My Daughter Is Not Eating Well!!

C., many toddlers are very picky eaters. As the others have said, eliminate the bottle first thing in the morning, and let her be up for awhile before you feed her breakfast. Try dry cereal like cheerios, and a banana, or maybe 1/2 a slice of toast with a light coating of peanut butter and jelly or honey, and orange juice in a sippy cup (if she'll drink it).
Scrambled eggs and 1/2 a slice of toast. Basically anything that she can eat herself. Most toddlers do not like to be fed, so you need to concentrate on foods she can put in her mouth herself.
If she is thin, and you don't want her to give up the bottle yet, give it to her before nap time and before bedtime, this way she is still getting the calories from the milk. Don't give her juice in the bottle...these are pretty much empty calories...(my son had a bottle until he was 2, but only after dinner, a short while before bedtime)
Good luck!

Hello C., your daughter may be too old for a bottle dontcha think? Have you tried expaining to her that breakfast is important and telling her about the consequences? I know it is difficult but be consistent. Be her example as well. Do you eat breakfast? Maybe you need to give her some time to build up her appetite. 30 minutes or so. Do not give her a bottle if she does not eat. Good Luck!

First I wonder why she's getting a bottle at 21 months? She should not be using the bottle after 1 year.

Maybe she's drinking too many fluids during the day?

The biggest thing is to set the right example. Are you sitting down with her and eating breakfast? Try consistantly doing that with her and she will catch on. Kids learn the most by modeling what their parents do.

I will tell you what worked with me and my daughters. I would tell them stories about whatever facinated them at the time, my stories were scary and full of suspence, and they were so into my stories that they didn't realize they were eating in the process, and even after they were done eating they wanted me to tell them the end of the story. Of course I feed them home made food put through the blender, so there was not much chewing involved. Good luck!!!!

Hi C. i have a 20mth that just started going trough the same thing and i have been giving him food since 4mths i think is just a growing spur the days he doesnt eat i just leave him alone and give him a bottle or a snack and then the days he really eats then i let him really eat. they have there days.

Hi C.,

I would like to say that not all parents are successful at getting their children off the bottle at 1 year of age, so I'm not going to make you feel like a bad parent by saying so. I'm sure you're a great Mom.

My daughter is 21months also and is a very picky eater. She likes what she likes. You just need to give her different foods to try. She may not like it the first, second, or third time but keep trying. She just needs to develope a taste for it. Also if she sees you eating it and expressing how good it is then maybe she'll try it. My baby eats a lot of fruit and has developed a love for raisin bread, so I know that if she doesn't eat all of her food to give her fruit for desert or some Pedi-Sure (which is a meal supplement). Some time I would force/negotiate with my daughter to eat 3 spoons of her food and Mommy would be happy. If I put her food up she will come back later and want to eat it. Especially when she's playing. She just isn't ready to eat right then. But you need to sit down and eat with her. Praise her by telling her what a big girl she is when she takes a bite. And if you give her a drink of water from you glass give her a cup of her own and let her see how it feels and continue to praise her. They learn by what we do. I'm a Mom-on-the-go so I know it's not ease.

Good luck!

My son just turned 2 and in the beginning he was kinda picky too. You just have to break the habit and expand what they eat. Whatever I was eating is what he would have to eat. I waited a bit to give him beef, but he loved chicken. Try introducing something new to her everyday, for nutritional reasons. Experiment with breakfast foods too, eggs, different cereals that she can pick up and eat, mini pancakes, diced fruit, etc. Hang in there. Even if she only eats a little bit at a time, keep offering.

Hi! I am also a 23 yr old mom. I had my son when I was 19 and I finally got him off the bottle just after he turned 2yrs. My son would never want to eat, only wanted his bottle or juice cup when he was younger. When they are really young, do not force them to eat. They will eat when they are hungry. My son was not a big eater even though I tried really hard to get him to eat and doctors accused me of not properly taking care of him because he would not gain weight. (His dad was 5'8" 120lbs and eat like a pig) I do not eat breakfast and neither does he, but I don't force breakfast. I do not know what your child likes or does not like, but I have had to, and still have to, tell my son that he gets only water until he eats. Otherwise, he would drink everything! My advise, don't worry about the lack of eating. As long as they are growing and happy and healthy, relax!

Hi C....

My 3 year old doesn't eat either... I used to rely on Cheerios and KIX, but she told me she doesn't like them anymore... I would fight every day trying to get her to eat something healthy. She just wouldn't eat... now I know your baby is younger - but what I did, I bought a whole bunch of healthy kids foods, and they are in a drawer in my pantry - I tell Sofia when she is hungry, she can eat anything that she wants out of that drawer - or - the drawer in the fridge w/ all sorts of fruits. She seems to like this as she feels more in control of what she eats - though ultimately you are in control as you purchased the healthy items to put in there. :) Also, make sure your daughter is able to take vitamins - this will help. Check w/ your pediatrician to see if she can have pediasure - My daughter thinks they are milkshakes - and I don't tell her any different! Kids will also sometimes just not eat! And you know what - don't sweat it, when she is hungry - she WILL eat!!

As for wanting the bottle, slowly phase it out, only let her have it at nap and night times. If she wakes up in the night, give her a bottle w/ water in it. Also offer her a sippy cup w/ milk or diluted juice in the morning.

My kids were all different w/ the bottle - my son when he turned one, he liked his special 1st birthday sippy cup so much, that was all he wanted to drink out of - I didn't have to break him from the bottle, he did it himself - just like that. (I've never again been so lucky!) My 3 year old was about 15 or 16 months when I finally just put all the bottles away (I was expecting my last one, and didn't want her and the new baby on a bottle at the same time) and when she went looking, I told her that the bottles were all gone until the new baby comes and then they will be for the baby, cause she was a big girl now... and that night she fussed for about 2 minutes, and then that was it! I'm currently in the process of phasing out bottles for the 16 month old!!

Just don't panic if your daughter goes a day w/out eating much at all. Just keep offering, little bits of different things that she can pick up herself - trust me, it makes it easier on you! Good luck, email me w/ any other questions if you would like!

Hi, I know what you mean. My daughter is not crazy about eating either. She is the same age. My doctor said not to worry about it as long as she's eating something, is healthy and is gaining weight. My daughter won't eat meat of any kind. Here's what I feed her, bananas, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, apples cut small (she won't eat them all the time - just when she feels like it except bananas which she will eat all the time). Soup but she picks out some of the vegetables and meat, rice, yogurt, cottage cheese, egg rolls, breads and bagels, dry cereal, chicken or turkey salad (doesn't always want to eat), mini pancakes, waffles and french toast sticks, one egg scrambled for breakfast, rice pudding no sugar, mashed sweet potato, corn on the cob or can corn, green or wax beans.
Now she will not any of these regularly. We have to keep trying and we try ALL kinds of things all the time. Sometimes she will eat a premade toddler meal especially the ravioli and pasta wheels. My daughter will not eat meat, sandwiched, boiled eggs, pizza. etc. Even though she won't much meat she speaks just FINE. We always try sit down meals so she can see how "big" people eat. A friend told me to leave snacks out in small bowls around the house and let my baby pick what she wants when she wants it. By snacks, I mean healthy food. The dr. agreed. As long as your daughter is gaining and the dr isn't concerned I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep trying different foods all the time. I know how you feel, I'm always amazed by toddlers that will eat anything. And don't stress that she's not off the bottle completely. She won't leave for college with it! Don't let people judge you or pressure you. I wouldn't food a huge issue with your baby now or food will become an issue for her later in life. Good Luck! Happy Holidays!

I have 3 kid’s two girls and a boy. I had something similar with my younger one. Definitely reduce the bottle. I have a concern for not eating meat and maybe she is just lazy and won’t chew. This could jeopardize her talk. You know that chewing help develop their muscles to talk properly. This is something the doctors don’t tell and it was a Speech Pathologist who told me.

I am not in favor of leaving snack for them to choose. I think that is a matter of bad habit, later she will eat after hours or in between meals all the time. I will make even worst the “habit of proper eating”. Just sit with her and give her the meals. Read her a book and entertain her while she eats. It will take a few days but she’ll learn.

My mother had trouble with me eating and the truth is I never cared for food and still don’t but never let myself starve, not even when I was little, so don’t worry! When she is hungry she’ll eat, is just natural! Make sure that what she eats is healthy and good for her. She’ll come around. Just be consistent.

Good luck!

Hello Christl, My son (almost 16 mo), is going through the same thing. Ive fought with him, tried to force him, and tried to bargain with him ("You eat a bit for mommy then you get a gummy candy, etc.") Whats funny is that my husband, and my doctor dont seem to think that anything is wrong. He is growing and gaining fine, I seem to be the only one worried that he only eats a few bites of banana for breakfast, a few cheerios for lunch and he picks at his dinner getting maybe a spoonful or forkfull of whatever he is eating. I give him vitamines and try to give him as much good snacks as I can,and just pray that this is just a phase.

Anywho just wanted to say I know what you are going through and I wish you all the best of luck.

Let me know if you get handy and advice that actually works! :)