Toddlers and fussy eating (merged)

miserly_mum

If she's eating weetabix in the morning i'd offer her some later in the day too if shes hungry and grumpy.

No rules to say cereal has to be in the morning and she'd be getting nutrients with the milk.

My 10 year old was like your little girl at that age and he practically lived on cereal. He was extremely healthy and still is and now eats a varied diet although still loves his cereal

Elliesmum

Hi there

Again I'm going to echo all what the others have said. My 5 year old was the same - she still loves her cereal, don't worry about the meat thing, DD still now isn't that fond of meat.

I'm sure we used to have 5 small meals aday when she was little. I would keep with the mini sandwiches idea - sound good, oh and with mine if you out face her with food even now she'll not eat.

My friend has a habit of piling the food on and we were at hers for tea the other day and the portions she served for 5, 4 and a 16 month old were huge and then she wondered why not one of them ate it!!!

Don't worry - hope it gets better soon!

EM xx

lucysmumwork

As someone with their own eating issues in childhood I was very worried not to pass these on to my daughter so this issue is quite close to my heart and I worry about it a lot.

Again I would echo above - all pretty normal though I absolutely understand your concern. My daughter (27 months now) can be the same but she is healthy and still lively. The portion size thing is an idea - give them tiny amounts and then offer more if they eat it. I was finding my daughter looking at her dinner and saying dont want it without even trying it. We always give her the same as us any my husband tends to pile it up but I give her small amounts and and then make a big deal of giving her more. Keep snacks healthy ie toast fruit cereal. Luckily my daughter loves fruit. I also found sometimes that giving her no snacks at all meant she was hungry for teatime and we got more success. For us, my daughter was like this for months though when she was weaned she would eat anything. She picked up a stomach bug over Christmas and for the last week, since she got over it, we cant feed her enough!!! When she eats all her dinner or tea I really go overboard with the praise and tell her mummy likes it when Lucy eats her dinner and give her a pudding which has been chocolate.... (loads from Christmas...) as she will do anything for it, but we are phasing it out and now she has fromage frais and fruit. I hope it lasts I really do, but if not I will just continue the above. I read once that if they dont eat their dinner you offer to feed them once and if they still dont, you take it away and thats it. I have had some success with this method but if she doesnt eat her tea I end up giving her weetabix for supper. I am a mum and just cant see her go to bed hungry...! They wont starve themselves at the end of the day and it appears its something they grow out of.

vixarooni

I think most children grow out of the weird eating phase.

I didnt, and at 21 my mother still has problems feeding me! I just dont like the textures of certain food, and i need wet produce with dry things. Like salad, new potatoes and chicken, that is three dry products together, you need to change one of those for something wet like baked beans, so that when you eat it it blends better in the mouth.

Youre thinking im weird i know, but i hate dry foods together and i hate cake and biscuit for the texture reasons too.

Perhaps you can try to change the texture? like if you give youre child a sandwhich put a crisp in the sandwhich to make it harder?

rach!_3

i dont know what to do, he wont eat any meals
he eats breakfast and dinner which is usually a packed lunch, but he wont the meals i make for tea, not one i have tried loads but he wont eat anything, i dont know what to do.
im kind of worried because his dad ended up in hospital being tube fed as a child, havent spoken to his mum yet to find out if it was something in particular, but i dont ant him to end up like that.
anyone else had similar things?
HV clinic is thursday but i'd still like any advice/info
thanks
rachxx

perfectlypoor

Hi there my little boy (now 6) was much the same,he was fine eating sandwiches and stuff but would not eat a meal and had no interest in trying, Thankfully over the past 3 months he has started eating loads. How about trying him with a lunch box for tea I know its not ideal but at least he will be having something, My son was always hungry when he woke up so I started swapping his toast/cearal for cooked things which got him eating something hot. Good luck

Psykicpup

Most of all dont worry about it & DONT TAKE IT AS PERSONAL
I know you spend time preparing a meal & then when its rejected it feels like you are being rejected - the food you prepared so lovingly kinda represents your love for the child iYSWIM

Maybe hes not hungry at the time you offer his evening meal, could he have it a little later? Do you all eat together? that can help too..
Try making meal times a social event - as much about chatting together as eating. If he sees you tucking in to your tea he maybe inspired to try a little too.... and if he doesnt eat, dont make a fuss just take the plate away & try again next day
He's eating 2 meals a day so he wont starve if he doesnt have tea - honestly!
- just thought make sure he's not snacking in between meals too & spoiling his appetite

mrcow

perfectlypoor wrote: »

My son was always hungry when he woke up so I started swapping his toast/cearal for cooked things which got him eating something hot. Good luck

I was just going to suggest this. My daughter is not a great eater but will wolf down breakfast so I often give her (for example) scrambled egg and beans for breakfast, or porridge with golden syrup etc. (basically something more filling than cereal or toast).

cuddlymarm

Hi

First of all relax. If he thinks you are anxious and constantly try to get him to eat it will make him anxious. No healthy child will starve himself and he is eating 2 meals a day. It doen't matter what he eats as long as he eats ( once you both start to relax introduce other things and if he refuses don't make a fuss just try something different next time.
Maybe if you give him a child multi vitimin as well.
Most older mothers you talk to will know of at least one finicky eater who is now a straapping six footer.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

rach!_3

thanks for your replies, psykicpup me and the kids eat together my partner is at work at that time so he eats at 11pm when he gets in, dont feel upset that he is rejecting what i make as such just that he could end up in hospital and i think thats what stresses me. i will try spagetti and toast or something for brekky in morning and then maybe cereal for tea.