My boy and his bizarro relationship with food

[boogermama]

So we have this kid, right? And he is perfectly normal and grows like he is meant to and for six years eats like a pro - prefers fruit to candy even... and now, well... we aren't sure what's changed, but basically he will take over an hour to eat his dinner. Or he hides food from his plate so it seems like he's eaten it and is allowed to get down. And even worse, he has started to "sneak" other food from the kitchen and hides it to eat later when no one is watching...

If asked why he's not eaten, he tells us he doesn't want to. Five minutes later he is hungry, but does nothing but cry when offered his remaining dinner/whatever it was he rejected previously.

If asked why he hid his food, he says he doesn't remember (or denies having done it despite being confronted by a pile of displaced chicken on the chair next to his).

If asked where wrappers/peels in the downstairs bathroom or other random trashcan came from, he says "not me!"... but they have to be from him...

No amount of offering different meals makes a difference (even when he is allowed to pick EVERY ITEM on his plate, this is happening)...

So... how weird is this boy of ours now? He's going to be seven in a couple of months... usually eats lunch and breakfast to a reasonable standard... and fwiw, the food he is sneaking, isn't always junk - sometimes it's bananas? Who steals bananas! Come ON man.

Any suggestions would be very, very welcome.

[the.real.babycakes]

Could he be feeling self conscious about having someone watch him eat? Maybe at school or something?

[boogermama]

Originally Posted by shelbell

Could he be feeling self conscious about having someone watch him eat? Maybe at school or something?

DH asked him about that sort of thing... and basically he told us that he doesn't like eating at school because all the kids "are always talking and they make so much noise it hurts my ears"... :wtf:

as a side note, the problem child has walked past while I'm looking at your post and he goes "nice butt" and starts laughing and it took me like two full minutes of staring at the page to find what he was talking about...

[Danni]

My only thought from what he told your Dh is a sensory disorder?
Not sure, it is odd.

[chickipoo]

Originally Posted by zosiasmama

My only thought from what he told your Dh is a sensory disorder?
Not sure, it is odd.

Yeah I have seen a few kids in DS's school cafeteria that wear headphones to muffle the noise cause the acoustics are so terrible.
It is odd. I would try not to worry too much. Maybe your ped could check him over really well to make sure he doesn't have something physically off?

[boogermama]

Originally Posted by chickipoo

Yeah I have seen a few kids in DS's school cafeteria that wear headphones to muffle the noise cause the acoustics are so terrible.
It is odd. I would try not to worry too much. Maybe your ped could check him over really well to make sure he doesn't have something physically off?

that's a good idea about the headphones... I wonder if they'd let him do that... thanks!!

[amcatanzaro]

Having any luck with this? Or is he still hiding food?

[boogermama]

Originally Posted by amcatanzaro

Having any luck with this? Or is he still hiding food?

hiding food he doesn't want to eat - oh yes... and the new thing that has come of it? he chews it up first... so at least i'm finding it chewed up on the floor instead of piled neatly on my nice upholstery... right? that makes it better...

please tell me that makes it better?

[amcatanzaro]

I suppose that he's tasting it. Perhaps that's a step?

[snookemz]

My 6 year old will refuse food because there is so much pressure to be thin at school. They're doing this healthy kids crap where they basically tell the kids that they'll be unhealthy if they have any fat on them and unhealthy means you die sooner. My son is tall, lean, swimmers body with defined muscles at SIX and he's terrified that he's fat. Thanks a lot school.

[boogermama]

Originally Posted by emz

My 6 year old will refuse food because there is so much pressure to be thin at school. They're doing this healthy kids crap where they basically tell the kids that they'll be unhealthy if they have any fat on them and unhealthy means you die sooner. My son is tall, lean, swimmers body with defined muscles at SIX and he's terrified that he's fat. Thanks a lot school.

It sounds like we have the same kid, physique wise at least... he will eat sometimes... it's just crazy.

You seriously think that there's fatty boomboom pressure on them at this age? Because that... never occurred to me...
now i has the fear.
~~~~~~~

Originally Posted by amcatanzaro

I suppose that he's tasting it. Perhaps that's a step?

a very messy step? :barf:

he ate the salad... and the bread... and chewed/spit out the steak... ok fine. we asked him, "do you not like meat?" told him that was fine, a lot of people don't eat meat for all sorts of reasons - so if he doesn't want to he doesn't have to... he just needs to tell us... he says "no mommy, i don't really like meat" ok, GREAT!

so... next meal is lunch, yes? and we say "what do you want to eat" and... his answer? A TURKEY SANDWICH

i had to walk way...

[amcatanzaro]

Then maybe he doesn't like red meat? Steak and turkey to a 6 year old is completely different things.

Sometimes steak is hard to chew. Whereas turkey sandwiches are softer. Maybe it's just a texture thing. Maybe he's teething. <---- cause you know, this explains lots of mysteries in children.

[boogermama]

Originally Posted by amcatanzaro

Then maybe he doesn't like red meat? Steak and turkey to a 6 year old is completely different things.

Sometimes steak is hard to chew. Whereas turkey sandwiches are softer. Maybe it's just a texture thing. Maybe he's teething. <---- cause you know, this explains lots of mysteries in children.

are you saying i is a bad cooker of meats?

[amcatanzaro]

Originally Posted by boogermama

are you saying i is a bad cooker of meats?

Perhaps you need to use a tenderizer. Or buy better quality beef.

Or WAIT! Is this the cow you are eating that was wandering through the yard?

[boogermama]

Originally Posted by amcatanzaro

Perhaps you need to use a tenderizer. Or buy better quality beef.

Or WAIT! Is this the cow you are eating that was wandering through the yard?

i promise we are not eating the neighbor's cows...