scanf,fgets, fgetc get skipped inside loop - char

Question

Im trying to make a recursive menu.
This program will later work with a tree(hojanodo), thats why I keep track of the root.
Problem: For some reason the fgets/fgetc is being skipped inside the recursivity on the second run, why does this happen?
I want the user to input either 1,2 or 3.(int)
What would be the fix for this? and is this the best way to implement a menu?
Here's what I have right now:(It compiles and runs so you can test it out but doesn't really work like I would like to..)
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
typedef struct node{
char ch;
int i;
struct node *left;
struct node *right;
}hojaNodo;
int handle_menu(int eventHandler, hojaNodo **root);
int opcion_menu();
char get_symbol();
int get_userMenuInput();
int intro();
int main(){
hojaNodo *treeRoot = NULL;
intro();
// system("clear");
handle_menu(opcion_menu(), &treeRoot);
return 0;
}
int opcion_menu(){
int userOption;
printf("1.Agrega un Simbolo.\n");
printf("2.Listar Codigo\n");
printf("3.Exit");
userOption = get_userMenuInput();
printf("User: %d",userOption);
if(userOption < 4 && userOption > 0){
return userOption;
}
else
return -1;
}//eof opcion_menu
int handle_menu(int userOption,hojaNodo **root){
hojaNodo *tempRoot = NULL;
tempRoot = *root;
int valor;
char simbol;
switch(userOption){
case 1:
simbol = get_symbol();
printf("Simbol: %c", simbol);
break;
case 2:
printf("List Nodes\n");
break;
case 3:
printf("Exit");
userOption = -1;
// destroy_tree(root);
break;
default:
printf("userOption Error, Bye!");
break;
}//eof switch
if(userOption != -1)
handle_menu(opcion_menu(),&tempRoot);
// return userOption;
return -1;
}//eof menu()
char get_symbol(){
/*char userKey[3]
fgets(userKey,len,stdin);*/
char simbolo;
printf("Give me a symbol.");
simbolo = fgetc(stdin);
return simbolo;
}
int get_userMenuInput(){
char userKey[3];
int userOption;
size_t len;
len = sizeof(userKey);
fgets(userKey,len,stdin);
userOption = atoi(userKey);
//printf("User Option: %d\n", userOption);
return userOption;
}

Answer 1

Well apart from all the comments related to recursion and other changes suggested, please check this out. fgets() function needs flushing the input stream. It can be done using fflush() or fgetc().
A simple solution would be:
In function:
int opcion_menu(){
...
fgets(userKey,2,stdin);
fgetc(stdin); // Add this statement
Also in function:
int handle_menu(int userOption,hojaNodo **root)
case 1:
printf("Give me a choice : ");
fgets(userKey,2,stdin);
fgetc(stdin); // add this statement
fgets reads in at most one less than size characters from stream and stores them into the buffer pointed to by string. This will lead the newline character still available in Input Stream which need to be flushed. If this newline character is not read from Input stream, than this would become the input for next fgets function and ultimately it will skip the fgets(since it has already got its input a newline character)
fgetc(stdin) will flush out these extra newline character.

Answer 2

I don't know if this might help anyone.
In my case, I had to 'free' the buffer from the char with this function:
void clean(){
char cTemp;
while((cTemp = getchar()) != '\n')
;
}
Im not really sure why this works but it does(if anyone does, please add it to my answer).
I call it right before I call get_userOption();