Toddler refusing to eat

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Toddlers

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amother

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 10:09 am

Hi all!
I’m desperate and turning here for advice. My baby is 22 months and just gotten into a stage of refusing everything I offer him. Breakfasts are a nightmare. I can offer him 6 different choices like cereal, yoghurt, banana, pancakes, cracker with cheese etc to which he’ll eat maybe half a banana and that’s it. He’s obsesssed with drinking. When I give him cereal all he wants to do is drink the milk and refuses the cereal. It’s all just such a struggle. Lunch comes he’s again refusing and supper it’s all just one big nightmare. I’m running out of ideas what to make him that he’ll actually eat. I’ve come to basicallly just fried/ scrambled eggs that he’ll actually be ok with. And that’s if we do dip dip with ketchup. I’m worried as he only weighs 11kg. He’s really thin. He use to have such a good appetite and could eat almost as much as me. Any advice/ ideas all welcome!!

amother

Powderblue

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 10:23 am

Look into Ellen Sattyr's Division of Responsibility

NotInNJMommy

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 10:28 am

How long has he been eating less? Might he be teething?

Might he eat more if he had some motrin?

monkeyland

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 11:28 am

He’s not teething as he has all his teeth

silverlining3

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 11:36 am

My toddler was at that stage not too long ago, I was very frustrated too, even he was chubby.
I'm telling you, as mom's told me back then (I posted here on ima), you take it easy, don't force, it WILL pass.

amother

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 12:45 pm

silverlining3 wrote:

I’m scared he’s too thin tho 🤔

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:17 pm

Has he ever been a good eater? I would only be concerned if he's losing weight. Take him for a weight check to pediatrician

If he is dropping percentiles, insist on blood work to rule out lead or anemia

amother

Oak

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:25 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I’m scared he’s too thin tho 🤔

My son was the exact same way a year and a half ago. Guess what? He outgrew it.

My 2-year-old daughter is now in the same stage. I am confident it will pass. I just keep offering the food, and if she rejects it, I'm not going to worry about it. My husband always says that if you offer food, kids won't starve themselves - eventually, they will eat.

jfk92

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:27 pm

Can't type well right now. But I'm an SLP Who's also worked w feeding. Try different textures (sensory) and temperature he may have a preference, have child be involved with making his food if possible, best to let him feed himself whatever possible, mealtime seated at the table, no pressure best if you can eat somerhing beside him, distraction can help.- sing songs, fun plate/colorful utensils. Drinking after meal. But of course rule out physical/health issues first.

cbg

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:30 pm

Maybe offer smoothies as a snack where you can sneak in some nutrition
I wouldn’t do it during meals.
Yogurt with berries, banana, and blend in some nuts or seeds for some fat.

amother

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 2:07 pm

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

Yes he use to be a very good eater everyone use to comment how much he ate like an adult. He’s always been on the lower end of percentiles

amother

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 2:08 pm

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

Yeah I hope it will pass with a matter of time. It’s just I dunno how he can go a full day with barely putting much in his system

amother

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 2:08 pm

cbg wrote:

Maybe offer smoothies as a snack where you can sneak in some nutrition
I wouldn’t do it during meals.
Yogurt with berries, banana, and blend in some nuts or seeds for some fat.

Thanks I like that idea he’ll love it as anything to do with drinking he loves

amother

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 2:10 pm

jfk92 wrote:

Yeah we’ve tried alll different textures, temperatures etc you name it we’ve tried. Colorful plates. Different ways to present the food you name it we’ve been there

Sage

Wed, Nov 11 2020, 9:00 pm

My child's pediatrician said that kids will eat when they want to eat. It's your job to provide healthy food, but it's their job to decide to eat it.

What did your ped say?

amother

Pewter

Wed, Nov 11 2020, 9:17 pm

Chocolate milk has lots of calories!
Also give almonds to snack on! Very nutritious!

lovepinterest

Wed, Nov 11 2020, 9:33 pm

I can relate. My 3 yr old has recently become so picky. She will only eat egg for breakfast then dunno what in school. For supper if I can get her to eat 2 bites of something it’s grt. I started making smoothies and fruit vegi popsicles

amother

Mint

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 11:27 am

Story of my life. My 22 month old is 9 kgs and has zero fat on her (in 6-9 months pants) and she goes through stages. Some days she'll eat 3 bowls of cereal and her snacks in gan and tons of food. Other days she'll barely touch her cereal and refuse to eat anything. Other days she'll stuff her face and then upchuck it all.

My paed isn't concerned , we take her there to be weighed every 2 months. Was more often when she was younger.

We give her what we eat and usually she is happy to eat off our plates. Sometimes we have to force the food in her mouth BC she is scared to try it and then she likes it. Sometimes she doesn't like it. Sometimes she throws up when we try that.

Every day is a new fun experience.
Hopefully she'll outgrow it soon

monkeyland

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 12:12 pm

amother [ Mint ] wrote:

Thanks that put me at ease to know it’s not just my toddler. Exactly what u wrote is with mine. Literally wearing 6-12 month trousers. He’s weighing 10 kg and almost 23 months!!

FranticFrummie

Wed, Nov 18 2020, 12:26 pm

Keep a food log for a couple of weeks. See if it evens out over the big picture. In a single day he may not eat much, but you might see that over the week he is actually getting pretty good nutrition.

If this is not the case, you have the log already, and that can be useful for the doctor to see.

Don't offer any liquids around meal time. Try to get him to have bites, and tell him something like "3 more bites, and then you can have your milk" or whatever. BTW, never give toddlers nuts! They are hard for a toddler to chew, and a choking hazard.Offer nut butters on toast instead.

If he used to eat just fine, then I'd say this is a phase, and not an eating disorder. Try going to YouTube and searching "toddler won't eat." You may learn some tips, or at least you'll see that you're not alone.

My DD used to eat everything in the house without complaint, until she turned 5. Suddenly, she hated EVERYTHING that she used to love. It was like a switch had been thrown overnight. I actually stood in the middle of a grocery aisle once, in tears, and begged "Tell me what you will eat!" and DD said "I don't know." I tried to get her involved in making shopping lists, but it didn't help. It was SO hard.

B'H, we got through it, but it was sheer torture.

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