19 month old Refusing to eat?

Sharyn - posted on 08/18/2010

my daughter is 20 months old and she has days like that, she goes to bed at night without dinner because she refuses to eat it ... but i make sure to give her a yoghurt at least and if she wakes up which is likely she will cause shes hungry, i give her milk .... but its not every day with her .... whats funny tho is that she will sometimes come and pick off my plate rather then her own plate....
i'm sure its just a phase, as everything is with them, but keep going with what your doing, your not a bad mother at all ... dont let yourself think that xx

Susan - posted on 08/18/2010

Toddlers don't distingush between snack time and meal time. Put out the same foods he'd eat for meals, and I bet he'll snack his way through the day and get plenty of nutrition. It doesn't matter at this age, you're not teaching him bad habits. Also, they go in stages. Sometimes it seems like they can't get enough, sometimes it seems they're living on air. I agree that you should have him checked out--it could be that he's getting filled up on Pediasure and formula though. Try putting plates of fruit out, with crackers and cheese, so that he can grab and go, without forcing him to sit still for meals. Maybe that will help. Good luck!

Mabel - posted on 08/17/2010

I would like to thank everyone for the comments.It is helping and I would like to announce that Devin is now getting his new molars.He had such a bad fever 101.9 that I made him drink all the water he could and he took his Tylenol like a champ.Now after he stopped eating and totally freaked me out we have the last of his baby teeth in...Thank you!

Daisy - posted on 08/17/2010

We go through ups and downs with food luckily a majority of the time he eats like a pig:) But then there are weeks on end where he wont touch 90% of food given.

Obviously it's good to check it out as a mom you know when things seem a bit odd:) Could he be teething I think the second molars come in around 20 months or if he hasn't finished with his first set then those could be coming too. My son barely eats when his teeth are coming in! But I just try not to make a big deal about it he will eat when he wants and I just offer a wide variety of food throughout the day but at designated eating times and let him have at it. Sometimes I give him 2 options like apple or banana or pb&j sandwich or chicken that way he is included in the meal and he is more likely to eat it if he chose it. It's a good way to foster their independents but still keeping control over what is going in. The key is to keep options to a minimum and making all options healthy or acceptable to you. Also I take my son shopping with me and pick out the vege and put it in the bag for me (yes it takes longer haha) but I find he is willing to try food that he helped pick it out (doesn't mean he eats it but I figure putting it in the mouth is almost as good lol) and if you can handle the mess you can allow him help make easy foods like sandwiches or putting toppings on a mini pizza before you cook it... getting them involved in anyway you can with food helps...

I think the most important thing is if you LO has energy and is growing steadily then your in the clear! You're a good mom don't doubt yourself these little guys are just testing the world and us:) The fact that you are concerned and taking action shows just how caring a mom you are!!!!!!

Danielle - posted on 08/17/2010

My daughter has always been a good eater until recently she has become extremely picky. She pretty much only wants to eat bread or snacks. I will still serve her everything from all the food groups at meal time. I find that if I don't make a big deal about it and don't ask her if she is going to eat this or that she ends up eating it. I definatley think she is trying to be assertive and establish her own independence. So I am trying my best to give her that within reason.

Elisa - posted on 08/16/2010

I've heard it's part of the stage their are in, wanting and exploring their independence. My son has started doing the same thing and I've found that sometimes I just let him not join us as we sit down for the meal but he will after a little while.
Other times all I can do is make his snacks a little more robust or chase him around to sneak in a few bites.
As long as your son is willing to snack you can still get in all the nutrients he will need. But I think seeing a doctor is great to make sure there is nothing else going on ; )

Tina - posted on 08/16/2010

I am lucky i haven't had that problem, my kids eat everything. You certainly aren't a bad mom because your child won't eat. You did put him on formula & pediasure to make sure he is getting vitamns & minerals, so that is good. He may actually have some sort of health problem, or something wrong with his throat, that makes it difficult to eat. Don't mean to alarm you, but it actually could be something real easy to get better, when you find out what's wrong. It certainly can't be easy for you. Hope everything turns out fine. Let us know how everything turns out.

Naomi - posted on 08/15/2010

Hi Tonya, you poor thing, you are not a bad mother. Lots of my friends kids refuse to eat but they get over it in time. Have you considered asking for an urgent appt with your local doctor to check everything is ok? If it is then he will eat in time, often they are more interested in your food than their own. Do you share meal times? All the best.