what to feed a child that wont eat

pigpen

ooh yeah.. stomach size.. On average the stomach is about the size of the persons clenched fist.. so not huge!

misspenny

pretz just want you to know i feel for you, my 2 year old will now only have toast or icecream, i managed to get some kfc down him at lunch today and i could have danced round the place - i know kfc isnt good food but it the 1st thing resembeling protein that has passd his lips for a week. though i did bribe him to eat it by prommising ice cream after - which he didnt end up having as he was full

Butterfly_Brain

Does she eat with you as a family or do you feed her on her own? Try eating a meal with her and see if that helps, kids learn from us as parents.

moanymoany

pigpen wrote: »

Having not read any of the other replies I apologise if I am repeating what others have said.. first thing though.. children do NOT starve themselves.. if she is growing and full of energy and quite happy there is no problem at all.

At this age it is much more fun to be off playing and having fun and learning than it is eating.

Do her a teeny tiny meal when you do your meals and if she eats some shower her with praise.. if she doesn't just pop little bits off your plate into her mouth.. a few peas, a piece of pasta... and don't use cutlery!!! Cutlery is horrible.. it rubs on sore gums (she should be about teething with those infernally nasty back molars) they clash on teeth and makes shocklike feelings run through your head.. you know the horrible sensations from sensitive teeth?

Another thing that might work.. as she is playing stick the odd raisin or slice of fruit/par boiled veg in her mouth.. they are soft enough to chew without any great effort and full of vital nutrients.

The only place he is likely to refer her is a dietician who will no doubt say stop giving her the milk as it is filling her up.. I'd beg to differ from experience and would be making up smoothies and giving her those instead of plain milk.

It is all about making eating seem appealling rather than an interference keeping her away from her toys etc.

Does she have her meals in a room away from all distractions? a room full of toys and cartoons and a plate of food.. no competition there if you are 2.. toys & tv win every time!

What about out and about in the buggy? Will she eat in there? One of mine was horrific for eating she woukd only eat in th buggy as we walked.. I'd give her a crisp packet containing a few bits of fruit and chopped veg the odd quaver and breadsticks.. she would happily munch away as we walked. She was constantly ill (they thought she had cystic fibrosis for quite some time) and refused to eat because she couldn't breathe and would get distressed etc.

She will get to a certain age and suddenly decide to eat again.. it is a perfectly normal stage of development..

As I recall pigpen is quite experienced in these matters - this is advice that is based on a lot of experience! :rotfl:

D&DD

Hi Pretz our DS3 is still a nightmare with food and over the years we have swung from going with the flow,to worrying,to downright deviousness
He is now a strapping 9 yr old.
When we were referred to a dietician and she saw what he ate..although it was weird he actually had a really healthy diet!!
I usually do a picnic in the front room with all his teds invited and I stash all manner of veg or pulses into things like shepherds pie.I leave bowls of fruit and 'picky bits' cereal etc in the lounge and in the bedroom even when he's playing there..I know some people don't like having food around the house but when you are worrying about them not eating it sometimes helps to be a bit more relaxed with things

kirstyreanne

Hiya,

Definitely not along term solution but would she eat if she was at someone elses house? Maybe she could go to a family members house & have something there if you really think she needs something. I know many kids will eat things that they say they don't like if at someone elses house.

pretz_2

hiya
sorry i havent replied in a while

well we ended up going back to the doctors on monday and have been referred to a nutritionist and a behavioral therapist so hopefully we will be getting somewhere as she is becoming very skinny as the doctor decided to weigh her today and she weighs a mere 19 pounds and 3 ounces which is very underweight.

thank you for all the suggestions we have been trying them out as much as we can but she just doesnt seem interested even though this is distressing we dont let it show as i completely understand that this is not a good idea as they learn that its a way to get attention and control. We always eat at the table in the dining room where there is no distractions and she is given notice that its going to be dinner time so as we tidy up her toys and all the tvs are turned off so there is no distractions at all in the house and unfortunately she wont let you place food in her mouth as she has to inspect it before eating eat

pigpen

My oldest daughter was a skimpy 21lb at 3 years, never ate a thing and was constantly ill.. and is now a strapping 14 year old locust!

Weight is relative to height and build so she may not be quite as underweight as docs like to make you think!

Glad you are happy with the referrals though.. I hope they have some sensible answers for you!!

gsysezz

you have my sympathies as my DS has an extreme eating problem. We have endured some tough times and now he limits himself to petit filous yoghurts, cold co-op spaghetti hoops, bread, crackers, ham, apples, chocolate ice-cream (with no bits) and Nigella's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake (no other recipe will be eaten. he can detect brand differences by smell and has no apparent need to taste anything to check if it is okay.

He is nearly 8 and has never eaten a cooked meal in his life. Whilst I find it embarassing as I love cooking it's just the way he is. He is on the 75 centile for height and the 25th for weight so is a true string bean.

My advice is stay calm, they somehow seem to get what they need and don't over complicate the food by mixing things together. One tip is to just ask your daughter to smell different foods (with no pressure to eat them!!). If that is accepted then just a taste is acceptable.

Well done for getting the referrals and I hope your little treasure starts eating again very soon.

CandyB101_2

My daughter was a right fussy eater (and still is at times). One day when she wouldn't eat anything and kept asking for chocolate, I cut up some grapes and banana's and put each type onto a bambo skewer, and then a third one with the banana's and grapes mixed. She loved them. Is always asking for them.
So now if I ask and she doesnt want any, I sit down with them and she just cannot resist, she has to pinch them off me.
I know with her, it is just the novelty of them being on the skewers, makes it more fun for her. Obviously I cut off the sharp points.