Meal times have become the new battleground of late. Actually, battleground is probably a bit strong but I certainly approach lunch and dinner time with a certain degree of trepidation.

Ben used to eat anything and everything but that happy baby has long gone and been replaced with a little boy who may or may not grace his mouth with the food you've lovingly prepared.

I think he started getting a bit weary of eating just after his sickness bug when he couldn't keep anything down.

Since then it's been a bit hit and miss as to whether he will eat what I put in front of him.

He usually takes the first spoonful then screws up his face.

When you attempt to put another spoonful near him he shuts his eyes in the hope that doing so will magically make the food disappear.

It does not.

White flag We try and persevere but he just gets more worked up so eventually the white flag is raised. Now then comes the dilemma. Do we try him with something else or do we maintain the hard line and adopt the it's that or nothing' approach?

I wonder whether he is a bit too young to be that strict with his food but you do get a bit conscious that the curse of the fussy eater is developing and becoming more established by the day.

Unless action is taken I fear he will grow up only ever eating two main meals - fish pie and lasagne are the only things I can guarantee he will eat, those and any sort of dessert you put in front of him. The boy has five sweet teeth and no mistake.

Sausages My mother-in-law tells me her youngest son wouldn't eat anything but sausages, so wherever they went, two Cumberlands were stashed in her handbag.

I remember laughing at the story but now I wonder if it is only a matter of time before I'm pulling out a fillet of haddock and asking a waitress whether a quick poach would be okay.

What amazes me is that he won't put bread and butter near his mouth but he does like toast. He will wolf down banana if spoon fed but not if I cut it up into chunks and hand it to him.

You'd think he'd be quite fussy about anything that goes near his mouth but he has no qualms about ferreting through my carpet and eating whatever he finds therein.