My Daughter Doesn't Want to Eat

When my kids first went through that phase, I found this article very informative.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030800.asp

It is a phase and it will pass.

My daughter did the same thing and here she is 3 yrs. old and perfectly healthy. I just let eat whatever she would eat so at least she was eating, eventually she grew out of it and wanted to eat whatever mommy and daddy were having. We continued to express to her how good are (mommy's) food was, (ex.yummmy) soon enough she wanted to try it. If doc says she healthy let her go she'll grow out of it. She's just doing what feels comfortable in her little world. Hope this helps!

I am a mother a a very skinny 2 y/o, he turned 2 in Oct, but still weighs maybe 25 lbs, but both daddy and i are skinny ppl, my son does the same thing, sometimes he'll eat, alot of times he just plays. I get him to eat more by cutting out the snacks i.e., cookies, candies etc., while the snacks your giving sound healthy, I'm willing to bet that because she has an afternoon snack she probably isnt hungry enough for dinner. My suggestion is to cut out the afternoon snack since she is eating well at daycare, if she absolutely needs to eat, I'd say maybe make dinner a little bit earier, then give a nack b4 bedtime, thats what I do!!!
-Nikkol

Hello D.! Well, if your daughter just turned one, she is just getting introduced and used to regular table food. I would not force any food on her that she doesn't want to eat. Kids will eat when they are hungry and they know what they like to eat. For instance, I have two kids and they are complete opposites. My eldest (5) is a strict vegetarian and will not eat Pork. On the other hand my youngest (2) will eat anything you give her, especially if I am eating it. :-)

If I try to give my eldest foods that we normally eat, she will not eat anything! But my youngest will try new foods. I would just give her time to adjust and get used to new foods. She has just started exploring her world. Give her some time to learn what she likes and doesn't like.

good luck to you hun.

M. F

i think in my opinion, that you should just let her eat what she wants for right now
because at least she is eating good things at daycare right. so eating bananas cereal or cheese is ok for her. she will grow out of it soon enough. i have 4 kids 2 boys 13 and 8 and 2 girls 11 and 6 months so i know a little bit. good luck to you and your little princess. good eating

I understand your fear that she will starve to death if you don't let her eat what she wants, but I would be VERY careful about always giving in and fixing her a seperate meal unless you want to be doing that for the next 18 years. I have four nephews and a neice, the oldest who is 17, and because of this vicious cycle they still think my sister-in-law is a short-order cook. Around one year is a time where they should be trying the most new foods, because virtually everything is new at this point. My son was eating pasta dishes, casseroles, tacos, steak, meatloaf, and everything else we ate processed in a baby food maker starting from the time he was about 10 months old on. He always had the option not to eat, and most of the time chose to go ahead and eat what we were eating. If he chose not to eat, I knew he really wasn't hungry. Sometimes that happens, too. I would tend to think that if she is playing with the food and not crying, then she is not hungry and just curious about what it is. Let her play and see if some of it ends up in her mouth. I know all kids are different, and maybe I just got really lucky, but my son is almost three and to this day eats a larger variety of foods than all five of my brother's kids.

My husband and I have a similar problem with one of our boys. He doesn't like to eat anything new. We found a trick that usually works, though. It sounds simple, but one of us will sit next to him, offer him a bit of the food, and when he refuses we eat a bite. He then seems interested in what we are eating and wants to try it. After a few bites we can leave him alone and he'll eat just fine. We have to eat from his plate for this to work, though. Eating the same thing from our own plate doesn't work. Have you tried making her dinner as she wants but putting on a side dish, like serving green beans with the macaroni and cheese? Maybe you could introduce new foods that way.

With the exception of the hot dogs, the rest of your daughter's chosen foods are pretty healthy. If you are using box mac n' cheese, you can try making your own mac n' cheese with wheat noodles and low-fat cheese to make the meal a bit healthier. Unless the cereal is very sugary, that's not a bad snack. Cheese is fine in moderation and bananas are good too.

Hi D.,

My daughter also just turned 1 (Sept) and does alot of the same things. She is also very tiny like me. She is really a good eater and I am thankful (and lucky) for that. Sometimes she will not be "in the mood" for dinner and I give her the good 'ole peanut butter and jelly. I figure if all else fails she's got something in her tummy and it has some nutritional value. I say let her eat what she wants as long as she's eating things that are good for her. I also agree with not letting her drink to much milk and juices. I found that out the hard way :) Good luck to you!

Most children go through a stage where they only eat certain foods but like the other mother put about making a seperate meal for your child, I agree. I had this happen with a family that I nannied for. The kids would eat bowls of cereal literally 5-6 days a week or special meals that their mom had to make. Not to mention why bring on extra work for yourself. I would say that the snack at 430 or so is the problem. Try not giving her a snack and giving her a sippy with milk. Or just a tiny snack. if she is that tiny she might have already had her fill for the day and might not eat a late dinner. My daughter stopped baby food altogether at 11 months. She had 10 teeth and did fine with table food. But she doesn't eat as much as she did. She hardly touches her breakfast, will eat lunch and dinner, but only wants a snack when the kids I work for snack. She never asks for a snack. Each kid is different. Have a great new year!

All children go through the phase of only wanting the quick mac n cheese supper or hotdogs. Let her eat what she will eat, definately. I would just gradually introduce small portions of maybe 1 item you eat for dinner, that way, maybe she will find something else she likes and start building from there. Does she drink a lot of juice and milk as well? That will suppress her appetite, the milk fills her belly and the sugar in juice suppresses the appetite. Try water after daycare, she really needs that in her diet too! Good luck!

As long as she does not want junk let her eat what she wants. If you force her to eat she'll just get an attiude. My 3 year old just started eating what we had for dinner. You could also try making her her own dinner ask the daycare for a menu that you go from, and try something they make.

P., Im 24 Newark, Ohio

Try skipping the after daycare snack, and giving her water or milk instead. That way she will still be hungry for dinner when the rest of you eat, and will be more likely to try new foods. Also, try giving her the vegetables or new food first, when she is the hungriest so she is more likely to eat it. It is very important that she try new foods and different textures right now, so keep trying.

My daughter is turning 2 in April and we had the exact same problem, and still do a little! All she wants is cereal and cheese! Before all she wanted was graham crackers and apples. At first we tried to let her eat what she wanted until she was sick of it, but it didn't work. So now, we will only give her what she needs, or what we are eating. If your daughter doesn't want to eat what you are giving her, don't force her. She will eat the food when she get hungry. If you keep giving her what she wants when she turns "good" food down, she'll never eat the "good" food. So wait it out and let her know that this is all she's getting. It works, believe me! GOOD LUCK!

Well, at least you know you have a normal kid!
Personally, I think if she will eat cheese, cereal and bananas that's pretty good. Kids can get picky and also go through phases with food. If you make a big deal out of it, you could solidify some unwanted behavior. Sometimes being picky with food is a power struggle with mom and dad. Considering her 10% weight range I would let her eat as may bananas and cheese chunks as she wants and slowly offer them with something else, but not push it for a little while to see if she moves out of the phase.
Good luck. If you can figure this one out you can write a book and sell a million copies!

-S.

D., most daycares give the same food over and over. I would not worry to much as long as your little girl is not under weight. She will eat when she is hungry. If you are having steak for dinner that might not be good for her at this time. when she gets home and has a snack how long after that is dinner? if it is 2 hours or less then she is not hungry yet I would guess. I would say if you get home at 5pm and dinner is usually 7pm i would not give her a big snack. if she wants the snack then you might have to push dinner later. they have tiny belly's they fill up quick so make sure when she eats it is a couple hour span in between each feeding.
I hope this helps. D.

I agree with Beth. Let her eat what she wants, but introduce new foods. My son was the same way and is now tringnew foods. When I make something new, I just tell him he has to try at least a tablespoonful of what I am offering. If he doesn't like it, at least he tried it. 95% of the time he likes it.

Good luck,
D.

Be sure you are not giving her a snack too close to dinnertime. If she gets home at 4:30 then it sounds like that might be the problem. And be careful of how much milk/juice she has. Milk and the natural sugars in juice can make you think you are not hungry when you are. Also, if she is just playing with her food instead of eating, she isn't hungry.
Don't try to force her. Just leave it there for her until you are done with dinner. Then, when she seems to be hungry later, offer it to her again. If she is adamant about not liking something then don't make her eat it. Some things she just won't like. But, if you allow her to be too picky now, it will just continue later.
Someone I know had a two year old that was still refusing to eat anything besides mac n cheese or grilled cheese. And that obviously isnt good.

Maybe you could cut out the snacktime before dinner and just move your dinnertime to a little earlier?

Just remember that to grow properly a child needs a good balance in their diet.

D.,
If a child does not want to eat, she is probably not hungry. All that "clean your plate" mentality has done is create a nation of OBESE adults. Keep in mind that those stupid growth charts are based on a population of white babies in Ohio in the '50's who were formula fed! What does your pediatrician say about her size? Present her with healthy food and if she eats, great; if not, leave her alone. When she is hungry, she will eat. Keep healthy snacks available whenever she wants them, and don't stress. Toddlers frequently go through eating "slumps" and follow that up where they eat everything in sight and sleep for hours--a growth spurt.
Best wishes,
K.