Toddler with Poor Eating Habits

he might get too much to drink then not eating his foods ,I would slow him down on drinking too much and then eat his foods this has happened to my sister keep all the children in her home and she has to watch what they eat , sometime they drink too much then to eat ,it is better to set the drink aside then have him eat also.

I took the same approach with my son that my mom took with my sister & me...she didn't follow any stringent schedule, like feeding us every 2, 4, or 6 hours when we were infants; if we were hungry, she let us eat & if we weren't hungry she didn't worry that we didn't finish a full bottle. And when we were toddlers, she'd prepare our meals & we ate what we ate. If your son's other habits are what you'd consider "normal", i.e. bowel movements, doesn't throw up or seem uncomfortable/bloated after eating, then I wouldn't worry. Your son isn't going to starve himself, and you have to remember that his stomach is only about the size of his fist. Whatever you do, don't stop introducing new foods to him. I think one of the worst things a parent can do is *decide* that their child "only likes" hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets, and the like. One time, I actually saw an ad looking for a nanny, and it stated, "must be a hot dog, pizza & chicken nugget gourmet." Yes, your son might have picky taste buds right now, but that will change. You'll have to be patient & just keep giving him his meals & let him eat what he wants. And, keep trying new things - even things you DON'T like, because they might suit his taste even though they don't suit yours. At his age, pasta (whole wheat/whole grain) is a great option & there's so much available & so much you can do to "doctor" it up - chop spinach really small & add it into cheese or tomato sauce, shred carrots & steam/boil to soften then mix into mac 'n cheese. Good eating habits start now:-) Another thing I'll throw in here just because...my mom NEVER kept sweets & junk food in the kitchen & my sister & i never freaked out about it. It was just what we were used to. We were used to having stuff like that at Grandma's house, or grabbing a snack cake or chips on the way home from shopping, etc. so it didn't bother us not having the stuff readily available at home, it just wasn't normal for us. Your son will be accustomed to the environment & home you create for him & that will be HIS normal. Sorry if I've gone off on a tangent, kids' nutrition is one of my pet peeves.

Every person's dietary requirements are different, but -- universally -- the need for food is the most basic human instinct. No one will go hungry unless they're sick and can't eat or else they're using self-deprivation as leverage in some kind of power struggle.

He's getting enough nutrition if he meets these criteria.
a) Plays and has energy
b) Sleeps well
c) Pees and poops regularly
d) Isn't particularly cranky,

I have personally known several kids who were petite as toddlers, and their families 'encouraged' them to EAT; then they have ALL had weight problems as adults. Once they start eating (to please the parents), they get in the habit of eating more than they need.

In a country where obesity is the number one health problem, please don't add to the statistics.

You said he drinks a lot. Make sure he doesn't drink much juice, as that can stunt their appetite for anything else.

Good luck.

My daughter is the same way as well - and has been for a little while now. She will only eat cracker-type foods, applesauce and yogurt. She loves her milk so for that I am grateful. My doctor also tells me not to worry since she is growing and developing on schedule. I certainly understand your frustration and appreciate your post. The responses are helping me as well. I wish I had some advice but I just want you to know your child is NOT the only one. :) Let us know if you discover any new tips!!

I have a 2 year old and a 3 year old. We throw away a lot of food. We don't stress about it. Sometimes one or both will sit for a minute and then declare that they are done with their food without ever taking a single bite. Oh well, it's their choice. They are good at moderating their calories so we never pressure them to eat if they don't feel like it. Hang on, in a few years he'll be eating like a starving lion.

With toddlers, it helps to remember that they eat when they're hungry -- they will get enough food. My son (also 2) loves lunch but rarely eats dinner. We encourage him to try a bite of everything, but leave it alone after that. If you let kids learn that food can be a power issue to get you to do things, make promises, etc., they will use that even more when they get older.

Our son has growth spurts where he eats everything in sight. They know better than we do how to respond to their body's hunger cues, I think. Try not to worry. Keep a healthy balance with everything you put in front of him and he will get enough healthy food. Good luck.

Hi K.,

Most finicky eaters come from either an abundance of yeast in the little one's system or meds, either over the counter or prescribed. It doesn't take much to cause this! ALL bodies crave nutrition but when we get off balance, even by just a little, it's hard to get back on track. Check his tongue and if his tongue is not pink and there is any layer of white (what we call thrush in infants) then a probiotic and a good fiber product will get rid of it and he'll start craving the good stuff. I've helped two friends that have had this exact problem. One child was so underweight from only picking at food that DEFACS was trying to step in even thought mom had tried everything the doctor said.

Avoid the typical kid food like fried chicken fingers, hot dogs, white breads, french fries, and other fast type foods. That also includes anything with sugar. If he has yeast and you remove his sugar he may get "maniacal" just like someone coming off of nicotine, but STAY STRONG! It will be worth it.

Regards,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Teething was a huge issue with us in the eating department. Every time that his gums were hurting he was not eating. He even stopped eating completely, aside from non-stop nursing, for one whole month after being the greatest eater! Try introducing food before the drinks.. you may already do this. And, what is he drinking? Juice may give him the energy he needs to sustain himself. Milk is definitely filling. We only give water with meals or snacks. In fact, while my kid loves fruit he has only had juice one time and that was at a b-day party. Also, introduce new things. New textures are big for them. Some they hate, but most they will find fun to chew. My guy won't eat anything mushy. Anyway, try and catch him within the first 20-40 minutes of waking up with his breakfast this may jump start his need for fuel. But, honestly, if he is gaining weight and he seems to feel fine, I wouldn't really be to worried. Just keep trying is all you can really do right now. Good luck to you.

Well I don't have any advice just wanted to let you know you are not alone. I have a five year old who has always been an unusual eater. While he liked most foods he simply did not care to eat some of the time. I was told so many times it made me angry that the problem was I was feeding him junk between meals and he wouldn't eat because he wanted the junk, but that was simply not true. He did not eat junk between meals. He does not even like junk food much. Our doctor as well did not think it was a big deal. Actually he told me that our son was just a snacker and I should try doing five or 6 small meals instead of 3 large ones or feed him healthy snacks. James is 5 and still eats the same way. This was and is his eating pattern. For 2-3 days he will eat very little. Then the next day he will eat everything you will give him and ask for more. We have decided to let it be. He is obviously healthy, rarely sick, not over or under weight. So we have decided that he is getting what his body needs. We offer the full complete meals encourage him to eat and let it go at that. A mutritionist at the WIC office told us that is all that you can do that forcing them to clean their plates is actually detrimental to their health because of weight issues. She said that when you make a child continue to eat after they have said they are full then you teach them to ignore the natural instincts of their body. Your body tells you when its full but if you learn to ignore it you will eventually end up overweight from overeating. She also suggested refrigerating the plate and heating it up when they say they are hugry again. That this lets them know that is the only food they are going to get but allows them to eat it at a pace that their body sets. This also lets you know if they are really full at the time or if they just wanted something different and were playing you. I know this can be difficult because their is simply not enough time to cook and then noone eats it, but good luck.

Oh my gosh- my daughter is the exact same way! She could care less about food. I just keep telling myself that she won't starve herself- she won't starve herself :)
I totally know what you mean though on it being frustrating. Is there anything that he really does enjoy though- like chicken tenders or pasta..I know we as parents like to branch out on their foods, but I was also just told that at this point it doesn't really matter- give 'em what they want and try to keep it healthy.

First of all, your son will be fine. He'll get enough to eat (assuming that he isn't showing signs of discomfort when he eats). Toddlers go through a phase when they just stop eating and liking foods. More important than making sure he gets enough to eat is ensuring that he makes a habit of eating the right foods. Some children are grazers. They will nibble all day long and eat no big meals. I suggest putting out a plate of fresh veggies that he can stop and grab when he wants to. They aren't sticky or messy and he can walk around with them. Some kids eat a huge breakfast and don't eat much the remainder of the day. Optimize that by making sure he eats lots of healthy foods in the morning. Then you won't feel so bad if he doesn't eat much later on. I agree that you should make sure that he isn't drinking a lot of juice. It's just loaded with sugar. Finally, make sure that you let him see you enjoying healthy foods. Talk about how yummy veggies are when you're eating them. They learn their eating habits early. Also, we used to have a 3 bite rule. Now we give the kids small portions and insist that they eat it all. While we have fought during plenty of dinners to get our kids to eat their food, I am glad to say that my 4 children love salmon and fresh fruits and veggies...for now anyway! Good luck!

totally normal toddler stuff, dont sweat it