Friday 18 March 2016

My youngest wasn't eating. #WotW

This week my word of the week is:


It could have easily been worried or stressed too....Then yesterday relief....I wasn't going to write about this but it is all we have thought about all week....

Ellie has not been eating at home. Over the weekend she brought home a food diary to fill in as they were starting a topic about healthy eating at school.....She went off to school on Monday morning with a full belly....That's the last time she ate properly at home until yesterday evening....Healthy eating is all she has talked about all week....She was just picking at food and at the most eating 3 or 4 mouthfuls which is nothing compared to what she usually eats....

We went into school on Wednesday to have a chat with her teacher about what had been said.....I know schools can be a bit pushy when it comes to healthy eating but it was just the basics....Ellie seemed to have taken it to heart and the extreme....They have decided to keep a food diary for her to let me know what she's eating at school. I at least know she is eating one full meal a day at lunchtime....

Ellie said she didn't know why she doesn't want to eat. She said when she has a couple of mouthfuls of food she doesn't feel full but just doesn't want to eat. There has been a few things which she has said which has worried me.....Like the food at school is very healthy and so good for her.....She is asking if food I give her has fat and sugar in....She doesn't want any cake until her birthday and then it has to be carrot cake because that's a vegetable....This week she has never once asked for crisps, biscuits or cakes....Usually she wants something when she gets in from school....

She said that no one told her to stop eating and she knows why she should eat, she just wouldn't....It was so sad. She wasn't her usual cheerful, energetic self but hasn't been ill either. 

I wrote most of this yesterday morning after an enormous battle to get her to eat some cereal....She ate 5 spoonfulls. It took 40 minutes...Then I had a clever idea. I know she loves packed lunches so I made her one before I picked her up from school and when we got in I denied all knowledge of it and said the fairies must have made it....A total lie but anything was worth a try....



I cut her sandwiches into stars, she had Wotsits, grapes and her favourite treats and she ate all the sandwiches, half the grapes, half the crisps and the kit-kat....Phew!!! It was such a relief to see her eating....I was cheering silently as I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. It was one of those moments where I breathed a huge sigh of relief....I hope this is the end of my girl not eating! It has been a stressful week....I really hope whatever idea she had in her head has well and truly gone....


38 comments :

  1. Oh gosh I can't imagine how worried you must be! I hope it's just a short phase!

    Dani
    Munchie Mummy

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  2. It's so hard to get that balance right healthy eating and scaring them!!! If it crops up again and you are worried hun, I can give you my email (I'm a dietitian) so can send some healthy advice that of course includes lovely treats to Ellie. Maybe take her shopping or meal plan with her some healthy but yet filling stuff. Fingers crossed just a phase and she will soon realise she is hungry!! xx #wotw

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    1. Thank you Sarah. I really appreciate the offer of help.
      I am going to get her help to meal plan for this next week. She's already said she wants a lot of fruit so I have that added to the list.
      I do hope it is just a phase. x

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  3. Oh my goodness Kim, how worrying for you - sounds like Ellie has taken the healthy eating message to extremes and is worrying about it all. Glad that the packed lunch the fairies brought helped to encourage her to eat something and hope that you can get to the bottom of whatever it is that Ellie is worrying about.

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    1. It has been such a stressful week.
      The fairies really are magical. hehehe
      Thank you!

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  4. Oh such a young age to be worrying about food! I'm glad she ate her fairy lunch, if that works keep up with it and hopefully that will be the end of the issues.
    X

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    1. I know...It is too young to be worrying about food. I feel so sad for her.
      Thank you!

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  5. That must have been so worrying! I am glad the fairies (her wonderful mummy) came to the rescue! xx

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  6. What a concern. I know my children always question the food we eat after covering this topic at school. They do end up refusing certain foods, but after time, they forget. Especially when they haven't seen it for a while. I can imagine there are so many thoughts being processed in Ellie's head at the moment, that she may be finding it over-whelming. Good for the fairies. Brilliant idea. #WotW

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    1. I hope she forgets about what we learned at school. We don't eat badly at home she has just taken everything to heart. I hope this is the end of it. Thank you!

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  7. That must have been so worrying. Great thinking about the fairies, I hope it continues to work its magic. #WoTW

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  8. Very concerning, must have been a worrying week for you. It's great that healthy eating is covered, but then you don't want it taken to extremes. The fairy packed lunch was a brilliant idea, hope she eats more over the coming week x Thanks for sharing with #WotW

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    1. Thank you! It wasn't the easiest of weeks.
      Pinterest is to thank for my fairy idea. Hooray! :D

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  9. I know how stressful this is. My son has been a fuzzy eater for the longest time and it feels so bad when he deosnt eat at all and I worry about his health. I just try to fill the fridge with the stuff that he likes and mix it up with the things that he might try.

    I am so glad that Ellie is eating better and I hope that this will continue. =)

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    1. Kids worry us so much don't they.
      Thank you!

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  10. It must be such a horrible week for you. I know my mum used to have problems with me eating when i was little and she used to get so worried. love the fairy pack lunch idea xx
    #wotw

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  11. Aww I know how you must have felt, I hate it when my daughter refuses breakfast and then I am worrying all day that she has had lunch. Yummy I could just eat this lunch! I am glad she is eatting better again :)

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    1. They cause us so much worry don't they!...
      Thank you!

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  12. I'm loving the star shaped sandwiches and healthy food idea. All things in moderation they say but it's so easy to be tempted by the sweet stuff. Good to hear that she ate a little of everything from the lunch box. #wotw

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  13. I can imagine you must of worried. I hope it is just a phase and she returns to food. Great idea about the packet lunch X #wotw

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  14. Oh gosh Kim, that must have been so worrying. I'm glad she started eating again and I hope she continues her progress and is eating normally again xx

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  15. Oh my goodness, what a worry! We had similar, but not so extreme, with my younger son when he was 7 or 8 because they had to keep a food diary at school :( He had to do it again a couple of weeks ago and was very secretive about it. I suspect he wasn't being honest in it. He doesn't eat that much anyway, so if he was leaving anything out it would like he really didn't eat enough.
    I really hope she's back on track properly now and it's just a blip. X

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  16. I'm so glad she's started eating more again,it's worrying when they take things to heart especially at such a young age x

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  17. Ah bless her it can be so hard for tweens and teens I have seen it at work, why dot you humour her a make a ultra healthy meal plan if she feel healthy she may eat more, there is os much pressure on them to eat well or even talk to a slimming world consultant as on sw you can eat loads and still be healthy that may well override the message school has fed her, I hope it gets easier this week Kim x

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    1. She's 8!! I dread to think what's going to happen when she's a tween or teen.
      She seems to be eating well again so whatever was in her head has gone. Phew Thank you!

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  18. Oh Kim, I don't blame you for feeling concerned, I would have been too. There is a fine line when it comes to healthy eating and teenagers and you don't really know how the school approached the subject.

    I've always tried to teach my two about the importance of eating a balanced diet over a restrictive diet. My main concern is always for my son, who is very underweight (always has been), but due to sensory condition (an added extra to his Aspergers) he never feels hungry, which makes it rather tricky.

    I think you handled the situation carefully and in the right way. Fingers crossed it was just a bee she had in her bonnet and nothing more.

    xx

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    1. That does sound tricky with your son....My eldest has always been underweight even though she never stops eating. I put it down to all the walking she does.
      Thank you!

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  19. What a concern. Why does food even need to be a topic in school at that age. Why not talk about exercise, or get the kids out more. I hope everything is back on track now, they really need to think about how they handle these subjects x

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    1. Yes, exactly. I don't think the pressure needs to be put on children.
      Thank you!

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  20. Oh that sounds just awful and I'm not surprised concern was at the top of your list for this week. Children are very sensitive at all ages, and they take things which they hear literally. I know schools are talking to children about healthy eating, but it's a fine line when it comes to what to say and how to say it. I think you did a great job not getting angry and turning non eating ingo t really huge issue.
    Glad the lunchbox did the trick xx xx
    #WoTW

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  21. Awww this sounds awful and so worrying for you. My little girl has allergies and whilst she's generally a good eater every now and again she will worry about food and ask if it will make her poorly. It's so hard to get the balance between keeping them healthy and scaring them right. Love the idea of a fairy picnic and hope it's the start of getting back to normal #MMBC

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  22. Oh poor Ellie, what a nightmare it must have been for you hon.
    There is far too much pressure put on kids nowadays from schools.
    Fab idea with the lunchbox, fingers crossed its a phase that passes quickly x

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