Re: Boys have been on enzymes for 1 month now...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/18/2004 1:27:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

justice9999@... writes:

Has anyone else experienced this where they just bit the bullet and

and if their kids didn't eat what they served, you let them go

hungry?

,

I did that and it was not a good experience. I know some kids will cave in

and eat what is set before them, but my son would not. I think for him,

and maybe other kids, the food issues are more than just typical kid

pickiness. My son was truly afraid of new foods. I remember quite well

putting a green bean to his mouth, him crying hysterically, and saying

" I don't want to throw up " . Wow, talk about a lightbulb going off in my head.

Have you tried the process of " touch it to your lips " " touch it to your

tongue "

etc? That helped my son overcome his fear of foods he was unfamiliar with.

www.tacanow.com has a great description of this program.

And my son was on enzymes longer than a month before he really

started trying new foods on his own. Another thing that worked that

Dana suggested was letting him help me prepare the food.

One night he helped me layer lasagna noodles,

and lo and behold he ate it!

I know how rough it is when they don't eat a good variety of foods. My son

still refuses most cooked veges. But now he'll eat any meat put before him,

and things don't have to look just a certain way for him to try them.

[Guest guest]

Hesistation to try new foods is typical of any child, so you might

want to pick a few and just be firm about it.

Since my kids were little I would say 'Every food gets a turn'

because kids understand the concept of taking turns and it reduces

arguing with me about it.

Bread gets a turn.

Meat gets a turn.

Fruit gets a turn.

Dairy gets a turn.

Vegetables get a turn.

....and then dessert or 'treat' gets a turn although the amount is

much smaller. You can pick your own categories. They don't have to

eat all these at once, but the next thing they have needs to be one

of the uneaten categories before we repeat some of the favorite

foods. It also put vegetables on the same level as other foods.

With vegetables I specify green vegetables get a turn. The first time

I wasn't as quick as my older son and I told him,'Green food gets a

turn. Pick any green food, but whatever you eat next needs to be a

green food.'

That little tot looked right at me and said quick as a whip, 'Green

Skittles! I choose green Skittles!' Well, after that I started saying

green vegetables.

Another idea is to make sure the child has other foods he likes along

with the new food. Letting them choose the favorite might help.

I say they only need to take 2 bites of the new food, not eat it all.

I say you need to try it, you don't have to like it but you need to

take 2 bites and try it.

Another idea is to let the child pick the new food. Say, 'You need to

try something new tonight at dinner (or lunch - give them time to

think about it and prepare for it). What new food do you want to try

tonight.' Giving a few choices might help. Or letting them help

prepare it.

I would caution against the letting them go hungry for too long (a

day seems okay though). Remember that these kids have faulty

neurological systems of some type, and the regular feedback

mechanisms indicating hunger and sensations may not be working

properly. So although the 'they will eat when they are hungry enough'

philosophy might work great with NT kids, we can't count on that

working for non-NT kids.

Good luck with this.

.

[Guest guest]

,

You have a lot of good ideas posted here.

I can't wait to try some of them.

Thank you,

> Hesistation to try new foods is typical of any child, so you might

> want to pick a few and just be firm about it.

>

> Since my kids were little I would say 'Every food gets a turn'

> because kids understand the concept of taking turns and it reduces

> arguing with me about it.

>

> Bread gets a turn.

> Meat gets a turn.

> Fruit gets a turn.

> Dairy gets a turn.

> Vegetables get a turn.

> ...and then dessert or 'treat' gets a turn although the amount is

> much smaller. You can pick your own categories. They don't have to

> eat all these at once, but the next thing they have needs to be

one

> of the uneaten categories before we repeat some of the favorite

> foods. It also put vegetables on the same level as other foods.

>

> With vegetables I specify green vegetables get a turn. The first

time

> I wasn't as quick as my older son and I told him,'Green food gets

a

> turn. Pick any green food, but whatever you eat next needs to be a

> green food.'

>

> That little tot looked right at me and said quick as a

whip, 'Green

> Skittles! I choose green Skittles!' Well, after that I started

saying

> green vegetables.

>

> Another idea is to make sure the child has other foods he likes

along

> with the new food. Letting them choose the favorite might help.

>

> I say they only need to take 2 bites of the new food, not eat it

all.

> I say you need to try it, you don't have to like it but you need

to

> take 2 bites and try it.

>

> Another idea is to let the child pick the new food. Say, 'You need

to

> try something new tonight at dinner (or lunch - give them time to

> think about it and prepare for it). What new food do you want to

try

> tonight.' Giving a few choices might help. Or letting them help

> prepare it.

>

> I would caution against the letting them go hungry for too long (a

> day seems okay though). Remember that these kids have faulty

> neurological systems of some type, and the regular feedback

> mechanisms indicating hunger and sensations may not be working

> properly. So although the 'they will eat when they are hungry

enough'

> philosophy might work great with NT kids, we can't count on that

> working for non-NT kids.

>

> Good luck with this.

> .

[Guest guest]

See my post #57581 where I give some of my experience. Some

combination of my daughter's preschool vision therapy and enzymes

made a huge difference in her eating-she wants to try everything I

have now (just this spring). Let me know if you want any more

information. I do not believe in letting ASD kids go hungry-it meant

huge behavior problems here when my daughter was hungry and she

couldn't tell me. I like the food turn suggestions had!

Best Wishes!

Becky

> My boys have been on AFP and ZP for 1 mo. now and my 3 yr. old

> hasn't been willing to try any new foods yet. And the only new

food

> my 4 yr. old has tried is Cheerios (which really isn't a new food,

> it was a favorite of his until about 1 yr. ago when he stopped

> eating it).

>

> At what point do I just serve them what everyone else is eating and

> not offer anything else? I have a feeling I just need to be firmer

> and stand my ground...After they became such picky eaters, I would

> just feed them what they wanted because otherwise they wouldn't eat.

>

> But now that they have been on the enzymes, I would think they have

> to try something new.

>

> Has anyone else experienced this where they just bit the bullet and

> and if their kids didn't eat what they served, you let them go

> hungry?

>

> Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/18/2004 1:27:38 PM Eastern Standard Time,

justice9999@... writes:

> At what point do I just serve them what everyone else is eating and

> not offer anything else?

What I do is make the main meal, trying to have at least one part of it that

both kids like (applesauce, for instance). If they don't want the main dish

they can ask for the backup, which is something easy like yogurt or pear with

peanut butter. They are *not allowed to shout " EWWW I'm not eating *that! " lol.

The other thing that has helped (with my very resistant-to-direction kids) is

serving all the food on platters and letting them help themselves without my

nagging.

Since doing that, they are trying new foods and dinnertime is infinitely more

pleasant.

Nell