Ashlee, Big big hugs! Your situation has to be so so hard! But you are doing the right thing for your son! But I know how awful it is to hear those things from your family. My mom is always on my case about my younger son's picky eating. Sometimes I think it might be good that she's 1000 miles away and we see her twice a year.

I didn't have too much trouble when they were young. My older son wouldn't eat applesauce or mashed potatoes because of the texture and then around 3-5 yrs he would freak out at hot food. So I would cook his dinner then put it in the freezer for 5 minutes. He finally had soup for the first time when he was 9. He's very good now about trying new food. Younger son was a great eater at first. Can't think of any food issues in the beginning. We had delayed peanut butter and nut products until 2, like Ped recommended. But then once we could, he never liked PB & Js. He'll eat a peanut butter spoon but not PB on a sandwich. So he eats grape jelly sandwiches with creamy PB on a spoon on the side. Then he stopped eating those, as well as other food. From 4 years old and on, he has been losing food that he used to eat.

But back to the comments. I started going to a psychologist (one of the doctors in the office my son goes to) in the beginning of this year. Partly to help me with my depression and partly for support for ME about my sons. Hubby rolled his eyes at me when I got wiggle seats for the dinner table since they were usually tipping their chairs or getting up and he was constantly yelling at them. Well the yelling isn't helping so I'm trying the wiggle seat. Other family seem to wonder why I'm bringing them to this or that therapy or to social skills group, doing all this stuff for them. They're fine, they say. It was SO nice to hear the psychologist validate me, that these things ARE helping.

You are doing the right thing! This will help your son to grow up and be able to do things that all the other kids do, be able to tolerate any food that he wishes to try. It's probably going to be hard for a few more years, but hang in there, it will get better.

I don't know. You may have to tell your mom that the discussion about how you feed your son is closed. I'm not sure which would be harder, to tell her that or continue to hear those comments from her.

HUGS!