Help , 2 Years Old Doesn't Want to Eat

my son was a very picky eater at that age. Sometimes he didn't want to eat at all. I thought he would starve before he was three. I just gave him the things I knew he would eat,and tried to sneak in a bite here and there of other things. He's still a picky eater, but he does eat well now, and has no problems because of it.

This is VERY normal for this age. They go through phases where they just don't eat. It's very frustrating for us moms! My advice is to give him small amounts of food at dinner, of everything, and just let him eat what he wants. If he is hungry later, he will let you know and you can give him something. My oldest ate nothing but cheese for several weeks...I was so worried! She never lost weight though, and the next week, she was eating everything under the sun.

Don't stress too much about it. Just continue to offer him different kinds of food, let him take his time, and eventually he will eat. Make a big deal about how good the food is too, while you are eating. You will feel a bit silly, but it might help.

Lots of hugs to you!

O.,
I wouldn't worry too much about his eating habbits. My 17 month old does the same thing as well. There are even times that as soon as we put him in his high chair for meal time he will sing himself to sleep so he doesn't have to eat. When they are hungry they will eat. Believe me, there are days I think he can out eat me!! In the mean time you may try pediasure or one of the other infant/toddler nutrient supplements as snacks to make sure he is getting everything that he needs. As far as him being 2 and only weighing 25 pounds.....my daughter is six and only weigs 38 pounds. Their pediatrician said this is normal in children of her age. As long as he is happy and healthy there shouldn't be any worries. :)

hello...i have a daughter who is now 3 yrs old..and she went through that same situation...only all she wanted to eat was cookies!...scared me to death because i didn't want her little teeth to rot out. i took her to her doctor and he said as long as she stay hydrated and eat those cookies, she'll be fine..the next situation we went through was she would take a bite out everything on the plate and then leave her food there. this made me nervous again, so i called her doctor again and he told me that all children go through this phase for some reason..maybe scared they will miss out on something, but he told me to just leave her plate out and she'll come and get it whenever she pleases...and low and behold it worked!it may have taken a few hours before the plate was cleared, but it was cleared none the less!....kids will eat their food cold! i hope this works for you...as long as he is not losing massive weight, and is still energetic, he'll be ok.

My son has this same problem, but recently has started to eat new foods. He turns six next friday. As long as he is eating something, even if it is just a few select things that he will eat, it should be ok. My son's pediatrician said to just keep offering the new foods and tell him he needs to try it before he gets something he likes to eat. About 50% of the time my son will eat the "new" food, but the other half of the time he will choose something from his list that he will eat.

When I just saw the topic in my email inbox, I just thought, "That's a 2 year old for you." However, I have concerns that he holds food in his mouth. I am glad to hear you took him to a speech pathologist (by the way, I am one as well) but I am not sure that he/she didn't perhaps miss something. If it were me, I would get another eval by another speech pathologist who specializes in pediatric dysphagia. We all get the same training, but some SLP's will specialize in certain areas. You can do to www.asha.org and search for one near you. I would be curious to know if he is truly chewing food or just sucking it and whether there are sensitivity concerns with certain textures or tastes, particularly given the fact that he doesn't like to get his hands dirty. I will say, though, that does not necessarily mean anything either. It is hard to say without knowing your son. As for the not wanting to eat, they go in spurts. I did the give my son, now 3 1/2, a healthy snack (cheese and crackers, carrot sticks, etc...) before bed if he didn't eat dinner because I, too, didn't want him to go to bed hungry. The other responders have hit on this topic and I don't really have much to add, other than just keep trying until you find what works. If he is not losing weight and your pediatrician is not concerned with his place on the growth chart, I would just recommend patience. Good luck and feel free to shoot me back a message if you have any questions from the speech path point of view. Best of luck to you!

Well, My son is now 18 mos and I SOOOOooooo feel your pain. J was a preemie so of course weight gain is like our hobby right, well he's so rambunctious now and won't sit still, spits stuff back out, just crazy. SO we have a plan that kind of works more than 50% of the time...we have an open (dallas?) floorplan where we walk/run around the living room kitchen dining room entryway in circles about 8-10 times while whatever is cooking. it expends his energy a little and establishes our pattern of, "first this then sit still and eat." He eats more when we "run track" first. and my mom said that I lived on PBJ for about 3 months alone when I was a toddler and I survived. you said he likes cheese...any variation? can ya sneak some peas in there? does he still drink milk and juice? I guess just keep trying till you find what makes him tick...and if it's the same thing for breakfast lunch and dinner for a week or 2 that he'll still get what he needs. J burnt himself out on banannas finally...then we were ready to move on to the next thing. 2. don't cry, this too shall pass. keep stuff next to you for YOU to do while he does his squirmy worm routine then it won't seem like an eternity for him to FINISH EATING!!!!!ugh. I know, I know. good luck.

hi..i thought i would just let you know that i have a little boy that is the same way...he will be 3 in april..and he is just over 27 lbs..and it would worry me alot..and i would ask the dr about it all the time..he told me a lot of kids do this..there will be some days when he will eat all the time..and others when he wont eat hardly anything..even with my little boy he just wont just come out and say "mommy i am hungry"..i will have to keep asking him if he wants to eat until he finally says ok i will eat...so i think alot of children go through this..so just take it day by day...hopefully this will ease you some..A.

Kids won't let themselves starve. Start setting a time limit at the table, and if he hasn't finished his food when the timer goes off, take it away. I have two of the pickiest boys alive. My oldest turns 5 in a few weeks (yipes!) and he only weighs 30lbs. He eats like a bird. I give both of them the generic Ensure dinks for breakfast. It's about half the price of Pediasure, and has all the same stuff in it. They both love their "milkshakes", and I feel like they are getting the nutrients they need. Their ped told me to do this. They can have fruit whenever they want, but no junky foods unless they've eaten a good food first.
Just don't stress out any more. I've been there, and there is nothing you can do to force your child to eat. Just give them healthy options, and know that they will eat when they are hungry. Going to bed without dinner won't hurt.
Good luck, and {{{HUGS}}}!!

J.

My sons are exactly the same my problem with my two year old is that he wants milk in his sippy cup all day long he wont drink jusice wont drink water i can't get him to drink anything else he wont touch his food unless its something he likes he only eats the pepperoni off a pizza and that is just one slice he wont eat any more he wont eat nothing and when he does its just enough to taste my doctor told me to not let him have a sippy cup at all and a glass of water for when he eats after he gets good and hungry trust me it might take a day but that boy will eat trust me just give it to him when its time to eat say time to eat and put it away when everyone else is done unless he is actually eatting it sounds mean but its not it teaches him this is when you eat if you dont eat then you wait till its time to eat again i can assure you he will eat and he will explore more food on his one you just have to show tough love sometimes i promise you it will be okay in no time at all you will forget this was even a problem. He is a normal two year old some love to eat and some have to be told its time to stop playing and eat if you dont eat you starve until its time to eat again going to bed on a empty stomache never hurt anyone if anything the did eat breakfast in the morning. Trust me you can do this you are the mommy not him i have faith in you. J. Dixon

Stop worrying hun, m y 3 year old daughter is the same way. He'll eat when he's hungry especially when he is going through a growth spurt. One thing that I found did work, was letting her decide what she wanted to eat, even though it meant making something different it wasn't that big of a deal since she doesn't like meat anyway. As long as he is drinking plenty of fluids, he'll be fine.

Yeah, I would just chill out and stop crying, poor thing! Just offer him healthy food every three hours and let him eat or not. I would not get into the habit of following him around with food or making special food for him because you will have to keep it up forever if you do. Have him sit at the table to eat, no matter how long it takes. Don't say a word about holding the food in his mouth or using a utensil to eat everything; it's obviously a control issue. He can tell it bothers you, and at this age, they don't want to please you as much as defy you to forge their own personality separate from you. Do yourselves a favor and don't make eating one of the issues he does that with.

All 4 of my kids went through this stage. It can be very frustrating, but the doctor will tell you they will eat when they get hungry. For my youngest I ended up giving her pediasure when she did not want to eat. It was new then and I was trying anything. She is still very picky, but they are all big and healthy.

i have the same problem with my four year old he wont eat anything but fruit. Everyone tells me i should count my blessing and i am lucky but you know what it is getting kinda messy. alex has aspergers and he is still in diapers. So i tried what my mom said that is when it is time to eat dont let him up from the table until he at least takes a few bites of everything. Sometimes you got to put your foot down. I know your child is only two so that might not work but slowing down on snack could help. I am pretty much at this time a single mom well it feels like it. Daddy is on the boat my family helps me out alot. So what i would say is trust yourself if you think the child is hungry from not eatting then give him the snack. If not hold your ground. Or you can use that snack that he likes as a reward for instance " If you take two bits of this you can have your treat". I hope that helps.

Well I had the same problem with my son, he is 5 now but he was the same way when he was 2 or 3, what I would do is, just sit with him and constantly remind him to chew or to eat, if we would go out to eat to a place like Mcdonalds I wouldnt give him his toy from the Happy Meal until he was done eating, and as bad as it sounds I would bribe him with his favorite snack, toy, game etc.... I know when kids are picky eaters it is hard, I would have to make/offer my son several different foods until he would eat, if you take your kids to a day care I know thats impossible to do, but if your a stay at home mom that would be an option. It did take a while to get my son to start eating well but all and all it worked now he is 5 years old and weighs 80+ lbs. He is a big boy! I hope this might help you or give you some ideas!!! Good Luck

This is what my dr. advised us with our 2 yr old. She suggested that if they don't eat, that's fine. Wrap the plate up, stick it in the fridge and if they get hungry did the same plate out and give it to them again. We are not a cafe that is open 24/7. Our job is to provide a nutricious, meal, offering a meat, veggie, fruit and possibley a bread and if they choose to eat it, great. If not that's fine too. But if they know that "snack" is coming later they won't eat what you fix.

First of all children will not starve them selves at that age, you said he was snacking throughout the day. I would leave good snacks out for him to eat, stuff with vitamins you know healthy snacks and offer lots of fluids. You cant force a child to eat that doesnt want to just encourage him to snack better, it will change just like when he was little and his sleep habbits changed. His eatting habbits will change off and on through out his life.
I wouldnt worry too much as long as he acts like he feels good and is running around like a normal 2 year old. Just remember lots of good snacks and some of that pediatric pedia-sure.
Good luck and dont worry, it will all be ok, but I must stress that if his behavor changes or he looks like he's loosing weight go to the doctor and have a check up. If you have concerns always ask your doctor thats what they are there for. No question is stupid just the ones you dont ask. ;0)

O.-
Dont stress. Have you talked to your pediatrician about this? My son will be 2 in March and he is 25 lbs. as well. He is picky, and skips meals a lot. As long as he is having soft stools and drinking a lot of water, I wouldnt worry too much. Also, children tend to graze, or eat just enough to take the edge off of hunger. Have your ever read any of the Dr. Sears books? It talks about giving your child choices and grazing. Snacking on healthy snacks all day is so much better for anyone rather than large meals spaced out. I think your doing fine. You are a good mom, just keep listening to your baby. He will let you know when he is hungry. If you make a big fuss about it in front of him, it will become a control issue and then that can lead to problems.

My son just turned 2 a month ago and is the exact same way. He also only weights 25 lbs and is about 38 inches tall. I have found that asking him what he wants for breakfast and lunch has helped him eat more. It seems to make him feel like a "big boy" and therefore he eats almost all of his food. As for dinner, he eats what I fix but I always at least try to have something that I know he will eats, such as carrots or fruit that way I know he is at least eating something. On the nights that he doesn't seem to eat much at dinner he will eat more for breakfast the next day. I hope this helps a little.

I have a 5 year old the same way. the doctor's have all told me that she will eat when she is hungry. just keep offering it to them and when they want to eat they will.

My son is the same way and my daughter used to be but one day she just started eating very good. People say they will eat when they are hungry and don't force them to eat. What we do is if my son refuses to eat his dinner it gets put in the fridge and when he's hungry we take it out heat it up and that is what he gets. Don't give snacks that will only make a picky eater pickier, to the point that they won't eat meals because they think they'll get a snack. My kids have to eat a good portion of a meal to get a snack. Also we started doing something that if they finish all of their meal they have what we call a "happy plate". When we sit down to a meal I say lets see if we can all have a happy plate, my kids really get into it, if they see we have finished our meal they say mommy and daddy have a happy plate, and I say yep mommy and daddy get a snack, how about Kristal and Austin have a happy plate too so they can have a snack. It does work for my kids, but like I said if they aren't hungry they won't eat.

tHIS IS ONLY A TRICK YOU MIGHT TRY ON HIM HIDE ALL OF HIS TOYS SO HE CANT FIND THEM UNTILL HE EATS. BUT TELL HIM TODAY WE HAVE A NEW TOY TO PLAY WITH. THE NEW TOY WILL BE HIS FOOD ! i KNWO YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD DONT PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD BUT IF YOUR CHILD LIKES TO PLAY MORE THAN EAT COMBINE THE TWO TOGETHER. LIKE, MAKE PANCAKES AND HAVE HIM TAKE FRUITS AND MAKE A FACE ON THE PANCAKE OR GET WALLFLES AND BUILD A HOUSE WITH . WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAYGET HIM INVOLVED IN MAKEN HIS FOOD AND YOU CAN MAKE IT FUN AND HE WILL FORGET ABOUT HIS TOYS AND THAT IS A WAY FOR YOU TWO TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER.GET THE COOKIE MONSTER OUT AND HAVE HIM START TO EAT AND THEN HE SEE THE ANIAML EATTING THEN TELL HIM ITS HIS TURN .OR PLAY STACK THE MOUNTAIN BUILD HIS FOOD UP AND TELL HIM DONT YOU EAT THAT AND THEN TURN YOUR HEAD SO NOT TO SEE HIM AND THEN TURN IT AROUND AND ACT SUPRISED WHEN IT IS GONE AND TICKLE HIM AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW IT IS GONE. I DONT KNOW IF THIS WILL HELP BUT IT WORKES WITH MY CHILDREN BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE REALY BUSY AT THAT AGE I HOPE THIS WILL HELP AND IF NOT EMAIL ME AND I WILL COME UP WITH SOME MORE IDEAL FOR YOU I HOPE I WAS HELPFUL (K.)

Hello,
I have four children and can tell you they all go through the samething. If he eats cheese then give him cheese. Offer him small snacks such as fruit, raisins, lunchmeat and he will be fine. My four year old lost his baby fat around 1 1/2 and since he has been supper skinny plus he's tall so i know what its like to worry your little one eating habbits. So just feed him what he'll eat when he wants and he will be fine.