Hi, hoping you can help me with this issue, I have 2 kids and the eldest (2.5 y o) has in the last couple of months starting refusing most foods. She used to be a good eater, and I worked hard to expose her to variety so that she wouldn't become a picky eater, and she used to eat anything you put in front of her. Now I'm struggling to get one piece of a toast A DAY into her! I've tried all the tricks, made food look appealing, ate it in front of her, allowed her to feed herself, got her to help me prepare food, etc... And she's started losing weight, so I'm very distraught, what do I do and who do I take her to? :(
4 Replies
Becoming a little difficult around food at this age is not unusual. They also can work out that not eating upsets mummy! Because she is loosing weight and it sounds a little more extreme than usual I'd firstly go to the GP to rule out sore throats, ear aches etc and ask for a referral to a paediatrician. There are psychologists, OTs and speech therapists who work with eating problems and a nutritionist might be of value if calorie loading is required :)
It's important to stay strong and not give in. Don't stop giving her a range of foods. If you start just feeding her only a few simple Foods that's what will make her a fussy Eater. You just need to push through these hard times. Like other poster said she may have picked up on you been annoyed by this and let's face it toddlers love to do anything that annoys us. Make her dinner, sit with her, tell her to eat and if she doesn't then she goes to bed hungry. The doctors always say your children will eventually eat they will not starve themselves. It could just be a phase. Also some children prefer to eat at different times like having a big lunch rather than a big dinner. My daughter eats a huge breakfast than won't eat much later in the day. Also it's common at this age to "thin out" as they grow taller and are running around more. If your still worried then see gp for second opinion or maternal health nurse a her 3 yr old check up
Is she still drinking formula or milk? My little one wasn't eating and I was told to cut down on milk to 1-2 small cups a day.
My daughter is 6 she has become a fussy eater from age 2. She refuses to eat any meat she doesn't like the taste, smell or look she won't eat any veggies cooked so she eats fruit and veggies all raw. She has check ups at the drs every 12 mths to make sure she isn't defficant in anything. When she has growth spurts she needs protein and gets very skinny at first I was making muffins for her and adding linseed and chia seeds for the protein but she soon worked that one out at the moment we have been giving her up and go's their high in protein and help her put on weight quickly. And for the ppl that say we should just fause feed her or give her what everyone else is eating and nothing else we have tried that she will either vomit on us or starve her self and personally I would rather have a healthy child eating than a child that will starve themselves.