My 3yo went to a WIC appointment had we discovered he had lost 7lbs. He has basically dropped off the charts to the 0%ile. Thanks goodness I do WIC or I would have never known. I have an appiontment with the doctor on Monday and I am confident between us we can get his weight back up.
I believe in the research that shows forcing a child to eat is bad. I will serve what he wants for snacks, breakfast and lunch but not for dinner. We give him a bit of everything on his plate and if he doesnt eat it we don't make a big deal out if it. Hes the kind of kid that loves PB & J, mac n cheese and if we give him a burger he eats the bread and pickles and nothing else. Hes not easily fooled and making something look cute or putting ketchup on does nothing for him!
My other two older children have been through this same phase, though not as bad and they came out fine. They love friut and vegetables and eat very well. My 3 yo however has been in this phase for almost two years.
I just want to ask if anybody else has experienced this with their children and how it turned out. At this point I'm worried he'll never grow out of his fussy stage and be on pediasure till hes 14!
Well took him to the doctors and he miracualously gained 13lbs in three days! Actually no, it wasnt a miracle the scales at WIC were wrong! The nurse just rolled her eyes when I told her what WIC said he weighed. She felt bad that I had to worry all weekend. Thanks for all your responses. I did get some new ideas to help him vary his diet though. Thanks everyone, your were all so helpful!!
My 3 yr. old is a very picky eater as well. I worried about him for a while, but I realized that he would eat when he was hungry, so I don't force him to eat things he doesn't want. He won't eat them anyway, so what's the point? I just keep offering healthy foods, and he tries them sometimes. He actually eats sushi rolls and loves them! Hes in the 30th percentile for weight, but he's healthy and happy, and that's what counts.
something my pediatrician suggested to help kids gain weight is to make them carnation instant breakfast drinks - and pass them off as milkshakes - they are a good source of protein and "good fat"
just a thought -
also you have to look at what his body weight is and what percentage of that body weight he has lost - i don't want to alarm you but a major weight loss could actually be a sign of something more serious - and you may want to investigate that further and/or consult another pediatrician....
let me know how it goes
S. w
Holy Cow, right there with ya!! :)
My 3 year old, formerly known as the eating champ, is now the world's pickiest eater. He will smell food and not eat! I would say there are a few things I am doing right now that I discussed with my pediatrician:
1. She said as long as he eats one full meal a day, he's good. All children are picky eaters at one time or another.
2. Really look at what he is eating. My son is very picky and won't eat dinner anymore and we are down to a list of like 10 foods that I totally get bored with but are essentially healthy: cheese, whole wheat crackers, yogurt, granola bars, cereal, peanut butter, fruit as long as it's fresh! and a few other things, like fishies and cheezits. He won't eat anything on bread. I can't get the kid to eat any meat any more. It's very frustrating and limiting. I got the cookbook Deceptively Delicious, and my 16 month old is gobbling everything up, but still no go on the 3 year old. I am still trying new recipes though, so I'm hoping!! :)
3. We have been trying to emphasize that dinner time is family time and make him sit at the table with us anyway. It keeps up the dinnertime habit so we're hoping eventually he'll eat again at some point!! Even that is difficult, but I've read that if you keep something up, it does penetrate, even though they don't act like it and one day, he will willingly come to the table and pick up his fork--I have faith! lol
4. Skip the snacks and take control of your eating routine. This is also a power struggle. I let my 3 year old pick what he wants within reason. Ex: pretzels are not a breakfast food!! I give him three meals a day and that's it now. Because I found that even if he eats yogurt for the third time that day, he WILL eat at dinner time if he hasn't had any snacks!! When he gets up from his nap, he now gets a glass of milk and a teeny bowl of pretzels and NO refills. And I fix dinner earlier, I try to be eating every night between 5:30 and 6pm. Then he doesn't have time to get hungry.
The bottom line is, follow what your gut and your doctor say. Try some new foods out, keep introducing new foods and maybe he will surprise you and eat something new that is healthy. If you don't have a mealtime routine down, get one! :) Maybe he can help set the table or help with food prep in little ways. Get him involved and maybe he'll try something he's fixed. Didn't work with my 3 year old, but maybe it will work with yours! lol It's not easy---you have several children, so you KNOW. This is my mantra, one a girlfriend gave me: it's just a phase...it's just a phase....it's just a phase... ;) GOOD LUCK!!
I have a friend who has a three year old who is a very fussy eater. She swears by the cookbook called "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals" by Missy Chase Lapine. I bought it but haven't used it much myself since my daughter isn't really a fussy eater, although she is very small for her age. The cookbook basically shows you ways to hide nutritious foods in your child's regular diet (like in the mac'n'cheese for example). Good luck.
r.
keep giving him pbj and mac and cheese..he will get throught it i think it is normal for them to be picky...my 1 daughter would only eat fruit snacks and now although not a huge eater does eat things and try new things..
I am so sorry to hear that your son lost so much weight. I agree that you should not try to force eating, or you will create an additional problem. I suggest you try to get a referral for CHOP GI. He could have an intestinal problem or other digestive problem. Push the doctors to take this seriously. Weight loss at that age is unusual.
F.,
Sorry about the weight loss..i think 7pounds is something to worry about.But my children are picky eats but our rule in this house is...
If we have something new for dinner you have to try it before you say if you like it or not.
Yes normally it's a disagreement but i think it's beneficial for children to try different foods and if they don't like it than on after they try it can say they say they don't like it(like broccoli...all 3 kids said they hated it and we had it one night and they love it)
But maybe breakfast and lunch...whatever he wants but dinner they have to try something new??And i don't believe in forcing a child to clean their plate but i do believe in making them try new things...KWIM???
But good luck and i too have a child with weight problems(my oldest weighs about 85pounds wet and he's 5foot tall.And he eats everything in sight just can't get weight on him.)
If he eventually gets the junk food that he wants, he won't bother eating anything good in between. He knows that you will feel bad and give in. Tell him if he doesn't eat his veggies he will not get his favorite foods. It is important that you teach him to eat right now, or he will be an unhealthy adult.
Hi,
I understand your frustration, and I don't want to add to it, but I come from a family that has a lot of intestinal problems and some of the symptoms that you described could be something more than him bein finicky.
My son is 6 and he cannot gain weight if his life depended on it. I know why. I myself have Chron's Colitis and IBS that did not get diagnosed until I was over 20. I was very finicky because some things I would eat would hurt my stomach, or my stomach was nauseated to begin with. I have struggled with my weight my whole life and now, at 36 I weigh only 101 and that is not by choice.
My son has not been tested for any intestinal problems because the tests are quite invasive and he is too young for them. We just try to feed him as much as he wants of the foods he wants to eat.
My suggestion is maybe take him to an allergist. Some of his foods he may be allergic to, or he might even have a gluten intolerance (allergy to main component of wheat). If you can rule out foods he is allergic too, his body might be able to then digest other foods. Most common allergies that cause stomach problems: milk, gluten, msg (monsodiumglutamte).
Also, be careful if he is on pedisure, because that is made mostly with milk, and if he is allergic or intolerant to milk it will cause his intestine to kick it right through without absorbing anything from it and make sure you look for diahrea (sp?).
Good luck, and for your and his sake, I hope he is just finicky, but I wanted to let you know that there may be an underlying cause. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me at ____@____.com
Good luck.
L.
Been there, done that and my son is almost 14! Although I never had the weight loss issue, I have been raising a very picky eater all these years and it's so incredibly challenging. I tried the approach of "eat what's on the table or else you get nothing" -- when he was around 6 or 7. But that truly failed big time. He was literally upset by foods he was not accustomed to eating and my healthy version of a chicken nugget became such a battle one night that I finally said, I'll keep cooking pasta, scrambled eggs, mac and cheese (i do this homemade though), etc. At this stage he is still very limited and HE doesn't like it. He knows he can't eat like a little kid forever but still can't deal with most regular foods (especially meats). I have told him he needs to sort this out and I'll be there to help however he wishes. He stays healthy somehow and his weight is 50th percentile generally. However, he has had issues with constipation over the years, which led to a few bouts of encopresis at about 7-8. We got through it with help from the doc but with no fiber in his diet, it had an impact on his bowels. Bottom line, not always a phase but i hope it is for all who have posted and especially for those children who will grow up and will want to eat like everyone else. I always took comfort that my son was healthy and thriving. If your child is not, consult with your doc ASAP. I'd also recommend some sources of healthy calories--including peanut butter, cheeses, homemade mac & cheese (it's not hard and so much more wholesome than the orange stuff in the box), ice cream or milkshakes (go with the most wholesome brands/flavors--no additives or extra sugary add-ins likes cookies). Plus don't forget a good children's vitamin every day.
I'm not a doctor, but 7lbs does seem like a lot of weight to lose for a child of his age. My son was a very picky eater- still is. And I can remember having to make meal time a game with him to get him to eat anything. It worked- but to this day he is still very picky.
