Mealtime at the Hintze House

For the most part, Jackson is a very easy child. He's fairly obedient, not terribly rowdy, very affectionate and funny....I could go on and on.

But, mealtime is challenging, to say the least. He has never really been a good eater, so this is nothing new. When he was 2 or so, he would take bites of stuff and leave it in his mouth for hours if we didn't let him spit it out. He has almost stopped doing that.

Breakfast is easy because I just shovel oatmeal into his mouth while he sits on the couch watching Sesame Street. He eats oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast. I don't think he ever eats his snack at Preschool, which is two mornings a week. My mom keeps him Monday and Wednesday mornings at our house and I think she pretty much follows him around the house with a fork or spoon or whatever and just gives him bites of whatever while he plays. And on Fridays, he stays with Phillip's parents. I'm not really sure how they get him to eat. They probably bribe him with candy or something, which is fine. Whatever it takes as far as I'm concerned.

So when I come home from work it's usually lunch time, unless my mom already fed him (literally). It usually takes an hour (no joke) to get him to eat enough of his lunch to satisfy me. Our lunch routine sounds something like this.

M: Jackson, pick up your fork and take a bite.
J: But, I want a drink of juice first.
M: Jackson!! What did I just tell you to do.
M: Jackson, chew up your food.
J: I AM chewing!
M: Get another bite.
M: Put that toy down and eat.
M: Jackson, do I need to turn the T.V. off??
M: You can't have a treat if you don't eat your lunch.
J: Why are you so grumpy?

I could go on and on. It drives me nuts. I know I have helped to create this monster. I know what I'm doing is not working. Some days he barely eats enough to sustain life, let alone grow. I don't know why or how he's a head taller than most other kids his age.

Tonight I made a taco pie, which pretty much consists of meat, cheese, and bread. Jackson basically refused to eat it at all. He said, "I'm not eating that." I gave him one bite and he told me that if I gave him another bite of it he wouldn't chew it up. So I told him to go play, but he couldn't have any gummies or other treats. He was totally fine with that.

People have told me that if he's hungry enough, he'll eat. And that we shouldn't make a big deal out of meal time. "If he eats, great. If not, no big deal." "Making a big deal out of meal time can cause eating disorders." Eating disorders?? I know some of that reasoning makes sense....but I just CAN'T do it. I guess it's because he's the only kid we have to mess with, but I will drive myself and him and Phillip crazy trying to get him to eat. I really, honestly believe that he would be just fine with eating a piece of lunch meat once a day...and that's it. I know one day he will eat us out of house and home.

Just a side note sort of along these lines. Three years olds are annoying little creatures.