1St Time Mom Worries Toddler Poor Eater

I would seek out a biomedical doctor to find out why. Usually they go by the name of DAN! doctors. They will find the gut issue, yeast, sensory, allergies or whatever the reason is behind all of this. I would also seek out an experienced speech language pathologist and/or SIPT certified OT to get to the bottom of the issues.

My 2 1/2 year old is in daycare, and every other week we're constantly wiping his nose. He's a happy kid! But he's still developing immunities. Look at it this way, it's now or in kindergarten. Either way, his body has to go through a period of adjustment.

You have to learn to trust him. If he's hungry, he'll eat. Stop playing games, stop tying to trick him. Just keep putting healthy foods in front of him. He'll eat if he's hungry, and his ped will let you know if there's a concern.

I would definitely recommend you not give him pediasure. If you do, it will become a vicious cycle. He doesn't eat, so you give him pediasure, then he's not hungry because he got his nutrients and calories from pediasure so he doesn't eat so you give him pediasure, then he's not hungry because he got his nutrients and calories from pediasure, so he doesn't eat, so you give him pediasure ...

Trust him. When he's hungry, he'll eat. You would actually be helping him to have better lifelong habits. One of the biggest problems with adults is that we don't stop eating when we're full. Help him learn to listen to his body.

I have 2 kids and both were not so interested in sitting still and eating for very long as toddlers (my youngest is 2 now - so I'm right at that stage again!). It is a personality thing. Some kids just have this super active little personality and are just not too interested in food. I worried about it a lot with my first child. He just wanted to play and did not want to sit very long... EVER. This time I am not at all worried. It is just normal with some toddlers. My son is now 7 years old and he sits at the table with us and eats and sits nicely in restaurants. (He is still picky but that is a different story). I used to worry that the only way I could get food into him was to distract him by letting him watch a cartoon or by reading a story while I spooned food into his mouth. Now his sister is exactly the same way. We sit down to meals and she eats her little bit. Then after the meal I feed her meal number 2 while I distract her with a cartoon or something. I can get a whole plate of food into her this way and she is finally gaining more weight. I do this 3x a day. Plus she has snacks in between. I have been making sure to give her high calorie foods (like full fat sour cream to dip her veggies in, and big pats of real butter on her bread, and avocados, full fat yogurt, etc). It is more work but now I know that she will still be able to sit and eat like a normal person one day bc her brother now does just fine. The thing that makes me happy is she will eat pretty much anything and at this age her brother was extremely picky. Yay! PS - I read an article on kids and getting sick. The kids who go to daycare seem to get more sicknesses.... BUT it all evens out in the end. By the time the kids are school age they all average out to have had about the same amount of sicknesses. You child who is in daycare gets immune to more colds/sicknesses at a younger age than a kid who did not go to daycare. Then that kid who never went to daycare as a youngster gets more sicknesses after he/she starts school. After a few years in school it all averages out. I hope that makes you feel better.

I have 4 girls, my 5 y/o is THE pickiest eater ever and she has been since she was very little. She didn't touch a visible vegetable until about 4 months ago, now she's starting to eat broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and peas. Mean while I blended and hid as many veggies as I could in her food and didnt even bother on serving her stuff i knew she wouldn't touch. I finally saw a change in her 4 months ago when i started serving her the veggies she was having nothing to do with b/c her teacher told me that after seeing it over and over and over on her plate eventually she'd try it, and it seems to be what happened with her. Also i used to kinda push her to finish her food, now I just let her eat the amount she wants, but i make it very clear that there will be no more snacks if she doesn't finish her food. My daughter is a little older than your son so I don't know if this will help but just thought I'd share. Oh and all of my girls were in day care and they were ALL sick atleast 2X a month during the first 2 yrs of their lives, and now they are some healthy horses!! So there is a light at the end of the tunnel! he just needs to build up those immunities which he is doing by being exposed in daycare, good luck!! :)

Hello,

They are pickey eaters at this age. Just remember that their stomachs are small so they dont need to eat much to get full.
I am giving my daughter "my first - Flintstones multivitamins" they are made for 2 and 3 year olds. She loves taking them.
It makes me feel good to know she is getting some vitamins; especially when she refuses to eat the same carrots she loved the day before.
Your a good mom and doing a good job; hang in there. Before you know it, he'll be a teenager eating you out of house and home. :)

I'd talk to your pediatrician about vitamins to boost him immune system. Also, try adding Pediasure or a whey protien shake to his diet. Something that tastes good and goes down easy.

Talk to your daycare about proper handwashing and sanitation. If they aren't washing their hands when they arrive, prior to and after all meals, and after toiletting, there is a problem. Purell is a good thing...but it's not the BEST thing. Soap and water is still the best way to prevent illness. And if they are willing to keep sick children (a good indication is if they've ever agreed to keep your sick little one)...find another daycare.

Start adding fat (butter, cream, etc.) to the foods you make him.
Also, you can make him Greek yogurt smoothies with fresh fruit.

IME, little kids eat like snakes--a lot O. day, hardly anything the next--just look at the overall intake.

Any vitamin in the daily routine?

My first daughter is picky too, worse than me. I love the book Deceptional delicious by jessica seinfield. I put veggie puree into my meals without anyone be the wiser. I buy baby food so i dont have to puree anything and mix it in. My favorite is sweet potatoes cause the vitamins help with healing all those bruises and boo boos.

Sometimes, its the eat your dinner or no dessert ( ice cream or one piece of her halloween candy.)

If, we dont try to bribe her, the we tell her she has soo many bites left.

Ultimately what really works is having her on a schedule. Dinner around 5pm. and no snacks an hour before. IF she really is whining about being hungry she can have a yogurt to tide her over.

Finally, she loves to dip anything from green beans to chips into ketchup.

Here is one of my girls favorite receipe. Mini meatloaves not greasy or heavy like any other meatloaf

Mix 1lb of lean ground beef, a box of uncooked stuffing, 1 cup of water, and 1 jar of sweet potatoe baby food. Then put mixture into the wholes of cupcake pan, about 75% full. Next, take a spoon and make nice indent on the top of each. Cook at 375 for 12-15mins til golden brown. When fully cooked Spread spagetti sauce over the whole top of each and top off with mexican four cheese. Cook til cheese is melted about 2-3 mins

This is actually a very common problem. A great way to get nutrients into picky toddlers is pediasure. They have different flavors and you can let him drink it rather then trying to get him to eat. I am not saying this is a permanent solution, but it may help you have a little piece of mind while he out grows this stage. Also, they sale a lot of high quality children's vitamins these days. If you are worried about him being sick all the time (and daycare almost guarantees that) then look for a good multi-vitamin with immune support or ask your pedi for a suggestion. Hang in there Mama! It'll be ok.

I have a 23 month old, and she is currently just over 20lbs. She is picky right now and I just keep telling myself she will outgrow this (hopefully)! We were giving her pediasure too, mixed in with her milk, which got expensive. My pedi also not concerned with her weight right now, said I could also mix in Carnation instant breakfast in her milk too, to get her some vitamins. Most stores carry their own brand of this which is cheaper. I'm not sure if there is a store brand of pediasure, I haven't seen one. There are certain things she will eat better than others. Sometimes, she will eat better if she is "on the go", playing, or watching tv. Sometimes she wants to eat while I am making dinner, or if I put her up on the counter while I make her a sandwich in front her. She is starting to become a little more curious about food and wants to "try" but I think alot of it is the texture right now. Gerber has just come out with the "Grabbers" which is basically fruit in a pouch. But there are other brands too that have veggies mixed in, so I sneak some in that way too, she loves them. They are made for toddlers. Some is the Ella's Organic and Plum for toddlers. Target has a great selection of them, or Babies R Us. Just try to hang in there. Believe me, I know it's hard not to worry!!!