I got my monthly "reprimand" from yet another "professional who knows better" today and am still irritated so I felt maybe it's time to let others know just how frustrating it can be to have an underweight child. If you feel my pain I am so sorry... but please call me! roflol. If you don't know the pain then you are quite lucky. I'm just grateful all of my children are skinny or I'd really have some explaining to do!
It all started normally, the way these phone calls always do. The culprit today was Alex's preschool he enrolled into end of January. This is what the phone call was like, identical to most other calls just like this. (By the way, I think they must read a script or something... or better yet I'll write on up with my replies... lol).
Me: "Hello?"
Annoying Nutritionist: "Hello, can I speak to the mother of Alexander"
Me: "This is her..."
AN: "This is the Nutritionist for Head Start and I have been asked to contact you today about your son. We are aware that he's underweight and think this is a real problem." (Well, she round-about did this... as in "is your son underweight... is he picky eating... is he (fill in blank)... we are concerned...)
Me: (Alright, first of all I WANTED to say...
a. Really! You mean our low carb family diet IS working?
b. Shoot, no more skipping meals
c. I really should feed that kid... what was his name again?
d. WHAT? 27 lbs is NOT normal at his age? Shoot, I had no idea!!!
e. You can bring this up with his father later (hey, I always deal with it... it was tempting!)
Alright, I really just agreed, said we were aware of this problem.
She then continues on and starts ATTACKING me from the start. She was angry that we don't allow them to feed him breakfast and lunch like the other kids. *When he started I allowed him to go 3 days with their food and I was frantic because he was coming home at 11:30 with NO FOOD in his little body. Sheesh, that may help him gain weight! He doesn't like what they're serving!!!* When I told her no, I signed papers on this and bring him all of his food while he is there. She then argued that I didn't give it enough time and most kids need 10 to 15 days there to really get a feel for it. Believe me woman, I know my son and give him a whole year, he'd rather starve than eat food he doesn't want!!!
She was really rude but finally gave up on that point. Then she started in with how she sent home a letter about samples of meals to try with Alex. I told her I received it and that it was a nice list but I knew he wasn't going to eat anything on it and wasn't going to waste my time and money sending food he wouldn't eat. She then said "well I have been told you send donuts with him? And no fruit?"
HELLO!!! DONUTS??? WHAT THE HECK???
I send pancakes with him every morning, it's the same food he wants and eats *every* morning. I have permission from his nutritionist that if he wants it and eats it let him have it any time of the day and at any meal he wants. So there! I make pancakes and add flax-seed oil to each of them (good for his bowels). I also add syrup for added calories and a box of orange juice. Yes it's every morning but not some crap donuts. And by the way, if I sent him donuts those are high calorie aren't they? ha! So there!
She attacked what I send him for lunch too. (I send noodles with special spaghetti sauce mixed with all kinds of gunk in it that's healthy and good for him... he doesn't realize he gets vegetables all the time). I also send him juice, either apple or something I send a bottle of the v-8 fusion stuff. SO good for him! Better than the stinking hot-pockets those kids eat sometimes!
She kept harping on what I feed him but finally backed off... they always do. I also informed her that we were seeing a nutritionist and that she's approved what I am feeding him. I then told her that he doesn't drink milk... something she reprimanded me for not sending with him. She told me to try other foods for his meals but I stopped her and told her no, we tried that and it failed so badly. I can't afford to play games with my picky eater, we can't let him lose weight.
Then she started in with the "Pediasure" or "Carnation Breakfast" crap... only a minute after I said he refuses milk. Hello! The new Nutritionist I recently saw *never* threw that one in my face... I love that lady. This one at the school wasn't getting it at all. She had made up her mind before the phone call that I was a slacker mom who was letting her child get hurt. She kept trying to attack me but I've gotten pretty good at brushing off their attacks. Doesn't mean I don't get angry but I know the answers and I know what I'm doing is what I need for my son. I will gladly take opinions if they help but it's always the same thing, none of them have any better answers for Alex.
So I am going to keep chugging along and try to not let my monthly "this doctor knows better than you" crap bother me. It's a nightmare, I am so sick of this. Why can't people leave him alone? I have other issues to deal with and his eating habits, although not my favorites, are not the top of my list. He eats well and he eats a lot, so what if it's the same 5 foods all the time???
