Author Topic: 2yr old not eating!!! So frustrating!!!  (Read 1201 times)

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Offline lukemom

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2yr old not eating!!! So frustrating!!!
« on: January 29, 2011, 23:06:47 pm »
Hi everyone,

Well DS is now 2 and officially over eating. He used to eat a pretty good variety of things.  Now it seems like all he wants is apple sauce, waffles and bread and yogurt.  ::) The things that he was eating before he wont eat now, like broccoli.  I never push him to eat, if he doesn't to eat he sits as long as he can and then goes to play.  i realize this is probably a phase that they go through, but boy is it frustrating.  He has been sick a couple of times in the past few months, cold, pink eye, stomach bug and molars so i sure that has something to do with whats going on right now.  Any suggestions to help him get some good nutrients in his body.   I feel like because his nutritional intake has been limited that he has been more prone to illness.  How do youget out of this cycle?

Thanks!!!

Offline We Three

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Re: 2yr old not eating!!! So frustrating!!!
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2011, 23:20:36 pm »
Hmmm...might still be the molars?   Maybe that is part of the reason for the big change?  Many toddlers go on "hunger strikes"...and as frustrating as it is for Mom, the fact is that they won't starve themselves! 

There is not much you can do....any amount of cajoling, bribing, or even talking about it can lead to a power struggle, and you sure don't want that!  Keep offering...giving him one of his accepted foods at every meal, but adding a thing or two that you think he *might* eat. Bear in mind that it takes lots of exposure before a lo will try a new food.  Also thibk about expanding into things that are similar to his accepted foods...like of he likes waffles, try french toast...(you can put it in the toaster after you cook it in the pan, this will make it crisp more like a waffle).  Great if his yogurt is low in sugar and has added fruit...if it doesn't, I might switch to one that is super-healthy...you can make the switch gradually by mixing a bit of the new one into the old one.  With the bread...try dips like hummus or peanut butter...sometimes making food more interacttive can be helpful...like letting him dip or spread things on bread with a popsicle stick!

 Good luck hon....if he is drinking enough water, maybe taking a quality multi vitamin, and having milk...he will be ok....it really is just a phase....and it will pass.   :-*

Offline Tweakster

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Re: 2yr old not eating!!! So frustrating!!!
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2011, 01:49:02 am »
Molars.  We got a food strike with illness and molars.  He's only just found his appetite after nearly 3 weeks of hardly eating.  Keep offering and not making a huge deal out of it.  As Anne says, they will not starve.  Keep him hydrated.  And just let it go.  It's the hardest thing to do but if you do he'll probably start eating again. 
The tweaking never stops!

Offline Mom to M&M

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Re: 2yr old not eating!!! So frustrating!!!
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2011, 12:52:15 pm »
As you'll see from some of my recent threads on the toddler eating board, we've had a month long spell of this ourselves. NOT fun. And it definitely correlated with overlapping viruses and an ear infection he had, as well as teeth. And it was hard because we could tell he was hungry (or at least that his body needed food) and he'd feel better after finally eating something but it was SO hard as he didn't fell well and didn't have an appetite and eating just didn't feel good. We're SLOWLY starting to eat again - starting only in the last day or two. We did as PPs said - made sure he was hydrated and tried to make things fun and change things up. Like have some picnic style lunches at his play table in the family room instead of the kitchen table or booster seat; let him have breakfast on the run (often in the car on the way to drop DD at school or run errands), eat at the big kitchen table with us, etc.

Also what about involving him in food prep - would he be more likely to eat that way? Doesn't work yet with DS as he's probably too young but your DS is older. Make food "fun" - offer sandwiches in shapes (with cooking cutters), arrange fruits and veggies in shapes of faces, cook pancakes like Mickey Mouse ears?

HUGS - I know it's really hard.
Karen: Proud Mama to Marisa (8-11-05) and Matthew (6-5-09) and happily married to my best friend and love of my life since 10-13-01

Offline lukemom

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Re: 2yr old not eating!!! So frustrating!!!
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2011, 13:29:31 pm »
Thank you sooooo much for all the great suggestions!!!  Go figure as soon as I post on BW he is asking for cereal this morning.  LOL!!!!!  I just needed a little reassurance and support!!!!

Have a great day everybody!!!!