The last few days I have picked my daughter up from childcare and they have reported that she didn't eat anything for lunch. Yesterday I picked her up before snack and she ate snack at home just fine. Today I picked her up after snacktime and they said she didn't want snack either. My husband said he took breakfast with them to daycare and she didn't eat that either apparently. She has eaten dinner just fine last night and tonight. She is otherwise normal. No problems sleeping, active, not acting sick. Over the next 2 weeks she will be starting a new childcare closer to our house (so they can drop off and pick up at her school) and then a week after that she is starting kindergarten. We have been trying to go slow with all of these changes but I'm afraid stress is causing some of this. She is five and somewhat sensitive to change but these things don't normally slow her down for more than a day. Do you have a child that went through something similar and could this just be stress or her just being 5? What are some ways to help relieve this?
My 15 year old son had a bowl of cheerios for breakfast this morning.
He didn't eat lunch because he didn't like the menu at school today, and he has yet to eat dinner tonight.
He often skips a meal (or two) - always has, even when he was a toddler - but he seems to catch up the next day so and eats everything in sight.
So I plan on cooking a huge lunch tomorrow !!!!
My 13 year old son does this. He goes through periods when it's like he has two hollow legs and he needs to fill them up yesterday. Thank goodness his favorite foods are fruits and veggies! Then, there are days when he eats so little, I'm afraid he'll blow away in the wind. He's been this way since birth.
My pedi always told me that if children are growing and developing in all other areas normally, not stress daily intake but try to look more at a weekly intake. She also said that if I was really, really worried (read: not willing to accept what she said), that children's vitamins and a glass of milk per meal would be sufficient. I was told in no uncertain terms that my son would NOT starve to death; he would eat when he was hungry.
So, even though it drives me bananas--I need three meals a day or I'm a basket case--I've had to accept that my son knows his tummy better than I and to trust it. I just make sure I have healthy foods around for when he starts eating. It's gotten easier with time.
In your case, I would say that if your daughter is acting normally in all other areas, don't stress too much. Focus on making sure everything she does consume is extra healthy while she's like this (milk first, then the rest of the meal). If it continues for more than a few weeks, call the pedi for an appointment to see if all her stats are where they should be.
Good luck.
Both of my kids will go through phases like that where they don't like to eat snacks, but other times they will remind me of snack time. If she is eating well otherwise during the day, I would just let it be. She isn't starving....
Best of Luck with your new Daycare and her First Day of Kindergarten :-)
have you considered that it's the heat? we are in the dfw area as well, and with temps at 110ish for a week solid, i'm not eating much either, nor is my husband or kids... even my dogs don't have much of an appetite. keep her hydrated, the eating thing will probably work itself out.
I agree with the other Mom's about not worrying because she knows when she's hungry. I've had weight issues all my life because of the "clean your plate club" philosophy that my family followed. I wouldn't push the food. One thing that I don't think anyone has mentioned is the heat. I have two teens who eat like they won't get their next meal sometimes but right now, they are eating like birds. The heat effects our desire to eat and we have had plenty of heat. Even if you're not working outside, it still makes us more tired and less hungry. I'm sure it will even out.
If she's of normal weight, not too skinny, and eats fine at home, don't worry about it.
Oh good night, yes. I have a soon to be 5 year old ds. Especially over the last school year, he would come home without having touched his lunch.. Part of that was stress from not getting along with the teacher. The other part of that was sheer disinterest because there was just too much else interesting going on for him to be interested in eating lunch. He did usually eat snack though. As soon as he would get in the car, I'd offer him lunch and he would usually eat all of it that was left.
We have been with a new teacher over the summer and I have seen this straighten out some. However, there are days that he comes home without having eaten much lunch at all. And this time I KNOW it's because he is preoccupied with being 4 and 3/4's! He is just too curious about what is going on around him. The kids play talking games at lunch and the teacher sits with them and talks and sometimes kids run away from the table and that causes a commotion, and so on , and so on. I usually offer it to him in the car and he eats it then.
BTW, we are not alone here. I know of at least two other mommy's that deal with the same distractions! She is probably just watching the world open up and WAY to busy for eating at school!
my kids go through ebb and flow. Sometimes I can tell they are in a growth spurt because they eat so much. Sometimes they just aren't hungry. Kids are much better at listening to thier bodies than we are. We eat because it's time to eat. They eat because they are hungry. Just keep offering lots of choices and limit sugary drinks or drinks with empty calories that will fill her up too much. Water and food.
I can tell the changes in store are stressing you, too:). Kids follow our leads so understand that changes are part of life and help her cope as you would..give yourself a break and her too. Do something fun and out of the ordinary, not expensive, just watch a movie at a time you usually wouldn't, play that game you have been putting off..tell her changes can be good and meet them with a smile and courage. Read a book on courage. As for the eating, it could just be a fluke, don't stress. If you are still worried give her a vitamin every day, it stimulates appetite. You both are going to be fine!
