I am sitting here watching my 2 1/2 year old eating her bowl of cereal. She has been working on it for nearly 45 minutes, and she is not even close to done. She is ALWAYS the last one left eating, whether at home, a restaurant, daycare, etc. Her teachers say she will sit at the table long after the others are done, but that she WILL eat everything on her plate, as long as they give her enough time.
I'm starting to wonder if there is a reason she is so slow, other than simple personal preference. She is very underweight, if that matters. Has anyone ever heard of slow eating being a symptom of something else? She doesn't complain of anything.
have you discussed this with your pediatrician especially the underweight thing? if not please do. he/she will know safe weightlimits and whether its a sign of other problems to eat so slow. i personally wouldnt worry about the time it takes her to eat as long as she allowed to finish. good luck
I would have her checked out for possible Reflux. My daughter had reflux and did the same things. Meds have helped big time.
My sister has been this way and she is 36 this year, and overweight. I have BB twins that will be 4 soon and the smaller twin (only 26 pds) is this way. It is almost like being unmotivated about food. Set a piece of chocolate in front of him and it disappears though! LOL! I have never heard anything linked to being a slow eater except being better for digestion. All should work and try to keep her motivated on the right portions of food. Good Luck!
My daughter is the exact same way! My daughter is sometimes at the dinner table so long that she doses off! If you're concerned about her being underweight, then you should definitely seek a pediatrician's advice. Is there a chance that you or her father was a small child? She may have taken after one of you. I wouldn't worry about it unless she just wasn't eating.
I have to tell you that my son is the exact same way. He is now 7 and still eats this way. I asked the doctor and he says its nothing to worry about. Its just the way he is and that you would much rather them eat at a slow pace than quickly and give themselves heartburn or choke and also is a good habit so as for them to not overeat. My son is always the last to be at the table and we always serve him first so he can get started before us. If out, we always get a doggy bag. We have just dealt with it and realized this is just his way. I suggest that if you are really concerned then you should ask your doctor about it. here is a good article to read if u are interested http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpnutrition/0,,3vt4,00.html
My first question would be what is taking her so long? Is it getting the spoon to her mouth, not getting enough on the spoon(one fruit loop at a time), playing between bites, not be interested in eating, slow time chewing, what is the most time consuming part? I think that is where I would start first. I also have a 2 1/2 year old little girl. :) I have noticed that she gets slower too. She eats better when it is just her at the table. When we all sit down I ask my husband to make conversations minimal so as not to distract her to much. I also help her eat. I wouldn't say that she is to old to recieve assistance. You also might want to try many different smaller meals through out the day. I hope that this helps some way or another. Best of wishes!
