Picky Eaters

Those of you blessed with picky eaters or non eaters in Sydney's case can commiserate with me on what a challenge day to day eating and feeding can be! Some days I don't think I can deal with the frustration of it and others I just roll with it. This is definitely one of these areas where books have saved my sanity! I would feel like a failure if I hadn't read that one in five kids has eating challenges and as a parent all you can do is offer a healthy and differed array of foods and it's your kids' job to eat it. There isn't anything you can do to force the issue, just give it time and patience. Cooper is an average eater, Quinn a very selective eater that is very particular about food textures and Sydney is an occasional eater. Most of you who follow our kids know that Sydney came home from the hospital with a feeding button in her abdomen and has tube feeding. This was because of swelling in her throat she had from her ventilator tube and from reflux. This fall she was drinking up to half of her pediasure or eating pudding, yogurt or babyfood. During this winter she has stopped eating essentially and probably won't go back to it until all her sinus congestion clears up. Nothing like going back to square one after all the progress she made. When she was learning to eat, she used to throw up when she even saw a bottle. She isn't quite to that point, but she usually declines any food. Quinn won't anything that he doesn't like the feel of, which makes him a very limited eater. That always surprises people because he is the biggest of the three. Thank heavens for pediasure! One day this will all be a thing of the past. Quinn may always be a picky eater. It may take Sydney years to eat normally. I just hope that when they go off to school they'll just be like all the other happy eaters of chicken nuggets and pizza!