Any ideas how to get a 5 yr old to eat??

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Preschoolers

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amother

Apricot

Tue, Apr 26 2016, 8:47 pm

My 5 year old ds is very underweight. Whenever I serve dinner he's never hungry & refuses to eat. As soon as he's settle in bed the whining starts. I would allow him to come eat because I feel bad but, it disrupts the whole bedtime routine and my other children all come out of bed for different things.

I guess I'm just venting because they're all jumping on my head right now!!

Any suggestions???

jewish613

Tue, Apr 26 2016, 9:39 pm

What does the doctor say? Is he/she concerned? Does Ds get hungry and eat at other times during the day?

If the doctor is concerned, perhaps try giving him nutritious high calorie foods such as whole milk products, avocado, nuts etc.

My unexpert opinion would be not to allow him out of bed to eat. If he knows you feel guilty about it and therefore allow it sometimes, he will probably want to do it more frequently just to avoid going to bed. I would try to get him the calories and nutrients he needs at the times during the day that he does choose to eat.

amother

Olive

Tue, Apr 26 2016, 9:47 pm

My 4 year old son does the same thing. The minute we say it's bedtime, he says he's hungry. I give him a banana or a fruit and a drink that he can eat in his room.

amother

Apricot

Tue, Apr 26 2016, 10:03 pm

Dr. Is not concerned at all she was my pediatrician as a child and she says all of my siblings were this way. She says to give him ice cream after every meal but he doesn't even like it.

He doesn't eat full meals rather smaller amounts spread throughout the day.

Even snack bags he'll eat 2 pieces and just hold the bag & not touch the rest.

thanks

Tue, Apr 26 2016, 10:13 pm

He's getting your attention when he refuses to eat at meals, and he's getting your attention at bedtime.

My attitude is they'll eat if they need to. My son eats supper about twice a week. He's very thin, but if the dr is not concerned, neither am I.

I finally stopped giving in to the nighttime fruit. If you're hungry, eat earlier. Bedtime is not the time to start eating.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, Apr 27 2016, 1:28 am

I'm finding help for my seriously picky eater with the book It's Not About the Broccoli, Dena Rose

FranticFrummie

Wed, Apr 27 2016, 1:51 am

With my kiddo, the problem turned out to be her ADD. She just couldn't focus on eating.

One day I caved in and let her eat while watching a video, and she finished her whole plate! I found that I can get her to eat lots of healthy things, as long as she's distracted and not thinking too much about them. She gets super picky at the dinner table, because she's antsy.

If you allow screen time, see if that works. You can even bribe him and tell him that screen time is allowed as long as he finishes his plate. If he doesn't, then no video next time. See which one he chooses. If he is willing to give up his video because he really doesn't want to eat, then you'll have to keep trying to come up with a new strategy.

Do NOT let him get into the habit of eating or sippy cups at bedtime! I don't even believe in giving bottles in the crib. I never did, and DD is just fine.

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