Parenting
Q: We have a 9-year-old who is such a picky eater, the doctor said she may become sick. He thinks she might have an eating disorder. We just wanted to hear from other parents who might have gone through this and find out what advice they might have to encourage the child to eat. We also wanted to know the most effective way to handle questions from neighbors, friends and relatives.
* Sometimes, by the time we get around to talking to the doctor about our concerns, we are just about at our wit's end. If your relatives and friends are telling you that she is too thin and may have an eating disorder, you might be listening when observing would be the best choice. If you conveyed your concern to your doctor, he may be responding to your emotional plea for help.
Our 10-year-old son was an extremely picky eater and his doctor told us to write down everything he ate for the next 30 days. After doing so, we found that he was eating high fiber snacks between meals, which filled him up. He simply was not hungry at meal time. Work with your doctor on a new selection of healthier foods and monitor your daughter's snacks before becoming obsessed with her weight. -- R.H. in Duluth
* My daughter was a picky eater, beginning as a toddler and continuing until middle school. Then, she developed a healthy appetite for a variety of foods.
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When she was younger, I noticed that her appetite was better and worse at different times and I attributed this pattern to growth spurts. If her appetite was poor, I limited snacks so she would have a better appetite for meals. When her appetite was better, I provided three nutritious meals with three snacks evenly spread throughout the day.
The best book I have read on the subject is "How to Get Your Kid to Eat, But Not Too Much," by Ellyn Satter, (Bull Publishing, $16.95). Also, a picky eater is one thing, but an eating disorder is something else entirely. Get her in for further evaluation. --Roberta Brocker in Lakeland, Fla.
From Jodie
I have one child who had a similar eating pattern and was quite picky. When I asked his doctor about it, he advised me to monitor not only what my son ate, but when and how much, and compare it to his activity level. The end result was that we learned there are some kids, especially around this age, who are so active in sports, and life in general, that they burn much of what little calories that they do consume quite rapidly. Even though he ate several times a day, the meals were small and he stuck to his two favorites of fruit and tuna fish. Through this combination of food, multitude of activities and his body's metabolism, he could not gain weight, which made him appear to be thin. The good news is that once he got into his teens, he began to try new foods and now enjoys a variety.
Work with your doctor on a plan for your daughter and forget questions from friends and relatives. Pick up a copy of "Super Foods for Children," by Michael Van Straten and Barbara Griggs, (DK Publishing, $20). Don't let the description of the book mislead you; it has some awesome recipes for everyone in the family.
Can you help?
* We are a blended family of only one year and would like to get suggestions on being fair when it comes to spending which holiday with whom. We have four sets of grandparents and would like to establish some kind of a tradition without stepping on anyone's toes. Is it possible?
JODIE LYNN is a parent educator, author and mom. Please send your parenting tips or questions to: Parent to Parent, 2464 Taylor Road, Suite 131, Wildwood, MO 63040. Send e-mail to: editor@parent toparent.com or www.Parent ToParent.com.
