Toddler won't eat his dinner -help!

ilovebargains99

As others have suggested, try swapping the main meal to lunchtime if you can. I had a similar problem with my daughter and decided to try this. It worked wonders, and to be honest I am less tired and keener to cook a wholesome dinner at lunchtime than later in the day when they have worn me down!

Good luck x

thecoffeehouse204

I feel your pain, my LO is 27 months and mealtimes since she turned 2 have been such a battle. She's never been a big eater and on the small side but getting her to eat anything for the past few months has been such a fight - I've ended up in tears in the kitchen so many times when she's had a few mouthfuls and announced she's finished!

It really hasn't helped that her cousin who is 11 months younger will eat anything put in front of him as I'm reminded every time we visit and my parents in law just don't understand when LO picks at her plate when cousin has polished his off and is onto the next course.

I used to get really stressed about it as despite her age she's still in mostly 9-12 month clothing! I've eventually come to realise that this is just what she is like - she has boundless energy and although she isn't putting much weight on she isn't losing weight so I'm just not worrying about it now. Once she announces she's finished I leave the plate there for 10 mins or so and if she hasn't had any more it gets taken away and she can leave the table. I have found that without me stressing and just leaving her to it she is eating a little bit more but still never finishes a whole meal.

I know it's hard but try not to stress and hopefully it will be just a phase.

cabbage

Hi

Just wanted to post to give you some encouragement. My son was exactly the same. He went part time to a childminder and would eat everything she put in front of him. I cooked her recipes and he refused to eat it.

I tried bribery, rewards, you name it but it didn't work. Eventually he started eating better but wouldn't touch vegetables. I was very good at hiding them.

I think his issue was the attention he got by not eating much. Once he discovered that, it was like a magic key. I was so scared at the time of him starving or getting rickets that every meal was stressful and he was picking that up too. He was scared to try other foods- he didn't touch ketchup until a friend had it and he tried a bit!

He's 23 now and survived all this and is healthy! Kids can be really trying at times but they always grow out of it. I gave him some multi vits ( age appropriate) and tried to relax. My friend who was a chef had a son who would only eat marmite on toast and yoghurt. She used to have him checked regularly to see if he was healthy and then carried on trying without pressure to get him to eat more variety.

Please try not to get too stressed. You will look back and be able to tease him when he's older and trying to get his own kids to eat well

lil.smartie

My Daughter is just 4 and we still have days like that! She happily eats a bowl of cereal, porridge and a Nutella sandwich for breakfast (just eats all morning really!) then has lunch but sometimes just isn't hungry at dinner time, other times she eats everything & then dessert!
I learnt that as the others say, she won't starve or go to bed hungry but she doesn't get sweet stuff unless her main has been eaten (or a good majority anyway) she knows this now and still has 'I'm not hungry' nights but she's taller than average, never stops running about & I guess just fills up during the day!

Kate

motherofstudents

This brought back memories of when my eldest son was around 2. He just wasn't interested in eating and I used to worry so much about him. I always tried to ignore his not wanting to eat and used to sit him at the table with us and we would comment on how nice whatever we were having was (in the hope that we could convince him to try it). It didn't work, he just wouldn't try anything.

I decided that he wouldn't starve himself and made sure that he had some finger foods - carrots, bananas etc that he would eat on the run and eventually he grew out of it. He's 26 now and the first thing he does when he comes here is go straight to the kitchen to see if we have any food in.

notanewuser

My DD isn't usually a big water and I thought that was "just the way she is".

However, I did some research and it seems that 2 year olds are very susceptible to iron deficiency - partly because of moving to cows milk and partly because they do discover their independence.

It's a bit of a vicious circle because anaemia causes appetite loss, so even less iron is being taken etc.

I've started DD with vitamin and iron drops - not every day - half a teaspoon in a beaker of orange juice. The difference (most of the time) is amazing. Her appetite is much better and she's less pale. She's always loved broccoli etc so was definitely getting some iron, just not enough.

Worth a try, perhaps.

pigpen

notanewuser wrote: »

My DD isn't usually a big water and I thought that was "just the way she is".

However, I did some research and it seems that 2 year olds are very susceptible to iron deficiency - partly because of moving to cows milk and partly because they do discover their independence.

It's a bit of a vicious circle because anaemia causes appetite loss, so even less iron is being taken etc. .

And more to do with the iron stores from the pregnancy being used up and any formula being stopped which has added iron, breastfed babies often become anaemic earlier as there is little iron in breastmilk. Babies 6 weeks early or more are also more prone to anaemia as the last 6 weeks of pregnancy is when the iron stores are built up.. another reason to eat your greens in late pregnancy.

Iron supplements come with their own issues.. constipation in a toddler can be pretty damaging, anal fissures, withholding stools, ruptured bowel etc are all pretty terrible in a little one. So shouldn't really be taken without the child actually being shown to be anaemic. Even adults on iron therapy should have their levels checked every couple of months and it is surely more important for a child.

I'm not saying you are wrong at all, just advising caution after a couple of bad experiences with known children.

guruchelles

pigpen wrote: »

And more to do with the iron stores from the pregnancy being used up and any formula being stopped which has added iron, breastfed babies often become anaemic earlier as there is little iron in breastmilk. Babies 6 weeks early or more are also more prone to anaemia as the last 6 weeks of pregnancy is when the iron stores are built up.. another reason to eat your greens in late pregnancy.

Iron supplements come with their own issues.. constipation in a toddler can be pretty damaging, anal fissures, withholding stools, ruptured bowel etc are all pretty terrible in a little one. So shouldn't really be taken without the child actually being shown to be anaemic. Even adults on iron therapy should have their levels checked every couple of months and it is surely more important for a child.

I'm not saying you are wrong at all, just advising caution after a couple of bad experiences with known children.

There is less iron in breastmilk than formula, but it is much more easily absorbed.

Also, delaying cord cutting after birth has the effect of passing more iron to the baby.

notanewuser

pigpen wrote: »

And more to do with the iron stores from the pregnancy being used up and any formula being stopped which has added iron, breastfed babies often become anaemic earlier as there is little iron in breastmilk. Babies 6 weeks early or more are also more prone to anaemia as the last 6 weeks of pregnancy is when the iron stores are built up.. another reason to eat your greens in late pregnancy.

Iron supplements come with their own issues.. constipation in a toddler can be pretty damaging, anal fissures, withholding stools, ruptured bowel etc are all pretty terrible in a little one. So shouldn't really be taken without the child actually being shown to be anaemic. Even adults on iron therapy should have their levels checked every couple of months and it is surely more important for a child.

I'm not saying you are wrong at all, just advising caution after a couple of bad experiences with known children.

That's why I only give her 3-4 doses a week. I've monitored her very closely. She's maintained 2 poops a day throughout, hasn't been poorly etc. I absolutely agree that you have to be very careful. I did check with my HV that it was okay to do, and she just advised I keep an eye on DD etc.

notanewuser

guruchelles wrote: »

There is less iron in breastmilk than formula, but it is much more easily absorbed.

Also, delaying cord cutting after birth has the effect of passing more iron to the baby.

Only if you get the choice to do that.

I wanted to delay cord cutting but didn't get my way. :mad:

Very few mums are still breastfeeding at 2.