3 year old eating habits

Ever since my DS got the stomach bug in January his little tummy has not been the same. We go through period were he won't eat because he's afraid food will make him sick

I'm wondering if his fear and age combined is making him a horrible eater. He will not eat anything but would snack on cookie & cereal all day if I let him.

Yesterday looked like this:
breakfast: pop tart & honey nut cheerios
lunch: nothing
dinner: white bread with butter
AND this was a good day!!!

He only ate 'dinner' because I he wanted to play with his legos and I told him he had to eat something first.

Anyone has a similar issue?

Re: 3 year old eating habits

I have a very similar issue with my almost 2 year old.
But hers was not caused by a stomach bug- it's just that she is a picky eater and I feel like she is just never hungry.
What you posted- pretty much is her daily eating schedule in a nutshell

She will eat pancakes for breakfast- or somtimes oatmeal and banana.
But then it goes down hill from there.
She usually refuses lunch and dinner or eats very little
She wont' eat meat
She wont' eat veges
She wont' eat protein
She only likes junk like cookies, pretzels, goldfish, etc

I can't force her to eat- because she will throw it on the floor and scream.
I try offering so many options- it is rare she wants to eat anything.

I have even resorted to Pediasure, calling it a 'milkshake' but she is hit or miss on if she will even take it- and when she does it's like 1/4 of the bottle tops.

I am going to speak to my ped at the next visit but hoenstly, i don't know what the solution is- because I can't force feed her.

Re: 3 year old eating habits

DS has texture issues and anxiety with foods.
He's gotten a lot better b/c he now knows we won't force it.

What about oatmeal or soup? DS is on an oatmeal kick so I mash up bananas and put it in the oatmeal.

We have to use bribery too. We'll let him watch TV and then I'll pause it for him to take a bite. Same with playing with his LeapPad or if he wants to go outside. If he wants to... then he has to take a bite.
Doesn't always work, but at least it gets him to eat a little.

Re: 3 year old eating habits

This is my son. He's throws a tantrum over not wanting to eat...definitely does not take after me

No veggies or fruit. When he did eat he would eat chicken nuggets, burgers, pizza and grilled cheese. Not anymore.

I started using ovaltine the other day and he LOVES it. So I'm happy for that! I saw it in this months parenting magazine and ran out and got it.

Good luck! I hope this phase ends soon.

Re: 3 year old eating habits

Message edited 5/17/2012 10:47:42 AM.

Re: 3 year old eating habits

My 3 year olds have good appetites, so I can't really offer much advice.
Have you talked to the ped about possible anxiety issues? I can understand how he might be afraid to eat because of getting sick earlier in the year. Things like that can definitely be traumatic for little kids.
Maybe for hot foods like soup you can offer them lukewarm. My kids like when we make a big show of blowing on it to cool it down.

Re: 3 year old eating habits

Re: 3 year old eating habits

Re: 3 year old eating habits

AJ is 3

Enough said.

She eats what she wants when she wants as often as she wants whatever it is she wants.

And this is why I obsess about what we have in the house and what she’s introduced to. She can/will open the fridge herself and get her own food. We let her have a very independent life. So we keep things handy that we’d LIKE her to eat. Broccoli, roasted chicken and peas. Given that I know my child well enough, there are days she won’t EAT what I want her to eat so I leave stuff I know she’ll eat. Strawberries, grapes, chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, pasta and bread.

We pre-fill her thermos with diluted Motts for Tots juice and keep it in the fridge with a sippy cup of milk (yeah yeah sippy for a 3yr old but it means she can self serve).

She has a toddler table set up in the kitchen. It has two chairs. She comes in from school and as I get out of work clothes, if she’s super hungry she’ll go grab herself something to eat. School has taught her to set up her ‘area’ and to sit and eat. She still eats dinner with us as well but not as much food.

After I get comfy, we both walk outside so I can take her shoes off (sand) then get her undressed and comfy then she goes back to munching on whatever and we talk about her day. Hahaha

I got a feeling this is gonna stick as a ‘thing’ for us.

Other days she won’t eat. Some days she skips dinner, some days she barely eats and goes to bed. Its entirely up to her. Other days she pigs OUT and I see her belly get super big.

I gave up on trying to get her to eat.
It never worked. EVER
She’ll get hungry. She’ll eat.
I just control WHAT she eats.

She will ask us occasionally to make her dinner. And we’ve been working on her telling us what she wants to eat and/or making her understand her choices are limited to what we are having for dinner.

Re: 3 year old eating habits

Posted by Xelindrya

AJ is 3

Enough said.

She eats what she wants when she wants as often as she wants whatever it is she wants.

And this is why I obsess about what we have in the house and what she’s introduced to. She can/will open the fridge herself and get her own food. We let her have a very independent life. So we keep things handy that we’d LIKE her to eat. Broccoli, roasted chicken and peas. Given that I know my child well enough, there are days she won’t EAT what I want her to eat so I leave stuff I know she’ll eat. Strawberries, grapes, chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, pasta and bread.

We pre-fill her thermos with diluted Motts for Tots juice and keep it in the fridge with a sippy cup of milk (yeah yeah sippy for a 3yr old but it means she can self serve).

She has a toddler table set up in the kitchen. It has two chairs. She comes in from school and as I get out of work clothes, if she’s super hungry she’ll go grab herself something to eat. School has taught her to set up her ‘area’ and to sit and eat. She still eats dinner with us as well but not as much food.

After I get comfy, we both walk outside so I can take her shoes off (sand) then get her undressed and comfy then she goes back to munching on whatever and we talk about her day. Hahaha

I got a feeling this is gonna stick as a ‘thing’ for us.

Other days she won’t eat. Some days she skips dinner, some days she barely eats and goes to bed. Its entirely up to her. Other days she pigs OUT and I see her belly get super big.

I gave up on trying to get her to eat.
It never worked. EVER
She’ll get hungry. She’ll eat.
I just control WHAT she eats.

She will ask us occasionally to make her dinner. And we’ve been working on her telling us what she wants to eat and/or making her understand her choices are limited to what we are having for dinner.

Re: 3 year old eating habits

My DD is also hit or miss at meal times. I try to limit the snacks she has because if I let her she would eat an entire box of fruit snacks.
At dinner we usually come up with some arbritrary amount, like you have to have at least 3 bites of chicken (which is usually grilled or baked) because she wouldn't eat any otherwise. I don't know that the amount she eats is enough but I feel like at least she is having something.
One of her favorite meals is taco night. I'll mix spanish rice with taco meat cheese and sour cream. She usually eats a lot of that on her own.
I'll also use dessert as a way to get her to eat more. If you eat this you can have that. Only works if its something she wants at the time.

For extra calories my DD likes the yogurt drinks, like danimals. She would drink those all day if I let her too!

Re: 3 year old eating habits

Danimals are a staple in my house. DS drinks those and would all day too.

May be he's fine...just not eating like I would like him to. I think I'll give it time.