How do you deal with kids who dont eat?

amother

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 12:59 pm

My kids are just too busy! I make them supper and if I dont actually feed it to them they will not eat!
And then when its bedtime they say theyre hungry. What to do??

hodeez

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:02 pm

Too bad. Eat on time or don't eat. What does it mean they're too busy?

amother

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:03 pm

hodeez wrote:

Too bad. Eat on time or don't eat. What does it mean they're too busy?

Theyre just busy playing
I tried that and they would go to sleep hungry Sad

Yesterday I sent my son to go eat and he said Ok ok im going to eat. 2 minutes later "mommy look what I drew" and of course he didnt eat

amother

Salmon

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:03 pm

I have a kid on adhd meds with no appetite. I make him drink- whole milk and oj with added vitamins. For some reason it’s easier for him to drink but he’s still so skinny. Looking here for ideas.

amother

Brickred

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:05 pm

What does too busy mean?

We have dinner time . No one is too busy to stop for dinner. Dinner is served, offered and encouraged. They always eat something. They know the kitchen is closed after dinner so if they don’t eat they must not be hungry; they’ll eat breakfast

amother

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:11 pm

amother Brickred wrote:

They just run off to play (in the house)
Thing is theyre little and my husband isnt home yet so its just the kids eating. So its not like family supper time...

mha3484

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:13 pm

One of us sits and eats with them or both of us. But it makes a huge difference.

amother

Whitesmoke

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:15 pm

I don't have advice. I had a kid that until age 2 ate beautifully. Then the world was too exciting for food. He'd come for meals, eat 2-3 bites, say he was done, and run off to play. We had a different kid with an eating disorder (no not anorexia, but reflux, sensory, etc) and we learned not to make a big deal over food. We offered, but never forced.
I can't say it got better. He's 14 now. He comes for meals, but is the pickiest of eaters.

amother

DarkOrange

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:16 pm

I sit with them and we all eat together. No one leaves until they've eaten. And then fifteen minutes before bed I ask if they want the rest of the food (if they left some over), or a fruit. After that there is nothing to eat.

mommish613

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:17 pm

Make dinner a sit down meal and read a book to them or let them listen to a story cd but only if they are sitting down and eating.

amother

Poppy

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:18 pm

amother OP wrote:

Theyre just busy playing
I tried that and they would go to sleep hungry Sad

Yesterday I sent my son to go eat and he said Ok ok im going to eat. 2 minutes later "mommy look what I drew" and of course he didnt eat

I don't feed my kids, but I do sit at the table with them & we talk while they eat.

amother

Poppy

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:20 pm

amother OP wrote:

They just run off to play (in the house)
Thing is theyre little and my husband isnt home yet so its just the kids eating. So its not like family supper time...

You need to sit with them while they eat. It's a bit much to expect little kids to sit by themselves while eating dinner.
It makes a big difference if dinner is an official sit down meal & you sit with them.

amother

Brickred

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:22 pm

amother OP wrote:

They just run off to play (in the house)
Thing is theyre little and my husband isnt home yet so its just the kids eating. So its not like family supper time...

Playing isn’t a dinner time activity. If they’re little you definitely need to be sitting at the table and frankly institute a routine and some rules. . And you can call it family dinner even if Dad isn’t home. Smile

amother

Cerulean

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:24 pm

Forget about mealtime. Serve them when they're hungry. Obesity in adults comes from eating when not hungry. Some people don't even know how to tell when they are hungry. If children are trained to eat when they are hungry, maybe it will train them to know their hunger cues and avoid obesity later in life. And if a child doesn't feel hunger cues, it may be a signal of a physical problem.

amother

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:28 pm

amother Brickred wrote:

They do the same on shabbos when were all at the table

amother

DarkOrange

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:32 pm

amother OP wrote:

They do the same on shabbos when were all at the table

I don't make little kids stay at the shabbos table for 2-3 hours, which is how long our seuda takes. But I do expect them to come for each course and eat from that course. It's a matter of setting the expectation and following through. Most kids would run off and not eat during meal times if given the choice.. decide whether or not you want to make it optional.

amother

Freesia

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:41 pm

One of my kids is a picky eater and doesn't love to eat. I had many times that he was in bed and realized he was hungry. I would get upset, but then needed to fix him something to eat, because he was literally starving.

I started reminding him that he should eat something about an hour before bed. It gives us time to figure out what he wants to eat to go to sleep with a full belly. I'll remind him of the other times he was hungry in bed, and usually that's enough for him go choose something.

lilytee

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 1:44 pm

Mealtime is at the table.

My kids know that when they leave the table mealtime is over and they will not have food after dinner. Sometimes if they say they’re hungry they take a fruit.

amother

Caramel

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 2:20 pm

Maybe they aren't hungry. Can the meals be spaced further apart?

amother

cornflower

Mon, Feb 12 2024, 2:22 pm

Is the doctor concerned about weight? My kids are the same but only 1 has a weight issue. I’m going to start giving him orgain drinks and hoping that’s enough.