Toddler refusing to eat

Cornishpixie_2

Is it possible to involve child in preparing a simple snack or meal? I sometimes put out bits and pieces on the table with buttered bread and let them choose what they want. How about getting a kids cook book and getting child involved? I know it may feel like your pandering to him, buts its about getting them interested, with a view to one day cooking himself;) . I woundn't do it everyday and maybe not practicle in the evening when everyone wanting to be fed. Your still in control because your giving him your choice. Worth a try it's about making it fun. I hope:D

Bitsy_Beans

Thanks - I apprciate hearing you've been through it.
I do try cooking with my son but it's really only been him watching me bake cakes etc.
Stuff like spag hoops, scrambled eggs etc he's still (for the moment) happy to eat. For some reason anything involving mash and veg he turns his nose us. Like you say it's proably a phase and whilst I am not prepared to withdraw that type of meal completely i shall definately be offering smaller portions to cut down on the waste!

thanks again

continualdiamond

I don't wanna alarm you, but i disagree that it could be just a 'phase' he is going through. My OH is nearly 26 and he stopped eating a vast majority of food when he was about 3, he lived on chips, fish fingers and jam sandwiches. This coming from a kid who ate pretty much everything.

His parents tried all you could possibly think of, even going to a psycologist (sp?) who got my OH to draw pictures and talked to him, but nothing was ever found as a trigger. They also said it was a phase and he'd grow out of it. They recommended a star chat system, where he'd get a star for every new food he would try, but my OH was a stubborn little boy and the only new food that resulted in him liking was jelly.

For saying that a kid won't starve themselves, my OH went without food for 3 days, naturally his parents were forced to give in and give him fish fingers. He wasn't even a kid who pigged out on sweets/crisps, just literally only jam sandwiches and fish fingers.

Then an espiode at infant school with a dinner lady, where one day he didn't want to eat his jam sandwiches at which he was told off (he wasn't feeling well), this resulted in him going off jam sandwiches altogether and having to go home for dinner, so fish fingers then also became lunch.....

At the age of the about 6, he got into eating chicken, steak, pork/lamb chops and crossiants. When he was around 8, bacon (he didn't start eating bread again until he was 9 and it had to white cobs from a certain bakers).

Fast foward to 2008 and this is all he still eats, though not picky about the make of bread now. Meat is all that features in his diet, he's not at all picky about what it is etc and still eats chips.

So as you can see a hell of a lot of food groups are not consumed.

No: veg, fruit, pasta,rice,milk,cereals,cheese,butter,crisps,sauces that would go over chicken, yoghurt, jam, marmlade, sandwich fillers, eggs, toast (even though he eats bread), baked beans, soup.

So basically my OH has a plate of some kind of meat, with chips, tomato sauce, salt and vinegar every night of the week.

Such a joy to go out for a meal at the pub......

I know this must sound rather alarming and i would imagine my OH's parents were frantic about what to do, but it does go to show that every individual knows what they like and don't like. My OH is fine, he doesn't see a problem with what he eats as he doesn't know any different and generally doesn't like a lot of foods, its not because he refuses to try or believes he wont like something, he just doesn't.

Emmy_L

My daughter (16 months) stopped eating most of the foods that she liked to eat as soon as our three month old was born...sibling rivalry at its best
Now she demands a bottle of milk every time baby does and if we try to sit her in her high chair in the living room,she will eat NOTHING at all.
We have found,funnily enough,that at the moment,sitting outside at the picnic table,her on a booster seat,has helped immensly,as she is eye level with us,and it's a really relaxed atmosphere.
I'm kinda hoping this transfers to the kitchen table!LOL
I reckon that as long as he is eating something,and you keep giving him the option to try new stuff and appealing to his natural curiosity,there isn't much to worry about

Bitsy_Beans

thanks for the warning continualdiamond!
He has always eaten mash and veg since I started weaning him so I know he likes it which is why I hoping it's a phase.
He's never been a boy much interested in food (unless it was dessert!) so he's never had a huge appetite. He doesn't really snack on much during the day but fortunately he will eat raw carrot, raisins, apple and pears so at least some of it will be vaguely healthy.

I guess if it goes on too long I'll be seeing the health visitor.

Emmy_L

he's never had a huge appetite. He doesn't really snack on much during the day but fortunately he will eat raw carrot, raisins, apple and pears so at least some of it will be vaguely healthy.

Thats fantastic though!
As he is still eating fruit and veg,I dont think the health visitor will be able to offer much in terms of advice (or at least thats been my experience:o )

You could contact sure start and see if they have any courses that will help you with this problem,I know that here they have a course that gives you advice on how to 'hide' the food and how to keep a childs diet relatively balanced

elmer

As a very fussy eater as a child, when I was three, I stopped eating altogether. After a couple of days, my mum spoke to the doctor who told her to ignore it, but continue to give me milk and make me meals only, no snacks.
As both me and my mum are stubborn, I lasted three weeks without any solid food, and no ill effects. I eat a normal diet now as a healthy 40 odd year old and have two non fussy children.

Elmer

Curv

continualdiamond wrote: »

I don't wanna alarm you, but i disagree that it could be just a 'phase' he is going through. My OH is nearly 26 and he stopped eating a vast majority of food when he was about 3, he lived on chips, fish fingers and jam sandwiches. This coming from a kid who ate pretty much everything.

His parents tried all you could possibly think of, even going to a psycologist (sp?) who got my OH to draw pictures and talked to him, but nothing was ever found as a trigger. They also said it was a phase and he'd grow out of it. They recommended a star chat system, where he'd get a star for every new food he would try, but my OH was a stubborn little boy and the only new food that resulted in him liking was jelly.

For saying that a kid won't starve themselves, my OH went without food for 3 days, naturally his parents were forced to give in and give him fish fingers. He wasn't even a kid who pigged out on sweets/crisps, just literally only jam sandwiches and fish fingers.

Then an espiode at infant school with a dinner lady, where one day he didn't want to eat his jam sandwiches at which he was told off (he wasn't feeling well), this resulted in him going off jam sandwiches altogether and having to go home for dinner, so fish fingers then also became lunch.....

At the age of the about 6, he got into eating chicken, steak, pork/lamb chops and crossiants. When he was around 8, bacon (he didn't start eating bread again until he was 9 and it had to white cobs from a certain bakers).

Fast foward to 2008 and this is all he still eats, though not picky about the make of bread now. Meat is all that features in his diet, he's not at all picky about what it is etc and still eats chips.

So as you can see a hell of a lot of food groups are not consumed.

No: veg, fruit, pasta,rice,milk,cereals,cheese,butter,crisps,sauces that would go over chicken, yoghurt, jam, marmlade, sandwich fillers, eggs, toast (even though he eats bread), baked beans, soup.

So basically my OH has a plate of some kind of meat, with chips, tomato sauce, salt and vinegar every night of the week.

Such a joy to go out for a meal at the pub......

I know this must sound rather alarming and i would imagine my OH's parents were frantic about what to do, but it does go to show that every individual knows what they like and don't like. My OH is fine, he doesn't see a problem with what he eats as he doesn't know any different and generally doesn't like a lot of foods, its not because he refuses to try or believes he wont like something, he just doesn't.

I don't mean to be horrible to your OH, but it seems to me that his stubbornness got him a LOT of attention... just what kids like! I mean, a psychologist? Really? And if his parents gave in after three days - that taught him a valuable lesson... just hang on long enough for their guilt to kick in. He WOULD NOT have starved to death after three days, or even four or five.

My advice to the OP is to not worry about such extreme cases as the one described above but to be matter of fact and firm with the little boy... a simple 'here's your tea/dinner/lunch', no snacks until he's back eating properly again and just get on with it. He'll either grow out of it or continue to thrive on scrambled eggs/spaghetti hoops etc. It's not as if he's eating rubbish... my last Health Visitor was a bit of a local expert at 'managing' eating issues in toddlers and her philosophy was pretty much that bread and butter is much underrated as a source of nutrition. Kids this young absolutely will not starve themselves over a point of principle... although the ones with a keenly developed sense of manipulation might give you a fair run for your money.

jomo70

I have a similar problem with my 11 month old. He eats a small amount of food then just spits out any more I try to give him. I wouldnt mind as he isnt small for his age, but he keeps waking in the night for milk! I've tried the giving water / watered down milk but he just wakes up half an hour later, and this carries on through the night......Does anyone have any suggestions or is this just a phase he is going through?

SPANIEL36

cant you make it into a kinda game, my nan once used to chop up stuff and put it on a plate. then after eating a couple of things used to put it down and said to my girls now dont eat that cuz thats mine...dont be nicking my food will you and my girls would then sneakily eat the food while she was out of the room and found it hilarious when she walked back in and 'found' it all eaten!!!

worth a try

good luck