Food for thought

I think every kid (heck, everyone) has that "thing" that gives them trouble.  That causes stress.  That just isn't easy.  For us, it has been food since Cooper was about 9 months old. As a baby, he ate every baby food imaginable.  But the transition to table food was a rough one.  He had gagging issues, and just wasn't interested in eating what we were eating. At 20 months old, we finally said enough to baby food.  And since then, his diet has basically consisted of snack foods, cereal, fruit, and yogurt.  Anything else went untouched.

Other moms might be worried about organic or non-organic?  Or too many chicken nuggets and mac & cheese? I'm worried that my child hasn't eaten a meat or vegetable for over a year.  I would have been thrilled if he would just eat a silly chicken nugget!! We tried every trick in the book and worked with countless professionals with no results.

Three weeks ago, we began a new program with the help of a family member. The basic idea is that at each meal and snack, he must eat a bite from Plate A (which has non-accepted foods) before eating from Plate B (which has accepted foods).   And we have hope!  In 3 weeks, he has tried 20+ new foods, and even likes a good number of them. For the first time, he has been willing to try bacon, PB&J, french toast, chicken nuggets, tomatoes, hot dogs, peas, etc.  We have a looooong way to go, but are thrilled with his progress.

We are thankful for Cooper's overall health, and know this is not a big problem compared to many others' struggles.  But it has been a challenge for our family and an important issue in Cooper's life.  Has anyone else experienced something similar? I hear stories all the time but don't know anyone personally who can relate.  Or are you dealing with your own "thing" that seems so basic to others but is a struggle for your family?  Let's talk!