8 Year Old Will Not Eat

You are doing the right thing with the protein shake. That's how we would serve it when I worked in a group home when we had a resident who was losing weight.

If it's a choking fear, that's tough. Keep the foods soft. like you are. I know that the 22nd and 23rd seem forever away, but it will come soon. Just hang in there.

I know this is going to sound odd but you will have better luck not trying to force her to eat food. Kids don't liked to be naged and told what to do. The more you tell her to eat the less she is going to. Try to be relaxed and offer her meals and snacks on a schedule (about every 2-3 hours).

Offer high cal foods. Whole milk, peanut butter, nuts, salad dressing, butter bread and veggies. Full fat sour cream, cheese, yogurt, puddings, and cottage cheese. Meats. Keep the foods healthy. Fried foods are high in calories but not high in nutrients.

I don't have too much advice, because I have a similar situation with my 8 year old daughter (9 years this month). She had not been a picky eater as of yet and hasn't choked on anything, but she seems to obsess about food, i.e. is this healthy, why do we have to eat meat, I weigh too much. I'm very fearful about it being early signs of an eating disorder. She is average and I've spoken to her doctor about it. On one occasion I think her behaviors were due to constipation. She would come to the table and you could see it in her eyes and she would just start to cry. This went on for a couple of weeks until I thought about that as the reason. I had her teacher keep an eye on her at lunch and my family when they were around. I didn't want to be too paranoid about it, but it was such a sudden change. I keep a very close eye on her food intake and discussion on the topic. It sounds like you are on the right track to helping her. I try to make sure that we have mostly healthy foods, don't let her skip meals and offer good snacks. I don't force my kids to eat but they need to try everything. I hope she finds some good foods to start eating. Good luck. Any tips you can share would be appreciated. Thanks!

There are some items out there that will help with nuturition.
Like ensure or pedisure (some say it tasts better). How about just cutting everything up for her in very small bites so she doesn't choke? Keep us informed, please.

F.; wow ive heard of something going around where its hard for kids to swallow, not sure exactly what it is, but get in for that drs appointment, if it turns out she is just scared, you might want to try not giving her any food or protein drinks, first of all the drinks fill her up which is good, she has those if she truly does have a condition, dont get me wrong, we had a policy in our family if you did not eat what was prepared and when we ate, you did not eat, although that is old school, it worked for us, also when i grew up and had my own kids , my oldest son did not eat either, although he did not have a condition, he stubbornly refused to eat anything, i let it go, so i did not feed him if he did not want to eat, its funny how our bodies react if we dont feed it, first of all he was soo hungry he threw up the next day , but he slowly ate after that, the two things us parents cant control is what comes out of our child and what goes in, they control that, so if they stubbornly just dont want to eat, dont feed them, they will not let themselves starve to death, let her feel the hunger pains, that our body provides, the drinks only satisfy her and of course will not eat, although your childs not eating seems to stem from fear, make sure her food is cut up small enough before eating, but that fear led to a liquid diet, and therefore is not eating, she dont need to eat she is full from those drinks, its ok, and its ok to baby it too , until you find out for sure, so go to the drs, and check it out, and she will be fine, take care and hope for the best, enjoy every minute you have, they dont stay small , as you know she is 8 now, but she is also old enough to let go and be a bit hungry too, make some yummy home made cookies, or something that smells really good, hahahah any way enjoy life, and take care D. s

My 8 year old won't eat either. I don't believe it's a fear of choking that keeps her from eating, she's just very picky. I worry about her because she's so thin. We're vegetarian so it's very important for us to keep an eye on nutrition. Beyond that, I think that she's actually already self conscious about her weight. I've overheard her make comments about not wanting to be "fat"

This really scares me because it's wrong for such a young girl to already be worried about her weight. I hope that this isn't an issue for your little girl as well and I wish you luck.

i would try just like a alot of things a would cook just a little of everything until she finds something that she is comfortable eating i would also try pediasure for herthat helps with the vitamins and nutrients also

I would concider this being an emergancy and insist that she goes in earlier. Until she can get in, try puree'ing her food, but insist on her trying to eat soft food in small pieces, ones she can't feel like she is choking on. Milkshakes are ok, but puree'ed food would probably have more calories to help her. Small pieces of food eaten would give her the confidence that if she chews good, she won't choke, but try to get her in sooner.

Call your doctor's office see if they have an eating disorder clinic or counselor. Don't wait do it now. If they don't have anyone to refer you to call your local hospital. You can also contact the local health department, mental health facility, or someone at your daughter's school. There is a wealth of information on line but your daughter needs to see someone right away.

What a worrisome situation! I have had much dental work done in my time and have had to follow a liquid or soft diet and I happen to be a chef as well.

"First Meals" by Annabel Karmel is an excellent book. She has a great section on making tasty purees for babies and in your situation I would not hesitate to go there.

Otherwise here are soft foods that pack that are caloric and nutritious:
full fat yogurt
full fat coconut milk (use in fruit smoothies)
avocados & gaucamole
mashed potatoes
mashed sweet potatoes
slopy joes: serve w/ mashed potatoes
puree soups: gazpacho is great for summer, garnish w/ sour cream for extra calories.
oatmeal, cream of wheat, polenta
chicken, tuna and egg salads
cottage cheese

Good Luck!
T.

It seems you are on the right track with everything. Will she eat soups or broths? Or any other liquids? Does she realize that she may need medical attention if she doesn't eat? I am sure she will not respond to constant prompting to eat, but maybe leaving some healthy snacks where she can get them as she wants would work. Good luck-keep us posted on what you find out!

My daughter had the same thing and she had huge tonsils and adenoids that were filling her throat. Once they were out, it was easier for her to swallow and eat and she gained and grew in inches like crazy!! You might also want to talk to your peds about a swallow study xray, until then, soft high calorie foods, take her shopping to pick out things she will like to eat..good luck

When my son choked on a crouton and refused to eat he lived off of protein milk shakes. (We also added yogurt to the shakes.) We would also put vitamin supplements in his shakes so he got all of the nutrients. Also Ensure/Boost drinks work for weight gain.
What we were told to do to get him over his fear was to play a children's relaxation tape then say positive things like 'food is my friend' or 'food will not hurt me' and then try a bite of soup or something new that is soft and won't hurt/not scary. A bite or two is great just try it and the next time a little more. Do that with lots of praise for eating and set a goal, (ours was when my son would eat real food we would go to his favorite restaurant and he could have what ever he wanted and dessert). Main thing is to not get mad at them for not eating and be very patient and loving. It is so hard to sit there and watch your child starve themselves I know, but you just have to be loving and encouraging. Getting frustrated will only cause her to go into her shell more.
If you want to contact me feel free. I understand where you are, and the most I can say is keep trying.

Oh my!
I am going through this exact same thing with my 8 year old daughter! She swallowed a corn chip and it scraped her as it went down (choked to her) a few weeks ago and has not eaten anything but yogurt, pudding jello, carnation instant breakfast, and just small portions of these things at a time. She too has always been a pretty picky eater, but ate way more than what she is eating now.. Her pediatrician said she should see a feeding disorder dr. I met with a therapist and she said this is an anxiety disorder rather than an eating disorder. However, it seems to me that this may be
evolving into an eating disorder. Whenever I mention food to her she makes a disgusted expression. I am worried sick!! She has lost two pounds and now weighs 50lbs. I wish I could offer you some advice, but I have none to give, only to say I can feel your anguish in a major way. Thanks for sharing your story. I havent met anyone who has gone through this.