My son was a very good eater until he was two years old. He used to eat fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish all healthy and balance diet, but the last year and half it's been so difficult. Up until recently he used to eat only chicken nuggets, pasta and fish sticks,(I I tried to introduce different things and he refused) but recently he is also refusing to eat that. He loves fruit juices, milk, organic whole grain cookies and sweets like tasty treat (corn syrup free gummy bears). I don't allow him to eat too many of those cookies or sweets but now he is refusing any solid foods! I took him to the pediatrician and the Dr. was not concern at all saying that there is an epidemic of obesity in the USA and is better that I don't force him but there are days where he does not eat at all. What should I do? If I take the juice and milk away he becomes mad and demands the juice or milk. Mamas I just don't know what to do??? all your input and advise will be highly appreciated it. Thanks so much to you all!
I have given this link out so many times on here...haha! I've found with my son, making food look fun and different worked great! Kids will eat so many more things, that way! This site is GREAT for all kinds of kid's recipes. Good luck!!
Your child will not starve himself. When he is hungry he will eat. As moms we feel like of our children are not eating we have failed, but children will eat. Our job is to offer healthy foods and prepare a good variety. Their job is to eat.
Get rid of all the Organic "snacks". This way you will not fall back on them when he has not eaten anything else and you feel anxious. Milk with each meal should be served. IF you give him juice. It should be a small cup once a day.
Examples.
In the morning give him a choice. Would you like toast and an egg or a bowl of cereal?
Snack ~ . Would you like some grapes or some watermelon?
Lunch ~ Would you like a cheese sandwich or a grilled chicken leg, (offer some veggie sticks)?
Afternoon snack ~ Would you like some yogurt and strawberries or some cheese and veggie sticks?
Dinner, serve him what you cook, but only give him one spoonful of each item. Do not make a big deal, do not beg, do not prod. Just let him lead the way. If he eats something, ask if he would like a little more. If he does not eat anything, remind him there are no snacks before bed.
If he says he is hungry before bed, tell him he can have a glass of milk I am sending you strength.
Hi there,
You must be so worried. After you make sure everything else is fine with him then just stand your ground. This is what I did and it worked.
-Give multi vitamins/minerals to make sure at least he has those
-Milk 2 cups a day (no more)
-Juice no more than a cup a day
-No snacks (sounds strange but works for me)
-Keep offering regular healthy food, if not hungry now will be later
-Not eating for a day or two won't starve a child, as long as food is offered
-Relax and be patient, don't show your anxiety (just in case that's what he wants)
-It could just be a phase so don't worry too much, I know i's hard not to but it'll pass soon enough
Hope this helps, wish you the best luck!
All I can tell you is that I'm in the same boat. My son ate everything before he was 23 months and for the last three months only eats cottage cheese, fruit, yogurt, cereal, only breakfast type foods. My doc also said it's very normal under the age of 5. Keep offering whatever you're cooking for yourself but don't force him. What works for me occasionally is that I negotiate- he can watch his favorite show if he eats his dinner.
Good luck!
I have 2 children which went through this same things at roughly the same age. What i did was let them know until they had eaten what was on their plate (reducing portions to 3 bites of meat and 3 bite of fruit or vegie) they would not get a drink (other than water) or snack being cookies gummies whatever that may mean for your situation. It took about a week of complaints but at that first moment of seeing there was one more bite left I would say I see you are almost done making a happy plate... I am getting your cup ready would you like milk or juice in it. If they do not eat at mealtimes they do not get a snack no exceptions, because why eat what I don't want when I can get what I like later. Praising all the way! Once they grasped the concept of eating a bit will get me a drink of my choice as well as a snack later a few long weeks for me they were back to eating normal portions with a drink of their choice at the beginning of the meal. we have a few lapses from time to time but their kids?!
Wow! I feel like I could have written this myself except for the good eater until two part. 8) For the past two weeks my son is on a semi hunger strike as we are calling it. He only wants to ingest water and milk. I have tried so many different things and I too am at my wits end. My son is not a big guy. He has always been below the 5th percentile for his weight so needless to say we have always worried about how much he is eating.
I have tried giving him choices, but he simply looks at me and says, "I'm not hungry." I prepare healthy and fun meals for him everyday and two out of three are being ignored. He will attempt dinner, but he is eating so slowly it's like watching someone eat rice one piece at a time. LOL. Plus, dinner is never finished. My husband, who is a chef, is beyond himself and negotiates each bite my son takes. Aaagghhh. I do offer healthy snacks like apples, cheese, berries and other fruit, but I have even cut down on these hoping that he will eat more or at least eat something at meal time.
I have now created a meal reward chart for him that seems to be helping a little bit. He is in charge of the chart and the stickers that go on it. For each food group he eats during a meal he gets a sticker. He does not have to finish each portion, but he does have to make an attempt. He really loves getting stickers so for right now this is working.
My husband and I are also trying to just chill out ourselves during meal time. We don't want our son to feel our frustration so we are now just having conversations and not focusing on our sons untouched plate. This has also begun to work for us.
I feel for you and I hope things get better as do we. Like the other wise Mama's have said, he won't starve himself and in time hopefully he will get his appetite back.
Good Luck!
Peace.
He is normal. The first 2 years of his life he was growing incredibly fast (think of how tiny he was at birth), now the growth is leveling out and with boys usually comes in spurts. I always knew when my boys would have a spurt, they ate me out of house and home.. LOL So not only did I have to buy more food, but new clothes also. He might be refusing solids because he is teething, or because he has the power to make you worry or just because he isnt hungry. Dont worry about it as long as he is healthy and active. Take away the cookies and UGH gummy bears (which will rot his teeth) and offer all the yummy summer fruit. If you are still worried give him a multi vitamin plus minerals every day and that will be more than sufficient.
A.,
Find a new pediatrician. Naturopath if you have the funds, or a pediatrician with double certs.
You might also try a dentist. He may have problems chewing, either cavity or other problem. Again, try to find one that follows a natural course of action (ie: no xrays and no fluoride) for your baby, he's too young for them.
All that aside, kids go through stages. Not forcing him to do anything he doesn't want to do is part of the key. Offering things before milk and juice is also another.
I make my son aware that he may have some things - AFTER he has some others. He eats or he doesn't. He has his likes and preferences, and if he doesn't eat with us, so what? Generally he eats - with relish - the foods we set out for him that he turned down in favor of what's in the cold cupboard (icebox, fridge ; ) He loves peas! He'd give them up anyday for a piece of bread though.
We've had to cater to him all his life so far (milk sensitivities), making an issue all of a sudden would make no sense to him (or us). We also make it a point of NO sugar. We get razzed, razed and a whole host of other adjectives on the subject, including 'how are you going to control him in school?' Some feel it is deprivation. Others I've met KNOW sugar is a poison. A very, very slow one, especially with hereditary diabetes (or even type I that is cropping up faster and more often along with this 'obesity epidemic'. )
I wish you luck, and the time to do some extra investigation for a pediatrician and checking out diet sensitivities. You've started and now you must have some more things to check out from other Moms!
M.
This is typical of this age to not eat. With that said....you say he "demands" his juice or milk...there should be no "demanding", you are the parent, he is the child. If you are giving in to this, he knows it and will continue. These two things are filling him up especially the milk. In between meals only give him water, and when he "demands" anything else and throws a big fit, put him in his room until it stops. You cut those two things out, he will get hungry and he will eat.
Hello A.,
I feel your pain...I'd start watering down the juice. kid's don't need more than 4 oz of juice/day. and lower the amount of milk so he gets hungry. you may want to start that on a weekend that you'll be home and have time to distract him by going outside, etc. hang in there.... no food... no juice. don't force him to eat, but juice is not a food group. =) would he drink a smoothie? that way you can hide some veggies in it. Good luck! ~C.~
let him go a few days without eating, eventually he will eat. he has to. Tell him he can have milk if he eats something with it. one sip for one bite. something he used to like that is healthy. peanut butter on wheat bread or something. just because your son demands something and gets mad is no reason to back down. if you do that, he will walk all over you. you can start taking away privileges like tv or stuffed animals or anything else he values if he keeps it up. he won't starve himself :)
