Five Year Old Who Is Very Picky Eater Under Weight and Small

Dear Grandmother,

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!! Best thing to start on!!
Anything handy and semi sweet. good luck

J.: My daughter was a premie so she was very tiny up until she was about 9. That was about what she weighed at 5. I started her on finger foods at six months, veggies, fruits, etc. Maybe your daughter should quit feeding him. Isn't he about ready to start school? The Pedisure cannot hurt him, but other foods should be offered to encourage him to eat. If he is still taking a bottle, I would offer the drink in a cup instead. What does his doctor say about his weight? My daughter could not consume what I thought she should because she was so tiny. I followed my doctors suggestions and she has done great. She is still tiny and always will be. She is now 12 and eats me out of house and home, but is still very tiny for her age. You can sub protein into the Pedisure if you need to. If he is under weight because he does not eat properly that is one thing. If he is just tiny, by structure, encourage eating, but do not worry too much. Encourage your daughter to quits feeding him, he will eat when he gets hungry. Just offer him good healthy foods.

Good Luck
S. Miller

My daughter is 6 and only weighs 37 pounds. My twins are 4 and are just about 30 pounds now. Some kids are just small. I was that way too and so are my sisters and my sister's kids. I would take him to the pediatrician and have them check to make sure everything is ok maybe even see a pediatric gastroenterologist to make sure.

I do have a problem getting my daughter to eat meat sometimes, but she will eat things with protein like peanut butter and chicken. She'd rather eat fruits and vegetables which I find strange because most kids her age won't touch veggies, she will not eat pasta at all. My twins are not as picky. They'll try what you put in front of them, but they are still really small for their age.

If he is not eating junk all the time, he is probably ok. Homemade food is best because you can control what goes in it. Stay away from fast food, and prepackaged, preprepared foods that contain a lot of preservatives, and sodium. Make sure he gets a vitamin like Flintstones and as long as the pediatrician is not concerned, than he should eventually grow out of it.

Maybe trying something "fun" that has protein in it will help like tacos, tortilla chips and bean dip, etc. It might work better if you can have him help "cook" his food, like making his own tacos or something. Tricks like this tend to help when my daughter is being extra picky.

To get him to eat by himself instead of mom feeding him you can use a reward system. If he does it, he gets a token (can be a marble in a jar, money, stickers, etc. When he gets a certain number say 10 he can pick a prize (that you have previously agreed to beforehand) like a small toy, movie, etc. I'd stay away from food rewards especially in this case. The key is being consistent.

As for sleeping, 9 hours seems fine to me, it's more than my kids get. They refuse to take naps and it is a battle to get them to go to bed at night.

Hi J..

I know what you are going through! I have a five year old grandson, and he is only 32 pounds!! He is a picky, very light eater, skinny as a rail, but tall. His doctor says he is healthy. What does your grandson's doctor say? That would be the first thing--check with his pediatrician. He (or she) can run tests, just to rule out any medical problems that may be causing it. My grandson's pediatrician says he will probably catch up later in life.

As for your daughter, tell her to STOP FEEDING HIM herself!!! She is spoiling him rotten. Explain to him that he is a big boy and mommy is no longer going to feed him. He has to feed himself. Then stick to it!! If he gets hungry enough, he will eat! A few missed meals will not hurt him.
Good luck!

I think your main concern should be that he won't feed himself! Is this a new habit or has it been going on his whole life. If he hasn't been given the opportunity to feed himself then he may not really know how! You may try giving him some finger foods as snacks-something he really likes-grapes, strawberries, goldfish crackers, cheese slices, whatever you can to get him to feed himself. I do believe if mom stops putting food in his mouth he will start to do it himself. You only need to worry about his weight if he begins to lose it.

Hi J. I have a 13 year old boy that only weighs about 70lbs. He is not really what you would call a picky eater, he just does not eat well. He used to not care for beef too much so I really never pushed it because he loves veggies, especially carrots. He does however have Gastroesphogeal Reflux Disease (GERD) and his pediatric gastroenterolgist said that his weight was fine. My son also has a small structure he is only in the 10th percentile for his age. He is one of the smallest kids in his junior high. I don't buy alot of junk, every now and then I will buy cookies or chips. We buy alot of fruit and he eats carrots and ranch dressing as a snack quite often. I would not worrying too much. The only concern I would have is why won't he feed himself? And why is still offered a bottle? He is plenty old to feed himself!! The pedisure won't hurt, we tried the carnation instant breakfast in addition to breakfast. He is starting to gain some weight but he is so active that it usually burns off pretty quickly! Good luck , and don't worry he will be fine!

J.: I eat and sell a product called Herbalife. They have a wonderful line of products for kids to give them complete, balanced, nutritional meals (by drinking a shake) along with multivitamins and Garden 7 (which gives them their complete intake need for the fruits and veggies for the day) The shakes taste awesome and the kids just love them....they think it's wonderful they get to have a shake for breakfast! You can also throw fruit in the blender to maket he shakes taste even better and give them more nutrition. My nephews just started on the products (ADHD) and their mom is already seeing a difference. Email me if you are interested in the product line, or give me a call. ____@____.com; or ###-###-####; ###-###-####! Best of luck & I look forward to hearing from you to help with your grandson's nutrition needs!

S. Woodall
Independent Herbalife Distributor

I would worry more about him still taking a bottle and insisting that someone else feed him than I would about his weight and picky eating habits.

He may be a small child. If he always has been it's less worrisome than if he was growing and suddenly stopped.

Check with the pediatrician for ideas.

J.,
First you need to see a doctor to find out if there is something physically going on that might be affecting his appetite or ability to tolerate food or certain foods. Has failure to thrive been eliminated ? Where is Daddy ? The fact that this little boy is insisting that his Mommy feed him tells me he's using this to get attention and I would start asking why ? I would also be watching his behavior and interactions with others his age. I can understand Mom's concern about his weight, but by allowing him to dictate how he eats, he is contolling her instead of his recognizing that SHE is the boss. If there is nothing physically wrong with him and he is simply manipulating her, you need to address this immediately. If he refuses to feed himself, fine put the food up. When he gets hungry enough he'll start asking and you can try again. Sit with him so he's reassured of your presence but he'll have to feed himself
like Mommy's little man. Be sure to praise him and thank him for making you proud of him. Good luck and God bless. Let us know how it works out

i would be more concerned about the emotional issues here. He won't feed himself? Some have mentioned a bottle of pedisure. I am hoping you ment one container not a baby bottle. Does he do this when he is with you without her? or does he just exibit this behavior with her? Does she have other children? Is this really him or his attempt to please her and remain her "baby". 5 is that time between baby and "big boy". He should be starting school in the fall. is he going to not eat until he is where she can feed him? A discussion with the pediatrician with him out of the room is very neccessary. I understand your concern completely. good luck