Not interested in breakfast - *happy update pg 3*

[Hedgehog17]

Everything seems to say that kids need to eat a good breakfast in order to have energy for the day blah blah..

But nearly 2yo DS doesn't want to eat breakfast  When he gets up he'll chug down a load of water, then we sit him at the table and the battle begins...

This morning he had 1 cornflake (yes - ONE) and 3/4 of an Ellas fruit & veg pouch under much protest. "No. No! Finished. Finished!"  while batting at the spoon and pushing his chair away from the table. So I let him down.

This is our only meal we eat together, but I don't get to eat my breakfast as I'm too busy trying to persuade DS to eat his.. after he gets down I have to put the TV on so I can eat my breakfast otherwise he's at the table pushing cars into my bowl and generally trying to get my attention 

After a reasonable gap he'll get 4oz milk and his vitamins - he likes those! He'll usually eat very well at lunch and reasonably well at dinner, but breakfast is just terrible 

I must admit I was never a breakfast fan until my mid 30s so I can understand that some people just don't want to eat then, but I know it's not healthy for a kid.

How can I help DS to enjoy breakfast 

[Papaya]

Could it be that's it a bit early for him - would he eat it if you just offered it half an hour later? F always wants to be straight into her toys when she gets up and doesn't generally have breakfast until she's been up for at least an hour or so (she does still have a morning BF though).
 

[TB9]

I agree with Papaya, the timing just may not be right.  DD doesn't eat breakfast until 45min or so after she gets up.  If I try to give her breakfast right away she doesn't eat much.  What if you gave him his 4oz of milk when he wakes up (DD gets a cup of milk when she wakes up while she watches a tv show) then put off breakfast until you would normally be giving him his milk?  So switch it up and see if that helps?

[Hedgehog17]

Thanks ladies 

DS usually wakes between 7.30 and 8am, up at 8-8.15am, and then he gets breakfast at anywhere from 8.30 to 9.00am. He certainly isn't going straight to the table, as we have to feed the cat first anyway, and get everything together!

I can try giving him his milk first, but I'm worried he won't eat at all then  He stopped getting milk before food at 13mo as he wouldn't eat properly and that was what we were advised to do..

He's always been a very un-hungry child - he demands drinks or sleep, but never food  I've seen plenty of babies screaming for their milk and toddlers hassling for a snack, but my DS never has 

I'm pretty sure he'd eat more if I let him have breakfast in front of the TV, but this is not really a habit I want to start! I do sometimes put the radio on (Classic FM) and he can look at all his paintings and drawings hanging up, but he still wants to mess around and play more than eat  I must confess that I find eating pretty boring, so tend to either have the laptop on or watch TV at night  I suppose I shouldn't expect DS to find it fun when I don't either 

At least he's done teething (final molar is 85% through) so that's no longer an issue 

[barbaraz78]

My DS is a good eater but has periods in which he doesn't eat much at breakfast. I insist sometimes, but there is not much I can do when it happens. I also don't want to start a TV habit during meals so I always avoid TV while eating. What it helps (and I am not against to) is to put his music on (like baby songs) that I sometimes sing during the meal. He loves music, so he is much happy to sit at the table if we listen music he likes and is distracted by it.

[Papaya]

Would he drink a smoothie in place of his usual milk? So fruit, milk and yoghurt blended, and if that goes down ok you could try adding in a spoon of wheatgerm etc.

[skatty]

My dd isn't and has never been a breakfast eater either unless it happens a few hours after she wakes up! Smoothies have been a life saver and only now she has started school has she started to take breakfast a bit more seriously. She definitley prefers a  breakfast like  greek yoghurt with honey and sprinkled with a few berries or seeds than cereal, bread, toast etc. I think it is a good idea to look at DS's intake over a whole day, since she was little my dd has only really eaten a decent amount one time a day!

[Hedgehog17]

  Another miserable morning 

I limited his water before breakfast, so he couldn't fill up on that. Got my and his breakfast on the table, sat him up and asked him if he'd like cereal or veg pouch first. He chose cereal, and ate 1 or 2 multigrain hoops. Then started throwing so I took them away, telling him that we do not throw, and food goes in the mouth.

Next I offered his veg pouch and he ate 3 or 4 spoonfuls, while playing with his (nearly empty) water cup. Then he dropped the cup on the floor and refused to eat any more 

I let him down and ate my cereal. He was bugging me constantly, pushing his toy car into my arm and bowl  I had the radio on in the background, but he just wanted my attention 

Once I finished my cereal I offered him his milk, and that went down in one  Then he had his vits, then I offered him an oaty bar and he had about 1/4 of a big bar in a few small bites, then started spitting it out 

So that was breakfast 

I don't know if he'd take a smoothie, as it has to be dairy-free or made with his special formula milk as he's MPI. He can tolerate 1 goat's yoghurt per day so I could always give him that for breakfast, but as I rely on that to get some protein into him at dinner if he won't eat his main meal, I'm a bit reluctant...

Tomorrow we have to leave the house at 8.15am as it's our first day at P&T group at Montessori. I'm wondering If I should just skip breakfast and see if he'll eat at snacktime (about 10.15am) instead?

[Papaya]

Does he get any one-on-one time with you before breakfast? It does sound a bit like he's trying to get your attention - do you think it might help if you spent 10 mins doing whatever he wants to do first? Is his breakfast usually the same as yours? F eats best if she's having the same as us.

F will down a banana-coconut milk smoothie in about 2 mins (she's MPI too) - might be worth a try? Can be drunk quickly and leave plenty of time for playing with cars Otherwise, it sounds like he eats fairly well at other meals - so long as you offer him something healthy in the morning I don't think I would worry too much if he declines and just try for a substantial morning tea instead. Sometimes F barely touches her breakfast, but then she will be ready for a good morning tea around 9.30/10 - usually sugar-free muffins/pancakes or crackers, and fruit.

[Lemonthyme]

I know my sister had to limit water at meals with her daughters so that they'd eat so they had it afterwards.  Maybe he's just not a big morning eater.  Some people aren't.  My son will eat best at breakfast time (on nursery days he regularly has cereal and toast at home and then cereal and toast at nursery) but lunch and tea are always smaller.  I think it's just him.

[TB9]

I don't know if this would help but I have a rule that DD doesn't leave the table at mealtime until we are done.  I usually only enforce it at dinner time, but you may want to consider something similar for breakfast time so that YOU can eat in peace and show him how important mealtime is   Sometimes DD will ask to go down at dinner but we let her know that mommy and daddy aren't done eating so we are all going to stay at the table, then she finishes her dinner, lol.  I do have a toy or two that I let her have at the table in case she truly is done and is bored by our conversation.  I would say maybe play with him a bit more before breakfast and then at breakfast ask that he sits until everyone is done eating

[barbaraz78]

Another thing that I guess works to keep DS entertained at the table (so he doesn't want to go down) is keeping the conversation with him, just speaking about the day (at dinner) or singing a song with him. If he amuses himself, he stays at the table and eats more. If he wants your attention, it could be worth trying to give him all attention he needs when you both are at the table, but explaining him that, on the other hand, you can't play with him or give him much attention if he decides to go down, because you are still eating. So, I guess, he can realize that to have mummy's attention it is better to sit at the table

[Hedgehog17]

Even worse morning 

I gave him his milk first, then he had half a small spoon of cocoa pops and about 3 spoons of fruit puree. And that was it 

At school he was so absorbed in working with the Montessori materials that I could hardly persuade him to even sip some water. Eventually I told him it was snack time (somewhat against the principles as we're supposed to let the child decide) and sat him opposite a little girl who was eating her snack, hoping that might encourage him...

He ate 1 small oaty bar, then took one bite of the other and flung it  I retrieved it and fed it to him in small bites!

DS can push his highchair away from the table when he wants (been doing this since before 12mo  ) so I can't actually make him stay at the table unless I jam him against the wall.. once he's had enough the food and drink tend to get flung - sometimes after only 1 bite 

I do talk to him, but then he starts chattering away and won't eat as he's too busy talking  Any toys or games at the table and again his interest is totally taken from the food, so I don't do that.

Although he had a great time at school this morning, I felt pretty sad as all the other LOs are bigger and more energetic than him (they are all around his age, some younger). DS is totally happy to sit and do work, but once we went outside he didn't really do much without huge encouragement and certainly wasn't running around  If only he'd eat then he'd grow and have energy 

I'm seriously wondering if I should just not feed him and wait and see if he asks for food 

[Lemonthyme]

I think either way will probably work if I'm honest but it's just whether it fits in with you.  We have quite a strict routine in a way:

BF: 7ish
Snack: 10ish
Lunch: 11:30ish
Snack: 3ish
Tea: 4:30ish

BUT if he asks for food slightly earlier, he gets it, if he says he doesn't want a snack, he doesn't have it and if he only wants 3 mouthfuls of tea, that's all he has.  I suppose the  Montessori method of waiting till the child asks and being completely child led is an extension of this but then what happens at weekends or family meals?

[barbaraz78]

BUT if he asks for food slightly earlier, he gets it, if he says he doesn't want a snack, he doesn't have it and if he only wants 3 mouthfuls of tea, that's all he has.

We do more and less the same, even if we give him an additional snack sometimes if he asks when we are out and about. So, meals are at the same time (more or less) and he is asked to sit and try things in his plate. But then he chosed how much he wants to eat. He is not having much at breakfast as well in thie period. But if he eats well in the other meals I wouldn't worry too much. If he drinks milk, I think it is not bad as morning starting. Then you can offer a snack 1-2 h after? We often don't have much more than milk or yogurt in the morning...