I bargained with mine lol.. " have these grapes first, then you can have ( insert unhealthy food they are used to but reduce how much you usually give them)
- encourage and talk to them. Make them proud of the choices they are making. I have a 4 year old and I can tell you they get it! Let them feel like they are taking part in changing their food choices and that they can feel good about it. It is amazing what kids will achieve when you let them feel they have control over it.

you mentioned snacks for school. Most fruits and veggies don't need refrigerating. Yogurt you can put next to ice packs and let them know it is morning and lunch snacks.. Let them help you pack their lunches also.

and TIME! this isn't going to change over night. Look at all these adults on here struggling with junk food addiction. Your hubby really needs to get on the ball though and realize this is for your kids.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Ulwaz

just try and limit the junk you buy, also maybe make your own bars/snacks for home, look for healthy recipes and get them to help