My 6yr old daughter won't eat anything with lumps in it. How can I get her to eat again?

Question

She started complaining of a headache about a month ago and got sick. Now she's better but now she doesn't want to eat anything with lumps in it. 1st she said a boy at school choked and shewas scared and then she said her teeth hurt. Now its getting to the point that she holds pudding in her mouth like mouthwash and has to get up courage to swallow it. Doc said she'd grow out of it and let her keep doing it and not force her to eat solid foods. What should I do?

Answer 1

I would just listen to the doctor if she keeps it up for longer than 5 or 6 months I would take her back to the doctor. Kids go through so many weird phases but most of them grow out of them.  (eg: My nephew wouldn't eat anything that jiggled for 3 months don't know why but one day he just started to eat jello (mainly) again.)

Answer 2

WOW...your daughter is having anxiety and worries, like my son, although he is 9 years old.  I agree, be patient and accomodating and explain it as realistically as you can...then drop it for a while...then bring it up again....

good luck...my son had a very similar issue...worried about choking!......not quite resolved yet...but sometimes you just have to let certain things slide...then sneak them in later.

Answer 3

I would let her start of with a soft food then gradually have her eat harder and harder foods until she's able to overcome it. I would also make a little plate of her favorite foods that are hard before she stopped eating them and put them in the refrigerator. That way she might decide one night she wants a snack and eat it.

Answer 4

DO NOT bribe her to eat by buying her things.

Offer her what the family is having for dinner and let her eat what of it she will.  This is just a phase.  Don't worry.

Answer 5

I agree with not forcing her to eat, but try things she will eat like mashed potatoes, cream of wheat, oatmeal, pudding, jello and then try adding things to them IE raisens to oatmeal ect and then progressing her out of the fear.

Make sure you eat solid foods in front of her.

Talk to her about how chewing your food very well is a good way to assure you will not choke on something.

I wouldn't advice giving her a specific number of chews as this could cause OCD like habits.. I know from personal experience as a child LOL

Edit:

That is really tough, it sounds like you are doing all you can and after that I would just let it runs it's course and keep trying what you are doing. In yogurt you can put fruit as well and cream of wheat, but again start slowly, ease her up to that, this might take awhile..

Answer 6

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop?

The world will never know.

Give her hard candy, just about impossible to suck on it for ever.