Please don't call DFCS, he is just eating his vegetables...

   If you hear screaming and crying at dinner time all over Marietta, it is because Colin is trying to eat veggies every night for one week.  I am not torturing my son, despite what it may sound like in the process. I have my doubts about this mission.  He has agreed to eat veggies every night for seven days.  In return for this behavior, he gets a "green bird."  No, not a parakeet, but a stuffed Angry Bird.  He has five birds already, and now he wants yet another one.  Last night, we started out strong with corn.  After a few bites, he started to panic, and gag.  After tons of coaching and cheering, he managed to choke down a few tiny bites of corn.  He cried, he screamed, and he wailed.  All over some corn...the sweetest, most benign veggie I could think of.  The kid is picky...He has horrible texture issues with food.  He hates having his teeth brushed for the same reason.  His mouth is just very sensitive.  He has had eating issues since his very first day.  Now that we can negotiate with him, we have managed to expand his palate to include a few more things, but it is difficult to get him to eat anything on a good day.  He would prefer to drink his calories.  Protein comes from dairy.  Milk, yogurt, and cheese.  He will eat hot dogs, but only one kind.  He loves carbs, crackers, pancakes(no syrup, of course), and he will eat grapes, bananas, and oranges.  Outside of bribery and what seems to be torture, I am at a loss.  I remember sitting at the dinner table at home while my mother tried to force me to eat tomatoes.  Even the sight of a stewed tomato still makes me gag.  I don't like fruit in general, due to texture issues myself, but I will eat several vegetables, and I will at least eat meat.  Every day, I hope he will just grow out of some of the picky issues, but my heart hurts for him as he gags and chokes.  I know I have to continue to press on.  It is hard to watch, but it is necessary.  I have no idea what else to do, except continue to expose him to different textures, and just hope it gets better with age.  I sneak vegetables in with juice, and a few other products like veggie chips.  I continue to offer fruits and veggies, and I supplement with children's vitamins and Carnation Instant Breakfast in his milk.  If anyone has any brilliant ideas, please feel free to share them with me.  I am always open to new ideas.  In the mean time, please don't call DFCS...he is just eating his veggies.