8 year old won't eat any breakfast

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children

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amother

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 7:40 am

So my child was always a good eater but in the last year is giving me a harder time at meals, especially at breakfast.
He won't eat anything he usually ate and I've tried so many options (including options that I really don't want my kids eating too often) and even those, he'll take a bite and say he doesn't like it anymore.
We only have a small amount of time to get ready in the morning before his bus comes and it's getting really frustrating for both of us.
Is it ok to just give up and tell him he doesn't need to eat breakfast?
Should I be making him eat something small, even if he says he doesn't like it?

Please help! Thanks.

avrahamama

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 7:42 am

I don't push breakfast, I remember not being able to eat first thing in am. I give something nice for morning snack. Cereal and milk, yogurt, waffle with cream cheese.

amother

Papaya

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 8:00 am

I'm not a big morning eater. My husband is not a big morning eater. It's normal to not have an appetite so early in the morning. Could be he gets hungry once he gets to school so maybe try sending something for school- yogurt, pancakes, bag of cereals, french toast, oatmeal... Something he can just grab and eat.

Or maybe see if he will drink a smoothly from home to school - fruits, yogurt, ice - can even add oats!

Moonlight

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 8:11 am

I cant eat within 2 h of waking, except coffee. My dd started to do the same, I begged her to eat something, anything but I see she just doesnt have an apetite so early

amother

Babypink

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 8:52 am

There is this idea that kids need this fuel to learn and function in school, but some kids just can’t eat so early. Pack them extra snacks (nutritious ones) that they can have late morning when ready. I was like that. Even now, I’ve been up 3 hours and I can’t even think about food yet. (And I’m not doing intermittent fasting, nor am I a skinny person who doesn’t eat much. I just can’t do breakfast until I’ve been up 4+ hours most days).

amother

Silver

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 9:23 am

I really sympathize with you as I have an 8 yr old who refused to eat breakfast. A few things that helped our situation:
Make sure the child doesnt eat too close to bedtime as that will make him not have an appetite in the morning.
Also If its an anxiety or control thing just put a granola bar, cereal bar, yogurt, string cheese with crackers, or even a sandwich in his briefcase and just nonchalantly let him know that its there. In case he gets hungry on the way to school he has it. That was a game changer for us. Most days its eaten without me forcing him to eat.
What also helped calm the morning rush was to put on music. It made a huge difference in the anxiety levels.
Please update us. Hatzlacha

mizle10

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 9:31 am

When my kids don’t have an appetite for breakfast I give them a hit chocolate to go. I know it’s not great, but they’re drinking a cup of milk and it’s something warm.

mommyhood

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 9:33 am

I have one kid who rarely eats breakfast or lunch on school days. They do take snacks and somehow survive until supper. They eat nicely on weekends and at supper and they're growing well and doing nicely in school so I just let it go.

amother

Tan

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 9:36 am

My kids start off as non-breakfast eaters, but some changed over time.
I try to give them something, even just a cup of milk or chocolate milk in the morning. But if they refuse, I'll give them something to take along--even something small. A banana, a protein bar, a granola bar, cheese, or bag of cereal. They don't always agree to take it, but I try.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 9:43 am

I can't eat anything until lunch, and sometimes even a late lunch depending on how busy I am. Nothing but coffee until then. I've been that way my whole life, and B'H my mom never pushed it. She grew up being forced to eat on schedule, and she had food issues ever since. I was so glad that she didn't pass on that attitude to me and my sister. She let us do intuitive eating, and figured out our average intake of nutrition over a week, instead of daily. Some days I'd eat lots of healthy food, and some days all I wanted was a small snack. She didn't stress about it.

Make some oatmeal cookies. Use coconut sugar, and add flax meal, chopped nuts, dried fruit, protein powder, or anything else that you can get in there. If your kid hates dried fruit or is allergic to nuts, of course leave them out. The idea is to give them "cookies" that have as much good stuff hidden in there as possible. Then he can grab it on his way out the door, and either eat it on the bus, or on the first break of the day. Who doesn't love cookies for breakfast?

I'm actually going to make some for myself, to help keep my blood sugar stable when I forget to eat properly.

amother

Wheat

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 11:12 am

Ugh please don’t force.

He can have just a drink if he wants.

Or send a pack of rice cake etc along.

amother

Orange

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 11:47 am

It really depends on why he's not eating. If he's not a big eater in general, never has been, or just not a breakfast eater but eats normally and enough healthy foods throughout the day, I seriously wouldn't push it. If you suspect he's just getting picky about what you deem healthy enough for breakfast and is eating his snack as soon as he steps out the door, or in general is being more restrictive about healthy mealtime foods in general, I would be more concerned. Not that it would change my approach, I still wouldn't force, but it would change what I did in the long run. I had a child who wouldn't eat what I served at home because knew she was getting cereal and milk and sugary yogurt in school a half hour later. He would fill up on junk school lunches, and for sure all the snacks I sent with him, plus some, and then skip dinner, saying he wasn't hungry. That's very different from a child that's just not a big eater.

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