Not eating

[Dadd]

Our son is 2 this month. And for the past couple of weeks he is just off eating. Not interested in anything (except stuff I don't want to give him like chips, crisps and chocolate). Any similar experiences? Could it be his teeth? Should I take him to the doctor for a check up? Thanks for your advice.

[mkk]

Children do go thru this phase at some point in their growing up stages.  We went thru with our son.  I suggest our tried methods:

1)  Relax the eating rules but not throw them out the window altogether.
2)  Put him on Pediasure (vanilla and chocolate flavour alternately) to give him the daily supplements he needs.
3)  Use the chips or whatever he likes to munch on as rewards when he finishes his meal.
4)  Don't expect overnight success and you will be ok and so will your son.  

Good luck!

[lop]

2 yr old do go through such phase..

[Don't give in]

Fact of the matter is it is his choice whether to eat or not.  Both mine did exactly this at the same age - it is part of asserting their independence & testing the power structure in your family!  Also, thier food intake at this age slows a lot as that mad growing phase is over.

We just offered what we normally would for dinner, if it didn't get eaten, then the only other choice was fruit or nothing.  They went to bed dinner-less MANY times & woke up the next morning only to eat a huge healthy breakfast.  All bets for treats were off as a regular thing - though still occassionally for lovely behaviour or certain accomplishments.

I spoke to three Paediatricians about this and all said that:
1. kids WILL NOT let themselves starve
2. do not alter what you offer them to eat
3. no need to introduce suppliments where there is no health issue or big weight loss, they are all full of sugar and very addictive to an otherwise healthy child
4. don't let it become a personal  issue for you
5. start to assess what they eat on a weekly rather than daily basis - you'll find they do quite well
6. one decent meal a day, surrounded by nutritious grazing is fine for a child this age - they'd rather play anyway!

Good luck.

[Agree with]

Don't give in.

Just keep on with your usual mealtime routines as if nothing is wrong.  Don't argue, just continue offering the same nutritious foods as before.  Kids eat when they are hungry.  

If you start the bribing or junk food routine you are more likely to create long term problems.

[2 too]

Seems like a phase. My son is the same age and doing exactly the same thing, though he hasn't "discovered" junk food as yet. He's off his regular meals though, and living mainly on dairy products, fruit and the occasional slice of whole wheat bread. Once I added up all he was eating and it was a pretty balanced diet, so I'm not really worrying. Stay off the Pediasure and commercial fruit yoghurt though, they're full of sugar.

[Just a thought]

My now 13 year old went through this for 2 weeks.  Took her every where and got told; children don't let themselves starve, etc etc.  She lost 2kg in that 2 weeks and I was in a panic - she looked like something from war torn Africa.   I did everything to try and make her eat.  Won't bore you with it but I mean EVERYTHING.  Honestly if she had asked for chocolate every meal I would have given it to her I was so worried.

One day she got up and ASKED for cereal, ate a little, then toast, then fruit.  And what had happened was the poor little soul had cut her 4 eye teeth all in one go and it was obvuously too painful to eat!

She never fussed at all when she cut her teeth and I really had no idea unless I went 'in' and looked.  I felt like the wicked mother from hell and still get dreadful pangs of  guilty when I think about it.