Picky eater.!!

I have been struggling with my picky eater all the time. First it used to be with any dairy products. He would not take anything. Getting some calcium into him was a huge huge deal. Then atlast I think he gave in and now he drinks atleast 2 glasses of milk ( I would call it modified, coz he would not drink it in it's true white color identity. It has to be modified by adding something to it.!!). He would never eat any cheese, now he surprises me by asking me to pack cheese sandwich for his lunch & by ordering cheese sandwich at the restaurants!!! Well, y'day he wanted to go all the way to Red Robin, just to get that.


He always liked fruits. Put fruits & junk in front of him, he would go for fruits ( well recently it has been only if there is no cookie involved). The more fight we give I think he puts on more resistance. My frustration was at it's peak last wk. It would literally take him 2 hrs to finish his dinner. All the time I thought I have been saying, " Please eat", "Finish your food", " finish the milk" .... arghhh.... Then one day, I said am not going to trouble myself with all that sitting behind him. I just gave up. Voila.!!!!! He wanted to eat his dinner now. Now I fix him something ONLY if he wants it. Ofcourse he sits there and picks at it later. And only when we threaten to leave him downstairs and go sleep upstairs he hurries up and finishes that food.

Am not sure how much we should force them. But both me & hubby being soooooo in love with food, am always surprised why we didn't rub off our "THIS" particular character on him. Since the days I remember & from what my parents have always told me, I was always a good eater. I would try different stuff & never fuss too much about food. I was the easy one on food dept. :o)

I have seen some who make the kids eat forcefully or by feeding them, makes me wonder, should I try that.. I never took my son out to show something else & stuff food in him. Always made him sit at table & eat. Thought that will teach him manners & a routine of sitting in one place & eating.

Now that another little one is growing up to start table foods am wondering if I went wrong somewhere... Advice me if you have been successful with your lil ones on raising a good eater.!!!