Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Errr.... I really try and chalk it up to teething, and try and remind myself that when he's hungry he'll eat... However Ryan seriously only eats 1 meal/day if that, and its really starting to concern me...

He has always been this way, and I swore he would just grow out of it, but if anything it seems to be getting worse...

On avg. he eats one meal a day, and picks at the other 2... Sometimes he eats a snack or 2 other days he does not.

He gains weight at every check up, but it is minimal. At 20.5 months- I think he weighs 24 lbs.- he has always been on the small side, but it seems he is slowly droping off the charts...

At this point- I will give he anything he wants- as long as he eats. He tends to favor fruit, veg. and cheeses- which is great- but I wish he would eat something more hearty once in awhile...

Its not that he dosent like what he is offered either. Somedays he'll love eggs (lets say) eat the whole thing, the next day- he dosent feel like eating- therefore dosent eat them!

Im constantly introducing different things- so its not that he dosent get a variety...

Im at my wits end, dancing around the kitchen making 3 different meals at each sitting- while he whines to get down.

I got rid of the highchair, and got a booster thinking that might make meal time more "fun"- that worked for a week, and then the thrill was over.

We bought a small little table for the living room- and I have began letting him eat his lunch in there, in front of the TV or with a coloring book- sometimes that helps, but not always..

WHat am I supposed to do... slowly watch my skinny minny child slither away to nothing? Does it get better?
I know there is no quick fix, but Im open to suggestions

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

I have this same problem with James...there are days that he eats non stop...then there are days that he only eats breakfast. He is small for his age also. He is 34 months only and only weighs 24lbs and 34 inches tall. It scares me to death. I've taken him to a slew of specialts to make sure that nothing else was wrong...and no one can find anything.

I think that on the days that James doesn't eat...it because he is so into everything else going on around him that he doesn't want to take the time out from playing to actually eat.

I have been trying to create a less exciting atmosphere for him when its time to eat...and he seems to do better. He is also a social eater...so if I eat with him he tends to eat more.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Jack is the same way. He is 2 1/2 and weighs 26 lbs and is 37 inches. He an Molly wear the same size diaper! It is totally normal for toddlers to eat in spurts....some days he eats like a big, others days its nothing.

Try not to worry becasue from their perspective there are better things do to all day than take time out to eat. Jack is no stop all day, literally running in circles, so there is no time for anything he eats to stick to his bones!

Also, remeber that their stomachs are still very small, so even a couple of bits that seem like nothing to us, could be enough for them.

I also try to leave his food out so he sits back down and eats it when he is hungry.

Message edited 6/9/2007 9:01:30 AM.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Jared is the same way. He weighs about 33 pounds and is almost 2....so he is no way underweight. Some days, he'll eat everything and other days all he'll want is one meal.
If he's hungry he'll tell me.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

I can't really offer any advice because my son just turned 1 but I do have a nephew who is about 20.5 months as well and there are days where he eats and days when he doesn't. I guess they are more interested in playing. DS is only 1 and he's getting a little ansy in his highchair and booster seat. A friend of DH's said that she has to chase her son around and that's how he eats. I know she's had to do it since her son was 2. Now he's 3 so I don't know how he is.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

eta. I have a skinny minny child as well. At his 12 month checkup he was 18lbs 14 oz. He's also 30 inches tall.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Nate has been doing this a lot lately. Some days it's like he can't get enough of food and then others we end up wasting so much. Between his 18 month and 2 yr visit he only gained 2lbs. The doctor told me there wasn't anything to worry about. At 2 yrs old he's 28lbs and 35.5 inches.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Ryan is a very picky eater and goes through phases of eating his 3 meals and then suddenly will only eat 1 meal if I'm lucky. He eats the same things each day mostly because he is so picky. Its frustrating because he needs more variety in his diet, more fruits and veggies, but sometimes he is just not in the mood, its weird. I only cook 1 meal for him though, if he is hungry he will eat it. If he refuses, he will drink his cup of milk/juice and snack on some cheerios or gerber fruit snacks. My philosophy is I am not a diner.. taken from my mom..

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

I have a very picky 16mth old here. She eats breakfast and then its downhill from there. Dinner has become more or less non existent for her, she cries in her high chair until I let her down. I am going to cook up some meals for her this weekend and freeze them and see how we go with that. I have tried everything. It seems her favourite things to eat are fruits and maybe toast after that forget about it.

Sorry no advice...I guess some kids are better eaters than others...my 22mth old nephew would chew your arm off if he could......

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

22 months and no likey to eat Thius has been for the past 2 weeks, it drives me nuts

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Logan is EXACTLY the same as you described to a T even down to the letting him eat where he wants! Sometimes he'll eat OK and other days hardly anything at all. He has always been on the small side as well. I just constantly try to offer him food ANYTHING just to get him to eat!

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

I was just on the phone with my Mom over this. Ava will be 3 in July. Today she ate maybe 1 pancake and 2 twizzlers.

I try everything- fruits veggies, cereals, bread, chicken and mac and cheese.

I don't know how she survives... She is big for her age- go figure.

She does drink 2 cups of milk a day and has a vitamin.....

I have no idea what to do. I was thinking of taking her to the ped to discuss this..They will probably think I'm crazy...

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

My daughter (3 in Sept) has been the same way-some days she'll eat everything in sight-other days i'm lucky if she'll have a piece of bread (and it's more days of her not eating). She does drink 2 cups of milk a day and a glass of orange juice in the morning and has a multivitamin so i'm not too concerned. I just keep offering food.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Talia is the same way. My dr. said to really expect only one decent meal a day.

I think they key is not to sweat it. I have friends who practically SHOVE food down their kids throats...it's so severe it makes ME anxious I can only imagine their kid has anxiety about meal time too which just adds fuel to the fire.

If talia doesnt eat her meal - I usually put it aside. If she asks me for a snack later on either I give her the meal again - or if she really doesn't want it I give her something like a banana or apple or string cheese - basically something that is good for her that I know she won't say no to.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Ethan is just like all the other non-eaters on this post!

His new obsession is eating the gerber puffs like they're going out of STYLE! I didn't offer them to him for a while and then I offered them the other day when he would touch anything i offered him and he ate like 1/2 jar full.

I usually end up eating whatever I make for him which is really adding to my waist line!

For a few weeks he was doing really well - he would eat a whole hotdog or 3 nuggets at a meal and would also have some animal crackers or goldfish as a treat when he finished those. The past few days I feel like i have to beg him to take a bite and then he chews and chews and chews and then spits it out. He did well with soft meats like hotdogs (peeled) and chicken sausages from TJ's - but that is in the past.

He has never been a good veggie eater - he will occassionally eat peas but thats all. Apples sometimes. He screams BANANA whenever we go to the supermarket but when I offer it to him he doesn't want it - go figure!

He used to be great with plain pasta and white rice, but today it was all over my floor - oy oy oy!

The eating while watching a fav show worked for a while, but lately nothing works.

I feel bad. I feel like I am not doing something right and he should be eating better. He still drinks milk (but not an enormous amt) I don't think that is what is interfering with his eating b/c he is refusing absolutely everything these days!

If anyone has any new tricks - please share!

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

My boys go through good and bad days, and lately they barely eat

B-R-I-B-E-R-Y

I try to tell them what they will do/play after they finish eating

it doesnt always work though

and my sister's 4 kids eat ANYTHING and they eat sO MUCH AT ALL TIMES. I stare in aw never thought Id be jealous of kids that DO eat

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

I agree with Anna....bibery works well. "We can go to the pool as soon as you finish your lunch"!

Another thing that works for us, is I say something like "Jack, Daddy is going to eat your nuggets if you don't eat them. Uh oh...look out....here comes Daddy's fork " (as daddy makes believe he is going to eat the food) and suddenly Jack scoops it up and eats it. This game gets very old, but the kid ate a whole plate of mashed potatoes last night!

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Posted by anna

My boys go through good and bad days, and lately they barely eat

B-R-I-B-E-R-Y

I try to tell them what they will do/play after they finish eating

it doesnt always work though

and my sister's 4 kids eat ANYTHING and they eat sO MUCH AT ALL TIMES. I stare in aw never thought Id be jealous of kids that DO eat

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Does he drink a lot? My DD was drinking a lot of milk and water and I realized thats why she wasn't eating. Once I cut down the fluid intake she began eating again.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Message edited 6/10/2007 3:30:51 PM.

Re: Anyone elses toddler refuse to eat?

Sydney has always been a good eater but lately she has been refusing everything but fruit. If she had her way she's eat fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner...while it is healthy, too much isnt good for their tummys either.