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Daughter takes too long to chew food
My daughter is 6 1/2 years old. She has always been healthy and within normal limits as far as height and weight. She is a very picky eater. I joke that she is a "carb-ovore". If it were up to her, she would live on pop-tarts, chicken nuggets, cheese pizza, peanut butter and honey sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches. We are constantly trying to introduce/force a wider variety of healthier foods to her - fruits and veggies and meat that isn't breaded. This is where the problem arrives. She either works herself up so much that she gags, or she takes so long to eat a bite of meat (not a large one and not tough in texture), like more than 15 minutes for a bite, that the meal ends with threats, tears, and frustration on everyone's part. I don't understand why she can eat a chicken nugget in less than one minute, but a piece of pork the same size or smaller takes 15 minutes or more! Is this a texture thing? Is she just being stubborn? Any and all advice or help would be so greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!
Thanks!!
These are just my opinions , I do not consider the normal habits of a child any disorder. Re reading your post it tells me that your child could use some healthier eating habits which you can start by only buying foods yet allowing her the nuggets and food she enjoys aswell. .Many children I have known eat slowly and it can be frustrating at breakfast time if parents get up earlier and allow the child to have more time it seems to work, they are happier. Good luck
Oh, and how do labels 'follow' a child? Just curious. I am pretty sure there is nothing stamped on my son's head and don't see anything creeping around behind him with a blow horn "HE"S GOT A LABEL."
My son has an issues just like this and has that dirty word . . . a disorder! But we don't see it as a bad thing, rather an indication of areas he needed some help in. Things that are a little irritating aren't a disorder and people write of picky eaters all the time, but for my son, his eating issues were related to his sensory issues. And by tackling it, we've made significant change. Whether the poster's child's issues are due to anything like my son or not is irrelevant, there are great tips above that would help any kid. And it feels good to share the things I've seen help mine!
I also think that supplements may help , ViT C and B Complex I don't think a child who eats slowly has a disorder and many children want the foods you describe here .too many times a normal behavior gets labeled and it follows the child .
Hi there. Well in all honesty, your daughter and my son are very similar with food. My son has senssory integration disorder and eating can be a challenge. We work on all the same things you do,.
Here is how sensory effects my son with food, First, motor planning comes into play. Chewing is difficult and he will chew and chew and chew. Takes a long time. But if he tries to swallow too early, he will gag. Meat is the never ending battle for sure. He also has issues with texture. Some things just hit his mouth and he'll spit then out. Smell, if he doesn't like it, he'll throw a fit abot trying it. He'll carry on like you are asking him to eat poison. My son will gag very easily. Sound familiar?
We've worked with an occuapational therapist on this stuff and here are a few tips--- first, we all have a 'gag memory'. If your daughter has gagged on something, it is going to be harder to get that food to go smoothly without gagging again. (kind of like when you've thrown up, how that food becomes something you wish not to have for a LONG time). So, we have to retrain our son with things he's gagged on as it has often been things we'd like him to eat. But understanding that he is having a nervous system response, helps us be patient for sure.
The blender. A picky child's friend. My son doesn't like lumpy things. Well, I put the whole spaghetti sauce in the blender and make it smooth----- then he has 'pizza' pasta. Play around with this and sneak in whatever you can.
Dipping. Kids love to dip. Oh, my son likes the taste of barbeque sauce and he also loves ranch dressing. I cut up tiny slivers of carrots and give him ranch dressing, he goes to town. I serve barbeque sauce with so many things----- he dips various meats in there as well as broccoli or whatever else is on his plate that he doesn't want.
The trying bowl. We have a bowl that hits the table in which they have to try things (my son and his brother) that are new. They only have to take one bite. If they like it, they finish the bowl, if not---- they just got that one bite in and a boat load of praise. Lay it on thick each and every time she eats anything that isn't the usual fair. Talk about being an adventurer! And part of that is trying things.
Make the food look appealing. sounds funny but kids fall for this.
Keep a food diary WITH her. Have her write in the binder what she will TRY and draw a picture of it. Like a piece of chicken on the grlll with barbeque sauce. She's not in trouble if she can't get it down----- but she is princess of the day if she does!
And provide a place if she needs to spit something out. We have a napkin at table for my son.
See, I was a picky eater as a kid and grew up to be someone that will try anything now and likes so many different kinds of food. BUT, I was different than my son. His issue is hard to deny that it is more intense than the average child and physical. Gagging is not a response that all picky kids have. I never gagged.
My son turned 8 recently. He WANTS to eat more------- because I never made him feel awful for his issues but rather praised him for being daring and trying things -------- so HE keeps coming up with things he'll try. We had good old tacos this week. His idea------- and he loved them. Yes, he ate lean ground beef! Sounds like no big deal to most but it was celebration time for me. My kid ate meat!!!!!!!! And liked it!!
Hey, how is your daughters hand writing by the way??
Here is how sensory effects my son with food, First, motor planning comes into play. Chewing is difficult and he will chew and chew and chew. Takes a long time. But if he tries to swallow too early, he will gag. Meat is the never ending battle for sure. He also has issues with texture. Some things just hit his mouth and he'll spit then out. Smell, if he doesn't like it, he'll throw a fit abot trying it. He'll carry on like you are asking him to eat poison. My son will gag very easily. Sound familiar?
We've worked with an occuapational therapist on this stuff and here are a few tips--- first, we all have a 'gag memory'. If your daughter has gagged on something, it is going to be harder to get that food to go smoothly without gagging again. (kind of like when you've thrown up, how that food becomes something you wish not to have for a LONG time). So, we have to retrain our son with things he's gagged on as it has often been things we'd like him to eat. But understanding that he is having a nervous system response, helps us be patient for sure.
The blender. A picky child's friend. My son doesn't like lumpy things. Well, I put the whole spaghetti sauce in the blender and make it smooth----- then he has 'pizza' pasta. Play around with this and sneak in whatever you can.
Dipping. Kids love to dip. Oh, my son likes the taste of barbeque sauce and he also loves ranch dressing. I cut up tiny slivers of carrots and give him ranch dressing, he goes to town. I serve barbeque sauce with so many things----- he dips various meats in there as well as broccoli or whatever else is on his plate that he doesn't want.
The trying bowl. We have a bowl that hits the table in which they have to try things (my son and his brother) that are new. They only have to take one bite. If they like it, they finish the bowl, if not---- they just got that one bite in and a boat load of praise. Lay it on thick each and every time she eats anything that isn't the usual fair. Talk about being an adventurer! And part of that is trying things.
Make the food look appealing. sounds funny but kids fall for this.
Keep a food diary WITH her. Have her write in the binder what she will TRY and draw a picture of it. Like a piece of chicken on the grlll with barbeque sauce. She's not in trouble if she can't get it down----- but she is princess of the day if she does!
And provide a place if she needs to spit something out. We have a napkin at table for my son.
See, I was a picky eater as a kid and grew up to be someone that will try anything now and likes so many different kinds of food. BUT, I was different than my son. His issue is hard to deny that it is more intense than the average child and physical. Gagging is not a response that all picky kids have. I never gagged.
My son turned 8 recently. He WANTS to eat more------- because I never made him feel awful for his issues but rather praised him for being daring and trying things -------- so HE keeps coming up with things he'll try. We had good old tacos this week. His idea------- and he loved them. Yes, he ate lean ground beef! Sounds like no big deal to most but it was celebration time for me. My kid ate meat!!!!!!!! And liked it!!
Hey, how is your daughters hand writing by the way??
You should probably try giving her V8 Fusion, and/boost kid essentials. They have lots of vitamins and Hungary in them kids just won't eat.
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